Comments on: Time To Change The Light Bulb?

A Growing Coalition Wants To Replace Standard Bulbs With Compact Fluorescents

[rmsdm4]

Just what we need, the gov't telling us what light bulbs to use. Keep the gov't out of my house.

And to the person who wonders why there are so many choices on water heaters, dryers, etc...

ITS CALLED FREEDOM Deal with it

[jebby_one]

I think maybe CBS has been spending too much time with Al Gore and has lost any sense of reality.

I have tried a few times to use these bulbs and they do NOT live up to expectation on longevity and brightness. Maybe they will improve, maybe not.

Cutting energy consumption and energy COST is great. Considering that household energy is purchased with after tax dolars, $1 saved on energy is $1.75 earned!

We drive a hybrid Prius and absolutely love it. We're even thinking of becoming a 2-Prius family. We routinely get 47 to 50 mpg and when possible I can 'milk it' and get 60 mpg

Oh, another problem with these efficient lightbulbs is the old slow-turn-on and flickering that's traditionally associated with florescent lights. It's especially annoying in places like bathrooms and closets where you traditionally expect reliable light for short duration.

We do, however, use the very low candlepower versions in places like the garage and outdoors where we just want a little light.

[sero5]

People can be encouraged to change from incandescent bulbs to CFLs without the government slapping a ban on the old bulbs.
In California, low cost CFLs can be found with the PG&E label on the package.
I am sure somebody will come along with mercury-free CFLs.

[barbaraf4]

As they burn out, we are beginning to replace our standard bulbs with the compact fluorescents.

It is too soon to know if they last longer; however, I can tell you they do not provide adequate light for reading or needlework. Also, they have to "warm up" for maximum light. We have them in our garage and on our back porch. During winter freezes, it took several minutes to provide any light.

[hlt069]

Compact flourescents do last as long or longer as 5 years. I converted to a compact when they first came out and lasted 7 years before burning out. I changed most of my lights about 1 year after the first one was installed. I have only changed maybe 4 of the 12 bulbs we have in use in the last 5 years. Also, I point out that compacts are made that look like regular light bulbs and like flood lights(our kitchen and office lights are all recessed compact flood lights). People assume that compacts show off the same white light as long tube flourescents. You can get them in soft white so, they look exactly like the light bulbs you currently use. As far as people with Lupus are concerned it is with the color and brightness of light not, the source, that affects them according to doctors and people that I know that have it. Standard light bulbs that are not soft white can have the same effect.
Compact flourescents that are flood lights may not be available in every store. I do know that Super WalMarts and other large hardware stores like Lowe's, Menards, have them or can get them.

[z07victoria1]

I have felt for years that suppliers must sholder more of the burden of conservation. They shouldn't offer three hot water tanks, air conditioners heat pumps etc. , good better and best, reagrding energy use. Offer only the most efficient model.

[ao7771]

These bulbs did not fit into my existing ceiling fixtures. When in tried one in a lamp, it changed the subtle color balance of my walls. Then I remembered, flourescent lights emit very large amounts of ultraviolet light (UV). They should be enclosed in fittings that absorb UV (usually plastic). Since UV light can cause skin cancer, has anyone assessed the risk of long-term exposure to the bulbs? I bet there are a lot of opinions, but no long-term studies.

[dbreitwe]

I prefer the clear bulbs they give out more light for sewing/reading. The frosted type bulbs like flourescent are not clear enough.

[hoopiron]

I have them all over my house and they do not last. At first I returned to the manufacturer for a replacement, however, the cost to ship them back was almost as much as the cost of the replacement. I once read that lighting was roughly 20% of your electric bill-if that is the case, switching has increased my overall spending due to the expense of replacing the compact fluorescent when they fail prematurely.

[lafemdelamer]

People with Lupus CANNOT have fluorescent lighting in their homes. I have lupus and have been warned to stay out of those lights because they can cause life threatening flares. People who are suggesting this are being irresponsible. This is just another jump on the "let's be green bandwagon." Most of the people in the country with lupus are African American and Hispanic so of course, anything that can adversly affect us is being ignored.

[cgeorge_1]

Actually the best way to is LED lighting fixtures, they burn one quarter of the electricity of fluorescent lights, burn about five times as long, produce light at 4000K and 7000K, white light, not green like fluorescent lights. There is a down side, they are expensive right now, but with a greater demand the prices will of course fall. So forget fluorescent lights, they're all coated with mercury anyway.Pay a little bit more and reduce your electric bill by about 75%.

[nothappyatall]

If everybody traded one light bulb, the impact would be like taking 1 million cars off the road for one year or the ability to light 7 million additional homes in the United States,"

Only one thing, as the population continues to grow the "savings" will be negated and passed by adding that 7 million more homes and cars.

[csnider50]

What you forgot to mention is that each of the compact fluorescent light bulbs on the market today contain mercury, and must be disposed of properly. This is information that consumers should be aware of. Most people just throw them in the trash like the old standard bulbs. While people maybe saving energy, they are polluting the ground and ground water with toxic mercury.
I have converted most of my light bulbs to the compact fluorescent kind; however, I agree with r_schiff that they do not last for 5 years.

[scsmith5]

tgdriver

I would agree with you if my experience was not based on multiple houses in vastly different parts of the state.

[csnider50]

What you forgot to mention is that each of the compact fluorescent light bulbs on the market today contain mercury, and must be disposed of properly. This is information that consumers should be aware of. Most people just throw them in the trash like the old standard bulbs. While people maybe saving energy, they are polluting the ground and ground water with toxic mercury.
I have converted most of my light bulbs to the compact fluorescent kind; however, I agree with r_schiff that they do not last for 5 years.

[thgdriver]

scsmith5

I have two, one on either side, of my garage door they are on from dusk till midnight, then on again from five AM till day brake. Same bulbs over four years now. This is where I had a problem with my solid state timer (it would not keep time).

Two each, in all the bathroom fixtures (3 bathrooms) 3 years and counting.

Two in kitchen center lamp. We have recessed with floods also. 3 years and counting

Four in my storage shed. 4 years and counting.

Two in hallway to bedrooms ceiling light over two years now.

I have not had to replace any except one that was bad out of the box. (store gave me another)

Maybe you have an electrical surge problem.

[hawksprings]

This is just something that makes Liberals feel good, but does nothing or almost nothing for the problem they are trying to solve.

Kind of like Algore buying "carbon credits" from the company he is chairman of.

[thgdriver]

The old lights have a tungsten filament that is also toxic, when you consider how often they burn out and how long the fluorescents last I think it balances out.

[scsmith5]

I'd like to challenge the claim these bulbs last 3-5 years longer then the current light bulbs. My experience is that they last about the same length of time. Another issue I have is that they do not put out as much light so I have to increase the wattage of the bulb in order to see in the dark. So much for saving money and energy.

[thgdriver]

I think they are great plenty of light and they last I Disagree with the 3 dollar price--Home Depot sells a package of six for nine bucks

They don't work with dimmers, that's on the package, they should also mention that they won't work with solid state timers ( no filament ) they work fine with manual timers though.