Light bulbs...(nothing to do with fishing whatsoever)

[Mr. Sandman]

While working in a normal office setting, most design engineers became familar with the saying..."Don't re-invent the light bulb". But that is exactly what some have done and I have to say with some degree of success! I recently purchaced about $400 of new CFL bulbs and started replacing my infastructure.
Recently I read an article on the new generation of CFL bulbs and tried a few. The Compact Fluorescent Light bulb. They screw into a regular incandescent socket but are a fluorescent light. Because of my engineering background I am hung up on efficiently and the article touted how great these are and one of the stores were having a sale for one day for 99 cents you can purchase them. So I said what the hell and bought a dozen. The .99 versions were 60-watt replacement bulbs. You might have seen them they have a curly tube attached to small ballast that screws into an incandescent socket.
Well I found a place for them but was not happy with the quality of the light they produced. But this got me researching these things. There are some better quality light bulbs now! I am finishing off my basement into several new rooms about 2500 square feet of space...a spare bedroom, bath, workshop, office, home theater, pantry a computer room and a reading room of sorts...anyway I counted 37"cans" of recessed lighting. ) On average say 70 watts of floodlights and a few specialty lights.
I got further interested in these things because the other night my son asked me to help him with his homework and while I was sitting there his desk lamp was cooking me. I looked at the bulb and it was a halogen light that was hot as hell. I could not touch it. Also there were several 100 what bulbs in my workshop that was so hot it was cooking the fixtures and starting to bake the material around it.
I replace the shop lights and a few lights that had thick glass shades with these curly things and they seemed fine. Slightly harsh light color but cool and allot less power.
When looking into these things I found several sources of dimmable and 3-way CFL bulbs as well as decent flood lights with colors close to that as incandescent. I need up buying a range of bulbs to test them out. Then I placed an order to completely use these things in the new space.

I have to say I am pleased. I computed the cost savings will exceed $350 per year and the quality of the light is " almost" as good as the incandescent but definitely worth it. The cost savings will pay for the bulbs in the first year. Also, I put them in my office where I read and after using it I am really happy. I first thought ...oh it is not the same but after a few days it is actually better.

I went on to replace a few of the general household bulbs to see what the rest of the crew thought. IN the laundry room I replaced the fixture bulbs that had two 75 watt incandescent bulbs in a glass dome with 23 watt CFLs that produced about 100 watts per bulb with a lot less heat and more light. The color was a warm white 2700K which is similar to classic light bulbs.
My wife said...Hey did you do something in the laundry room? It is much brighter in there and I can actually see what I am doing now. (And it is saving me about 100 watts!)

Down the basement I did the math and the savings is dramatic. I have to say I spent a bunch of time finding the bulbs I wanted and over all the light is slightly different then the standard colors but IMO it is MORE then worth it.

I don't have to worry about the kids leaving the lights on and walking out of the room (a common occurrence). I plan on replacing the rest of the house lights with these over time. I expect when I am done my savings will be about $1000 per year. (About the cost of the light bulbs...but they last about 5-10X longer then the standard bulbs)

Anyway, try one of these out.... Make sure you get the right "color" light or you will be disappointed.

I can't replace every bulb yet because some fixtures are designed with the standard bulb in mind but 95% of the lights can be replaced with these things.