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Are your Compact Fluorescent bulbs really helping?
http://www.evaneco.com/?p=874 ^

Posted on 12/19/2007 1:18:19 PM PST by 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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: c02; cfls; environment; globalwarming; lightbulbs
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To: Slapshot68

“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?


41 posted on 12/19/2007 1:41:42 PM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: Slapshot68
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. 

42 posted on 12/19/2007 1:42:40 PM PST by zeugma (Hillary! - America's Ex-Wife!)
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To: truthfinder9
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.

43 posted on 12/19/2007 1:43:30 PM PST by kingu (No, I don't use sarcasm tags - it confuses people.)
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To: Slapshot68

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

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


44 posted on 12/19/2007 1:43:56 PM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: NYFriend
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! :)

45 posted on 12/19/2007 1:44:18 PM PST by meyer (Illegal Immigration - The profits are privatized, the costs are socialized.)
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To: truthfinder9
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.

46 posted on 12/19/2007 1:44:52 PM PST by TruthWillWin
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To: EyeGuy
Probably, but the $/Lumen output ratio needs to plummet dramatically.

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

47 posted on 12/19/2007 1:44:53 PM PST by zeugma (Hillary! - America's Ex-Wife!)
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To: stevio

“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.


48 posted on 12/19/2007 1:45:21 PM PST by petro45acp (NO good endeavor survives an excess of "adult supervision" (read bureaucracy)!)
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To: Slapshot68
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.

49 posted on 12/19/2007 1:45:44 PM PST by PAR35
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To: Slapshot68

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


50 posted on 12/19/2007 1:46:09 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes into it.)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

“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/


51 posted on 12/19/2007 1:46:22 PM PST by Slapshot68
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To: Slapshot68

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.


52 posted on 12/19/2007 1:49:11 PM PST by Leftism is Mentally Deranged
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To: coconutt2000

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


53 posted on 12/19/2007 1:49:29 PM PST by Slapshot68
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To: Slapshot68

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


54 posted on 12/19/2007 1:50:33 PM PST by ANGGAPO (LayteGulfBeachClub)
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To: Slapshot68

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.)


55 posted on 12/19/2007 1:52:38 PM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: ANGGAPO

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


56 posted on 12/19/2007 1:53:16 PM PST by Slapshot68
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To: Slapshot68
"...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.

57 posted on 12/19/2007 1:53:39 PM PST by Does so (...against all enemies, DOMESTIC and foreign...)
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To: coconutt2000

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.


58 posted on 12/19/2007 1:54:17 PM PST by Slapshot68
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To: truthfinder9
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.
59 posted on 12/19/2007 1:56:59 PM PST by Daveinyork
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To: ThisLittleLightofMine

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.


60 posted on 12/19/2007 1:57:48 PM PST by brooklin
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