Light Bulbs??

[BigFish]

GE made the last ones today...the traditional incandescent ones! Guess all we will have now are those twirly, whirly ones!!! Gues where all those are made???? Not here!!! China!!! Good move!!!

[JohnnyD]

"A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12 percent discount to estimate the savings."
FAQ: The End of the Light Bulb as We Know It - US News and World Report

And that was at energy prices from 3 years ago. Anyone who doesn't switch to CFLs are flushing money down the toilet, especially considering the broad spectrum they come in now.


If you're concerned about buying domestically:
Green Electrical Supply LLC. Energy Saving Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Also check out:
U.S. Stuff Home- Made in USA Products, Assembled in USA Products, usstuff.com

[RIJIMMY]

Each cone-shaped spiral CFL costs about $3, compared with 50 cents for a standard bulb. But a CFL uses about 75 percent less energy and lasts five years instead of a few months.

???? I change a light bulb in my house about every 2-3 years?

[BigFish]

Yeah me too RI? I think they are full of crap on their estimates!

[Slipknot]

some of the crappy CFC bulbs i bought didn't last 5 weeks nevermind 5 years

some brands seem worse than others i guess
don't buy from homies maybe

what about the 3 way? do they have a bulb for 3 way fixtures?

[RIJIMMY]

the article also says that they burn out faster when used for short periods of time. I have little kids at home, they turn the lights on and off all the time. I had to nag them to remember to turn them off. Now I need to ask them to leave them on for 15 mins? What the impact on my savings then? I think I'll get headlamps for the family, we'll just wear them when we walk around the house

[BigFish]

[JohnnyD]

I have maybe replaced one or two CFLs and have been buying them for years. The price per bulb is really dependent on the wattage. I've started buying them from Amazon and the 60W replacements came out to a buck a pop in a 6 or 8 pack (forget which I got now). So even if they last only as long as a regular bulb, I'm still saving 50% on my electricity. I only buy GE or Sylvania, none of that brandless knockoff garbage.

The only situation I don't like them for is outdoor lighting in the winter. They don't fire up well and are definitely dimmer, with a shorter lifespan.

[FishermanTim]

Let's not forget the ultimate savings these little gems posses.
How about MERCURY?
Notice that you aren't supposed to dispose of them with regular trash? Of course we're all so ecological and environmentally aware, so none of us has EVER thrown one of these little self-contained pollution devices away.

Yeah, I'll believe that like I believe the line "No New taxes!"

So it's more a question of do you want to pay now or pay later, or have your children pay for it later?

Oh, well, at least I won't be around for when the it truly hits the fan.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Let's not forget the ultimate savings these little gems posses.
How about MERCURY?
Notice that you aren't supposed to dispose of them with regular trash? Of course we're all so ecological and environmentally aware, so none of us has EVER thrown one of these little self-contained pollution devices away.

Yeah, I'll believe that like I believe the line "No New taxes!"

So it's more a question of do you want to pay now or pay later, or have your children pay for it later?

Oh, well, at least I won't be around for when the it truly hits the fan.

The EPA did a study demonstrating that even if every CFL was put in a landfill, less mercury would still be put into the environment. This was due to the amount of mercury released into the air through the burning of fossil fuels. Currently, CFLs contain something like 3mg of mercury with a lot of companies with products or developing products that get that down around 1mg. If even a small portion of people proper disposed of the bulbs, there's even more environmental benefit.

[striperman36]

https://www.environmentallights.com/...3_2417/a-bulbs

28 bucks 30,000 hours 60w LED.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by striperman36

https://www.environmentallights.com/...3_2417/a-bulbs

28 bucks 30,000 hours 60w LED.

LEDs are the future. I look forward to it but they just aren't affordable or bright enough yet.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

The EPA did a study demonstrating that even if every CFL was put in a landfill, less mercury would still be put into the environment. This was due to the amount of mercury released into the air through the burning of fossil fuels. Currently, CFLs contain something like 3mg of mercury with a lot of companies with products or developing products that get that down around 1mg. If even a small portion of people proper disposed of the bulbs, there's even more environmental benefit.

EPA

They do make great bulbs for drop lights though

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

LEDs are the future. I look forward to it but they just aren't affordable or bright enough yet.

I'd like to see SandMan's Mirage. Then I'd decide.

30,000 hours on a 60w? that's almost 4 years of continuous burn. Granted, the led's will outlast the other components. I would be interested in the outcome, I might spend 50 bucks for the backyard flood if I can get a dimmable unit.

[Raven]

SCREW saving money !!!! IT'S meant TO be spent!

THOSE GOD DAMN WEIRD BULBS ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS

you ever get a shade wire /\ stuck in one and then
trying to untangle it
break the friggan bulb in the process?

man OH man

Most stupid design i have ever seen....

i HATE them!!!!
friggan USA can't even invent a new light bulb
and this is where it was invented in the first place

[striperman36]

Edison's bamboo filaments are still burning in his lab. what 100 years?

[Raven]

Originally Posted by striperman36

Edison's bamboo filaments are still burning in his lab. what 100 years?

Weally? that sounds awesome....

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by Raven

Weally? that sounds awesome....

they say 1200 hours, but I've seen then in his FL lab still lit.

[Saltheart]

I have not had one of the CFL the size of a regular bulb burn out yet. I also have these long skinny ones in a Bathroom light above the medicine cabinet. They have a cross section about 1X1X5 inches. I built the room and use the florescent bulbs in 1993. I am on my second set of bulbs now. That's a long time with just one set of bulbs burning out!. I bought a box of about 20 for like $10 and it looks like that will be a lifetime supply. I buy the typical bulbs for about $1 now. They were $3 when first out but there are all kinds of deals involving rebates or energy star things or electric company incentives.

The only trouble I ever had with any flourescent bulb was when I replaced the incandescent ones in a light with a dimmer switch. At first the bulbs would not work at all. Either no light or a strbe flicka effect. Then they came out with CFL bulbs made for dimmers and no problem.

If there are any incandescent bulbs still in use in my house its because they are in rooms I only use once every two months. Anywhere that I use normally , all the bulbs have been changed.

The latest flourescent light gimmick I came across was a bulb that was very skinny and it came with a very specific shaped reflector. The skinny bulb concentrated the light right at the focal point of the reflector. It claims to get 20 percent; more usefull light at the same wattage do to the enhanced reflection of the generated light , I think 22W.

[Raven]

run the lamps off dog poop

WHDH-TV - Dog poop powering Cambridge park lamp