Posted on 11/30/2011 4:58:51 AM PST by djf
Bow I know that sometime in the future, filament type light bulbs will stop being sold.
Question: ALL filament type bulbs or just the ones used for lamps, etc?
The reason I ask is that I have a number of fixtures in my house that use the little 25W or so vanity type clear light bulbs and I have never seen itty-bitty fluorescents that could go in those fixtures.
So now I gotta start ripping things out and re-wiring stuff?
Anyone know?
Thanks!
In December 2007, many of these state efforts became moot when the federal government enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which requires all general-purpose light bulbs that produce 310–2600 lumens of light[33] be 30% more energy efficient (similar to current halogen lamps) than then-current incandescent bulbs by 2012 to 2014. The efficiency standards will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014.
Light bulbs outside of this range are exempt from the restrictions. Also exempt are several classes of specialty lights, including appliance lamps, rough service bulbs, 3-way, colored lamps, stage lighting, and plant lights.
By 2020, a second tier of restrictions would become effective, which requires all general-purpose bulbs to produce at least 45 lumens per watt (similar to current CFLs). Exemptions from the Act include reflector flood, 3-way, candelabra, colored, and other specialty bulbs.
Honestly, I think they make curly bulbs for nearly all applications now, and they’ve come down in price some. My advice is to stockpile the bulbs you prefer before they are gone from the shelves. I don’t mind the curly bulbs for some uses, but not for all. The savings on electricity is the ONLY reason I have some.
Al Gore and his pals can KMA.
Great!
Thanks!
Here I was thinking I’d have to head to Home Depot and buy a shopping cart or two full of light bulbs...
Question, since you use them for som applications - is the energy difference really noticeable, or is it minor?
LEDs are on the rise. They are bright, they can have any color temperature, they last, are incredibly effecent, and the price is going down. CFLs are a joke and won’t be around once LEDs come down in price enough. CFLs are a means for someone to make a boatload of money in the short term. They’ll be gone before they burn out. Personally, I will never buy a CFL, but I am all over LEDs
Curly ones are OK for hard to reach places. But for home lighting, they basically are inferior. 90% of my spelling mistakes are because I use them in my living room lamp and they are not all that bright or clear, light-wise.
The complexity of the regulation is proof that our Government is insane.
A raft of regulation and oversight, regarding something as simple as a light bulb.
Our country is broke and we are paying people to regulate this BS
I have a pretty extensive lava lamp collection (about 18 now). They depend on a “hot” incandescent bulb to function. Maybe I should stock up...
When I lived in whacko liberal Seattle I thought it would be fun to “accidentally” drop a curly bulb on a busy sidewalk and start screaming about mercury vapor and “someone call the hasmat team”.
I mean, in 2002 my entire building was cleared and hasmat called because someone spilled the powdered sugar off their doughnut onto the carpet. It’s that kind of town. ;-)
The curly monsters don’t fit under a couple of my lamp shades. In the bedrooms, I have lamp shades that fit onto the bulbs. Then, there are still homes with shades in the ceilings that fit over the bulbs. People will have to discard their lamps, and do some rewiring to accommodate the government. Nothing they do is beneficial, including their (too) fragile lights.
Don’t fret.
Not trying to side with the eco-nazis, but you did ask for feedback. :)
Your situation is one which lends itself to a more efficient bulb.
You might track down a 2 watt 110v LED bulb of the same dimensions as those small clear incandescent ones you describe.
The 2 watt outputs the equivalent of 25 watts. Same small format - maybe an inch and a half across - standard base.
Runs cool enough to remove while it’s on.
Paid about $7 for mine. It’s rated something like 25c a year in electricity cost.
Reading with it would be a bit like reading with a candle, but it’s an option for a small 25w anyway.
I think you will need to upgrade your Easy-Bake oven also.
;-)
they basically are inferior. 90% of my spelling mistakes are because I use them in my living room lamp and they are not all that bright or clear, light-wise...Get a grant from the Federal gov’t. to study the decline of sight in the population from prior culicues to post- curlicues in the next 25 years. That’s 25 years of high end bucks and writing this study wouldn’t be tough, either no difference or big difference.
“...stage lighting...”
That is one where good old capitalism is taking care of it already. The move to LED lighting for stage application is happening faster than the transition from vinyl LP’s to CD’s.
I can not imagine any venue with a functioning stage using anything but LED’s and lasers within five years.
“Question, since you use them for som applications - is the energy difference really noticeable, or is it minor?”
I know you weren’t addressing me, but I’ll tell you my experience. While I don’t love the new CFL bulbs, they do save money if you use any lighting at all. Where I live (North), in the winter the sun goes down before 5 PM, so I have lights on for several hours a day. (Generally 6+) I had a main fixture in the kitchen that had 5 bulbs, a fixture in the living room with 3 bulbs, each bathroom had 4 bulbs, and each bedroom 2 bulbs. When I made the switch from the incandescents to the CFL’s, my electric bill went from about 85 dollars down to about 20 dollars.
In my honest opinion, the biggest issue with the incandescents is the heat. They produce so much heat, i hate to be under them in the summer. Since they’re basically a 100% efficient heater, if you have 5-100 Watt bulbs, it’s almost like running a space heater when you have them on. That being said, in the winter I don’t mind the normal incandescents heat output as much, because they do heat up the house, but the cost of electricity vs gas heating for me is about 3x the cost, so all the way around, I prefer to use the CFL’s now.
You can do the simple math (a lot of steps, but all simple), to determine if it would save you much money, or you can probably find a calculator online. In my experience, they saved me about 40 dollars a month or so, averaged across the year. In the winter, I use more lighting, but it lowers heat cost, in the summer use less lighting, but it cost significantly more to cool the house with those little heaters going. Anyway, hope that helps!
(I should add that my CFL bulbs were on sale at Sam’s for 2.87/8-Pack, 13Watt/60Watt Equivalent, and that they are quite a bit more expensive now. I have only ever had one go bad—same bulbs, going on 3-4 years now—and that was due to unscrewing it by the end of the bulb and not at the bottom/near the fixture)
I had one of three curley light bulbs go out in the master bathroom overhead light, and there was a strong chemical smell that lasted for hours. I removed the remaining ones and will never go back. I will go on the black market to replace the Edison bulbs when these give out. Screw Green Tech, something that smells that bad when it burns out can’t be good for you! I am sure it is a fascist con by GE to make energy prices necessarily skyrocket!
I hope to make the transition to LED’s too. I don’t have a problem with the CFL’s much, except for the sleep distortion (exposure to a Fluorescent light for and extended period disrupts your ability to sleep), and the mercury in them. I think that LED technology is overall superior (I like it in flashlights too, no more worrying about that extra bulb, and less battery drain), but I’m unwilling to shell out the several dollar replacement cost. The CFL’s I have cost me about 25 cents a piece, and have lasted years. When an LED gets down to less than a dollar a bulb (or it’s hyperinflation adjusted equivalent), I’ll consider them more seriously.
Would love for all our Repub candidates declare a moratorium on the 'curly bulb' - at least, as our only choice per light bulbs. Bring the idustry back home; and let's light up, with beautiful lighting.
I actually replace 60 watt incandescents with “100 watt equivalent” curly’s if brightness matters. They are actually noticeably brighter than the 60’s, and at least as bright when you first turn them on.
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