Are your Compact Fluorescent bulbs really helping?

http://www.evaneco.com/?p=874 ^

[truthfinder9]

They may lower your bills, but don't really do much for C0₂:

The U.S. Energy Star program says that if every home in America replaced one normal light bulb with a fluorescent...it would be equivalent to taking 800,000 cars off the road. Sure, that sounds like a lot, but it's less than 0.1 percent of registered cars worldwide. Plus, transportation accounts for only about one-fifth of global emissions anyway.

Just the increase in the amount of coal that China will burn by 2020 will send as much C0₂ into the atmosphere as 3 billion Ford Expeditions, each driven 15,000 miles a year.

An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems, p. 7.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Yes, I use three dimmable indoor floods in my kitchen.”
Hmm! That’s interesting. You have to use a Variac on regular F-tubes. And a Variac is rather expensive. I have three of them for some neon stuff. What kind of dimmer is it. Do the F-bulbs work with a regular dimmer switch?

[zeugma]

I don’t care about their “green” aspect. Fact is, I can put them in and not worry about changing them for 5-7 years.

Same here. If it is cost-effective, and they work, that's all I care about. 

[kingu]

Bulbs ran 3 for a buck at the local market one day, bought a case full, reduced the electric bill by a third, since it seems like no one in the house knows how to turn off a light. Wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Switching over to CFLs for our outdoor display, went from a gallon every two hours for the generator to a gallon for a weekend.

Your millage can and will vary - if one type annoys the heck out of you, try a couple more. Even from the same manufacturer, same packaging, we’ve had color variations - Our preference is a bit more yellowish than the ‘pure whites’ that make me look like I’m sick.

[coconutt2000]

Here’s what they’re doing to solve the problem.

http://www.physlink.com/News/071403QuantumDotLED.cfm

[meyer]

Don’t care about CO2, Don’t really care about mercury. My electric rates are almost 14 cents/kWh,...

Same here - I use them in many places, but not because of psuedo-environazi opinions. I use them because I'd rather take that $5-10 per month that I save on my electric bill and put it towards some other, more enjoyable activity. Like eating! :)

[TruthWillWin]

I have had excellent luck with the Energy savings bulbs in the last 7 years. Replaced 4 floods with energy savers 7 years ago. The regular ones lasted less than a year, the fluorescent ones are still working.

I even like my 1.6 gal toilet. It clogs less than my old one and when it does clog with only 1.6 gals it never overflows like the old one did.

[zeugma]

Probably, but the $/Lumen output ratio needs to plummet dramatically.

Absolutely agreed. CF bulbs were the same way 5 years ago though.  

[petro45acp]

“Save your money. LEDs are the future.”

Amen! Two 6 volt flashlights, one incandescent, one LED. The Surefire xenon gets about an hour and a half runtime out of a pair of batteries at 62 lumens. A Lightsaver running the same pair of CR123 gets about 20 hours at nearly 85 lumens, and is circuited to strobe when needed.

[PAR35]

Fact is, I can put them in and not worry about changing them for 5-7 years.

I have found that they don't last much longer than the old 'extended life' incandescents that I used to use. And they do put out less light that the 'equivalent' incandescent.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yep. Replacing bulbs once every nine years is why we bought ours. And the Full spectrum lighting is a plus.

[Slapshot68]

“Do the F-bulbs work with a regular dimmer switch?”

Yup...they’re made by Philips and I got them at Walmart. Dimmable indoor flood work with my existing dimmer switch.

Here’s another good site that has dimmable CF options:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/Dimmable-Compact-Fluorescent-Bulbs/

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

They last longer. They burn cooler. They save money over the long run.
However the government should not ban ordinary bulbs because the compact fluorescents: don’t work in all fixtures, don’t work in refrigerators and stoves, can’t be found in night light sizes, burn out with a spark, smoke, and sparks.

[Slapshot68]

Thanks for the link! Also, aren’t LED lights cool to the touch? Or at least, not dangerous?

[ANGGAPO]

And I put them to save a buck or two on the monthly bill. No change though.

[coconutt2000]

I adhere to the rule, “What gives off light must also give off heat.”

But yeah, LED’s in my experience have always been cool the touch.

(But... Like I said, one should keep their hands to themselves and not touch every bright and flashy object that comes within their reach. It is a good way to get burned.)

[Slapshot68]

Interesting. I’ve noticed a lower electric bill since my switch over to CF, but nothing earth shattering. Maybe $5-10.

[Does so]

"...The first generation ones were terrible, very noticeable flicker.

I just bought a house that had the newest ones in place. They're quiet, don't flicker, and are too bright. I've had to remove a few—kept as spares.

[Slapshot68]

I asked because I use two LED nightlights for my kids and they don’t seem to give off any heat. So a bit safer for them should they get any ideas.

[Daveinyork]

I don't care if they save the planet or not. I have 12 foot ceilings in my office building, and I have to drag a twelve foot ladder out to change light bulbs. The compact fluorescent bulbs usually last a lot longer than incandescent, so, I don't have to drag that heavy ladder out nearly as often.

[brooklin]

I put one of these bulbs in a fixture that was blowing a regular bulb every 3 months. I haven’t had to change out the new bulb in over a year.