Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

[janthraxx]

I will now tout this simple and incredibly easy way to make a huge, positive ecological impact.

When it is night and we don't have the sun to light our homes, nothing but compact fluorescent light bulbs should be used. They look like this:



The beauty in them is that they have the same brightness as a regular bulb, but they are more efficient; they use about one quarter of the energy.

The way most of the population gets electricity is that at some distant power plant, coal or some other fossil fuel is burned, releasing carbon dioxide and other poisons into the atmosphere, the air we breathe, the ocean and land. A compact fluorescent bulb can achieve the same luminosity of a regular 60-watt bulb using only 13 watts of energy. What this translates to is that over the course of the bulb's life, it burns FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS less coal, and releases HALF A TON less carbon dioxide into the air.

So just by replacing a single regular bulb with a compact fluorescent, you will stop approximately 1,600 pounds of harmful pollutants from entering the atmosphere. Imagine the environmental impact of replacing the dozens of light bulbs in each house with them! It's quite the no-brainer.

On top of all this, compact fluorescents save you money in the long run. They cost more (generally in the neighborhood of $5-$7) initially, but because they constantly use one-fourth the amount of electricity, the electric bill will be cheaper, so you end up saving something like $60 throughout the course of the bulb's life--which is longer than a regular bulb as well.

The only drawback is that you can't smoke crack out of them like you can with a regular bulb. Luckily, you could theoretically achieve a mild chemical high from the glue that holds the package together. So you see, everybody wins!

They can be purchased at places like Home Depot, All American Home Center, and basically any hardware store. Even some grocery stores carry them. Oh, and make sure you get the SOFT WHITE color, which emulates that of the regular bulbs best. Unless you want the sterile hyperwhite glow those long bar bathroom lights provide.

Happy bulbing!

[the_atomic_punks_rule]

I'm no hippie, but I do feel inclined to make positive changes in by behavior regarding the environment. The kicker is that the "green" solutions save you money usually in the end. I just hate those hippies that are all "Smug." Great South Park episode by the way!

[janthraxx]

I'm no hippie, but I do feel inclined to make positive changes in by behavior regarding the environment.

That's what it's all about. Like I said, everybody wins!

[timmac]

I have 5 of those above my head right now, in my track lighting. They don't fit as well in some normal lamps, though, so I can't replace those. What I'd like to find is the flourescent ones for vanity lights - the ones in the bathroom. We have 9 of them above the sink, and the amount of heat they generate is enough to heat the whole room.

[kowski]

I use some of these and not only do they use less energy, they last longer. I can't remember the last time I replaced one. It has been over a year, at least.

Like Jan said, get the cool white, unless you like feeling like you're in a warehouse or a grocery store! Also, one of them I have is a daylight spectrum bulb, and it is neat, but I don't think most people would like it as much as I do. It is a bit colder than incandescent or the other cool white fluorescent bulbs, but it is not really harsh, though.

[billy007]

The only drawback is that you can't smoke crack out of them like you can with a regular bulb. Luckily, you could theoretically achieve a mild chemical high from the glue that holds the package together. So you see, everybody wins!

Say what?!?

How are they heat-wise? I'm not going to start lampshade fires if I put them in my lamps are they? I definitely should look into some.

[BREW CREW]

They are worth the money. I have had some in our kitchen ceiling fan for 5 years now...ya know, we turn that light on and off more than any in the house for the most part and have never had to replace one. Before, we used the standard sylvania bulbs and we were replacing them every 6 months. They are for real!

[janthraxx]

Say what?!?

How are they heat-wise? I'm not going to start lampshade fires if I put them in my lamps are they? I definitely should look into some.

There seems to be no heat difference to me. They even seem to cool down to touchable levels faster.

[billy007]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[janthraxx]

Of course

[MikeL]

I've been generally displeased with my fluorescent bulbs. The quality of the light that they put out vary between brands. I'd suggest buying only one at first, and then making decisions based on how you like that one.

I seem to remember something about fluorescent lights being less efficient than incandescents when using the lights for short periods of time. Something about how fluorescents use considerable energy when starting up.

I tend to think that LED lights will displace both incandescent and fluorescent lights. They're far more efficient than either of the others, using about 1/10th of the energy of a standard bulb. They last around ten years, too. They're more expensive right now, but the costs will come down. When some of the fluorescent bulbs that I'm unhappy with die (one way or another...) I'll try an LED or two.

[janthraxx]

From treehugger.com via a google search:

Here are some details so you can make good decisions. But don't let all this scare you: just use CF bulbs. They save a lot of hassle replacing bulbs, really do save energy and are cost competitive even with an earlier failure than predicted. For more tips on compact fluorescent bulbs, read on:

The CF bulbs rely on a ballast to cause the gas in the bulb to produce ultraviolet light which in turn causes white phospor on the tube to emit the white light we see. The ballasts wear out before the tubes, so they are the limiting factor in the bulbs' lifespan. Turning the lights on and off will cause the ballasts to fail sooner, reducing the cost advantage of longer life in these more expensive bulbs, and ultimately swinging the balance in favor of power-plant mercury emissions to dead-CF bulb mercury gas disposal (see Friday's article for more on this point). The rule of thumb for optimizing the in-use versus turn-on power is:

* Standard incandescent: turn off even if you leave the room for just seconds.

* Compact fluorescent: turn off if you leave the room for 3 minutes.

* Standard fluorescent: turn off if you leave the room for 15 minutes.


The lifespan rating on your lightbulb is based on 3-hour on/off cycles, so you can expect less life if your average on-time is less than three hours. It is recommended to put compact fluorescent bulbs anyplace where you tend to leave the light on for at least two to three hours at a time. It is OK to simply leave the bulbs "off": that is, there is no minimum daily on-time to keep the bulbs healthy.

*******************************************

So I guess the idea is that they do wear down faster if you turn them on and off constantly, so don't use them in places you're switching on and off within three-minute spans. But how many bulbs are actually used like this, I wonder?

[seenbad]

IWhat this translates to is that over the course of the bulb's life, it burns FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS less coal, and releases HALF A TON less carbon dioxide into the air.

So just by replacing a single regular bulb with a compact fluorescent, you will stop approximately 1,600 pounds of harmful pollutants from entering the atmosphere. Imagine the environmental impact of replacing the dozens of light bulbs in each house with them! It's quite the no-brainer.

I'm really glad that last sentance was there for a recap. I was beginning to question the validity of those statements!

[Axxman300]

Screw the environment....do it for the money!!

We swapped out all of our primary lightbulbs with these things ( the lights we use the most) and we save $40 on our electricity bill each month. That was over a year and a half ago and they're the same bulbs. Paid for themselves the very first month and pay us $40 in savings.

Best way to say "Fuck You" to big oil and big energy is to use less.

[janthraxx]

I'm really glad that last sentance was there for a recap. I was beginning to question the validity of those statements!

What is that supposed to mean?

Axx, I'll bet your hotel did the same, yeah? Or is that what you were talking about.