This column won't answer that question, but it just may help you select the right type of spectroscopic lamp when it's time to change. It should help inform the novice experimenter how to select the right source and how to take proper care of it. Despite this distinction, the two types share technologies and construction so many points about handling apply to both.
Incandescent lamps have a tungsten filament that is heated by an electric current.
The filament emits blackbody-like radiation continuous in wavelength and strongly dependent on temperature. These lamps are the most stable as sources and are used as primary standards of illuminance. This means properly designed lamps self-limit the amount of current drawn from a constant voltage source. When the filament is cold it has a much lower resistance and allows a surge of current when voltage is applied. This power surge can overheat the filament and cause it to fail.