Phase out incandescent light bulbs

Darren Wright

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Lets start out by saying I don't want to have any political discussion of the topic, I'm just curious what bulbs have worked well for others and the differences in them.

If anyone wants to understand the reasoning more. There is a wikipedia article that covers the general information here.

So, I've started to upgrade a few can lights in my house with the CFL bulbs as they seem to be left on the most. The first set I bought was a cheaper set from the blue borg and they have a warm tint to them. Difference I've seen with them is that they come on dim and brighten once they warm up. My wife actually likes these in our kitchen as they don't blind you right away first thing in the morning when the switch is flicked. It's probably only 10% dimmer in actuality, but noticable. There are 4 in the room and once warmed the room is brighter to work in, and I'm happy with them.

We've already got fluorescents in our garage and laundry room. Part of the lamps in the basement have been upgraded as well with CFL, but they are the white bright bulbs and I don't care for them, will look for a warmer tint when they need replacing.

Overall, I've probably replaced enough bulbs to compare to a small space heater running 4 - 6 hours a day, so we'll see over the next couple of months how that looks on the electric bill.

Anyway, I noticed several type and costs of the bulbs at the store, I mostly bought the cheapest. I'm sure some of that is branding, but what other features should one look for if they are going to get CFL bulbs?

Also, has anyone gone to LED lighting and if so, what has been your experience? Until recently I hadn't seen any that gave a nice glow, hopefully that is changing. I looked at some for the can lights, I'm sure that would make up pretty quickly with savings and the long life, but couldn't justify spending the $40 per bulb right now.
 
Since that is almost all that is available anymore we are switching as need arises. I don't like them, especially the part about coming on dim. Disposal is a huge irritation. I just trash them. Naughty me but I figure the economy is lost in storing the taking time to drive to a disposal unit....fuss and bother I'm not going to do. And, I have had early failures. So much for the longer life. :mad:
 
I've been buying the cheap cfl's for the house so far, haven't had any problems with them. I love the LED flashlights, but the price of the bulb atm outweighs the power savings. If the CFL's didn't exist I would consider them, but to me the extra power savings/life doesn't justify the cost premium over CFLs to me.

It really make me wonder though how they can make such cheap flashlight LED's and the house bulbs cost so much? Is it the electronics/transformer or something inside the bulb that could be installed at the breaker panel for multiple lights instead???
 
We've got them all over the place, and have very few incandescents left, except for the halogen MR16s in the kitchen & dining room ceiling lights.

Oh yeah, and also the 'tennis ball shaped' miniature based ones in the bathroom lights. So far as I know, they don't make CFLs for those yet, and the LED versions of those are prohibitively expensive - I'd need then of them, and at neary $30 each, that's just too much!

Some CFLs are marked "Use base-down Only" so they're out for ceiling fixtures, etc. Some also warn that they shouldn't be used within a covered globe, so they're out for many ceiling uses, too.

We like the lights, but they do have some obvious limitations.
 
Costco used to give out free 10-packs a few years ago and I guess we just stockpiled 'em. I'm tempted to stockpile incan's now because some things just don't convert well; appliance lamps, so on. 50/50 on the initial startup power...it's ok sometimes and sucks others. I'm with you Frank...don't force me to use something and say “disposal cost is up to you.” So...into the trash they go.
I bought about 20 cases of R12 refrigerant before the ban. My BMW would cost about $3000 to convert to HFA coolant…yeah, right. I made a killing (enough to re-upholster the interior) selling it to other classic car guys because of the same restriction. I think there about 10 cans left…just enough for me!

It really make me wonder though how they can make such cheap flashlight LED's and the house bulbs cost so much? Is it the electronics/transformer or something inside the bulb that could be installed at the breaker panel for multiple lights instead???
I don't know Jeb...I have a shake light from AC/Delco that is an LED and you shake to power it...my uncle gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago. The LED flashlights we use on DMAT are 1 AA battery and light up an entire room...but $32 bucks apiece...ouch
 
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LED

HD has LED lights for about $20.

Color wise, we really like how they look.


Turns out they are made local in Melbourne, FL.

Sad story - CEO of LED company (young guy) took a fall off his bike (non motor) broke neck and died.

Watch the CFL's - with age they yellow and if switched often will have a much shorter life.
 
They have mercury in them.

Don't trash any fluorescent lamp, including linear, U-tube and circline fluorescent tubes, bug zappers, tanning bulbs, black lights, germicidal bulbs, high output bulbs, and cold-cathode fluorescent bulbs

Also be aware that the following lamps also contain mercury: high intensity discharge bulbs, including metal halide, ceramic metal halide, high pressure sodium, and mercury vapor; mercury short-arc bulbs; and neon bulbs.

If you break any of these lamps sweeping it up is NOT going to clean the area safely.

www.epa.gov CFL Cleanup

Be considerate, take care of yourselves, your families and generations to follow.
 
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So I'm guessing smashing the 8' flourescents with a hammer so you can fit the pieces in the trash can is frowned upon? I think alabama is probalby a little behind on the disposal, I haven't the faintest clue where to go here to dispose of mercury containing bulbs.
 
I have had them in my stairwell to the shop for a long time and I find that the cheap ones do not last. Of course they are upside down so that might be part of the problem. But the name brand ones definitely last longer!

FWIW I have one outside my shop that I never got put on a daylight sensor so it stays on 24-7, it has been on for 4-5 years now.
 
Can anyone tell me how these cfl bulbs work in a "dimmer" type unit? I have a couple ceiling lights over my fireplace that I like to dim. Can a cfl bulb do that?
Also I have been wanting to replace my outside house lights with the kind that come on at dusk at about 20% power then if they detect motion they go up to full power for a set time, then back to 20% power.....then off automaticlly at dawn. Can a cfl bulb be used in this type of light?
 
I have changed my whole house over long time back. So by now my carbon credits should be high :)

In my experience thus far i have not found a brand that is trully 100% reliable. I now buy mine at the dollar store for $2 Canadian.

There is a very small one for the light fittings which use the old ping pong ball incandescent and i recently bought a few of those to put into a multi bulb fixture. Have them running side by side with a larger one to see the effect and length of service.

I sometimes do and sometimes dont like the delay so i have mixed views and experience on this.

As to the mercury issues well maybe i am retarded from it, but when i was a youngster we used to play with lead, roll mecury around in our hands till they were silver coated and i am still kicking.

Seems to me as long as we can use the new rule Bill enlightened us to it seems to justify not dealing with the bigger pollution creators. I shudder every time i see those flames that burn 24/7 from oil wells. When the world deals with that i will be more concerned about the small amount of mecury in these bulbs.:D I changed mine for the benefit of electrical consumption reduction. If we dont reduce we gonna have our taxes increased to pay for more power generation so there is our incentive.
 
Can anyone tell me how these cfl bulbs work in a "dimmer" type unit? I have a couple ceiling lights over my fireplace that I like to dim. Can a cfl bulb do that?
Also I have been wanting to replace my outside house lights with the kind that come on at dusk at about 20% power then if they detect motion they go up to full power for a set time, then back to 20% power.....then off automaticlly at dawn. Can a cfl bulb be used in this type of light?

I saw some dimmable ones at the borg, but haven't got any experience with them. I have a couple of those type of lights outside and the previous owner put CFL's in them. They don't seem to work well, but I'm not sure the bulbs in there are 'dimmable' either.
 
I don't plan to worry about it for another 10 years. Stocked up on incandescent bulbs from Wal*Mart over the last 6 months. Don't think there are any left.

The reason? I tried them several years ago (overhead in the garage), and walked out there one day and smoke was coming out of the ceiling fixture. Never bought one since. Just don't trust them and personally don't think they pay for themselves.

So, I'll be a hold-out for a while and who knows, maybe they will go for big money on flea bay in a few years :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Since that is almost all that is available anymore we are switching as need arises. I don't like them, especially the part about coming on dim. Disposal is a huge irritation. I just trash them. Naughty me but I figure the economy is lost in storing the taking time to drive to a disposal unit....fuss and bother I'm not going to do. And, I have had early failures. So much for the longer life. :mad:

Home Depot will dispose of your curly and straight fluorescent lamps. I really appreciate that service and it has pulled more of my business. There is another hardware equidistant from my home that has lost some business to HD because of this.

No, I don't have any HD stock.

You can get most fluorescent lamps in a range of temperature colors. The lower the number, the warmer the color tone. Example 3500* lamps are warmer than 4500* lamps. I have six 8ft luminaires with lamps that do not show the color temp. As I remember from a year or two ago when I purchased a couple, the color temp on the paper work said 3500*. I have four four foot fluorescents labeled 6000*K. This gives a very clear, intense, white light, however, it is like being in a high tech laboratory.

In a home, in the kitchen, 4500* looks very white. Years ago, when I owned an office, I used GE Deluxe Warm White lamps. These lamps gave a feeling of "Home." Phillips also makes quality lamps. I have not seen Sylvania brand lamps for quite some time. I believe they were purchased by General Telephone (GTE). Sylvania lamps have a history of long life.

Almost always when lamps do not show a color temp. they will have some description. Words like "Cool" and "Kitchen." These lamps are going to be on the cold side. Words like "Soft" and "Warm" are going to give you colors more like incandescents.

Curly lamps at this point have a lot of BS in their promotion. I would try to stay with major manufacturers for lamp longevity. I purchased 16 curlies at a big box hardware. The longest lasting lamp made it a little over 2 months---That is a bit less than the 7 years advertised.

The four foot luminaires that I have I purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. Glenn, with his young sharp mind will remember which. The two tube luminaires were less than $8.00 each. They come with a switch or without---for the same price. I like the pull-string switches. If I am in a location, I don't have to go to the wall someplace to turn on the lamps.

These 4 ft luminaires take the new thinner Fluorescent lamps. However, they have the old magnetic ballasts. The cheapest four footers I could find that use new ballast technology were over $40.00 each.

Enjoy,

Jim
 
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