Posted on 03/28/2009 3:34:42 AM PDT by reaganaut1
[A] lot of people these days are finding the new compact fluorescent bulbs anything but simple. Consumers who are trying them say they sometimes fail to work, or wear out early. At best, people discover that using the bulbs requires learning a long list of dos and donts.
Take the case of Karen Zuercher and her husband, in San Francisco. Inspired by watching the movie An Inconvenient Truth, they decided to swap out nearly every incandescent bulb in their home for energy-saving compact fluorescents. Instead of having a satisfying green moment, however, they wound up coping with a mess.
Heres my sad collection of bulbs that didnt work, Ms. Zuercher said the other day as she pulled a cardboard box containing defunct bulbs from her laundry shelf.
One of the 16 Feit Electric bulbs the Zuerchers bought at Costco did not work at all, they said, and three others died within hours. The bulbs were supposed to burn for 10,000 hours, meaning they should have lasted for years in normal use. Its irritating, Ms. Zuercher said.
Irritation seems to be rising as more consumers try compact fluorescent bulbs, which now occupy 11 percent of the nations eligible sockets, with 330 million bulbs sold every year. Consumers are posting vociferous complaints on the Internet after trying the bulbs and finding them lacking.
...
In California, where bulbs have been heavily encouraged, utilities have concluded that they will not be able to persuade a majority of consumers to switch until compact fluorescents get better. That is prompting them to develop specifications for a better bulb.
The effort aims to address the most consumer complaints: poor dimming, slow warm-up times, shortened bulb life because of high temperatures inside enclosed fixtures, and dissatisfaction with the color of the light.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Republicans could appeal to "leave us alone" voters by simply promising to let them use the light bulbs they want.
If they don’t work, they don’t use any energy.
100% in savings.
My experience with fluorescent replacement bulbs has been quite positive. Great savings in electric costs and easy replacement from the mfg in the vent of a failure. I had 2 failures/not working at all experiences and in both cases after calling thew supplied 800 # I was quickly sent a replacement.
“Inspired by watching the movie An Inconvenient Truth, “
That was their big mistake.
Just another greenie scam, imho, and NOT a benefit to the environment, either with all the mercury they'll eventually spread around.
“Inspired by watching the movie An Inconvenient Truth,
That was their big mistake.”
I agree. Anyone that falls for a scam promoted by Goreon
deserves to get burned.
I think LED bulbs will soon be the replacement for Incandescent, but not quite ready for prime time, yet.
CFLs are ancient technology and a scam.
My experience echoes yours. There is one light I keep on 24/7. I was replacing it every month. Since changing to fluorescent, I’ve changed it once in 3 years.
And I can have 100 watt light in sockets designed “not to exceed 60 watts” with almost no heat buildup.
Once you get used to the time lag between “switch” and “light”, they’re great.
Two years ago, I moved into a house fully equipped with the new folded florescents, and am content with these "N:VISION" bulbs.
(Actually, they are too bright, but I'm living with it).
If the gov’t ever mandates their use, I will not use them. Got enough incandescents hoarded already to last for years.
Screw them.
Maybe she shouldnt have bought the cheapest bulbs she could find.
I started replacing old bulbs as they burned out with Sylvania compact fluorescents about two years ago. Ive had no problems and am satisfied with them. Yes, they arent instant on, but neither are the long tube flourecents.
I can’t stand them. They give me headaches. I stocked up on incandescents a couple months ago and plan to keep them stocked as long as possible.
The bulbs in question are the perfect example of leftist government action. They charge you more for something that has no value. Then you're expected to figure out a way to dispose of the toxic waste. But if you do so improperly, you'll go to jail or face heavy fines.
Mark
Talk about a couple of dim bulbs!
It took energy to make them. That is lost without benefit if they fail to work. I've had some such bulbs that have worked fine, and others that failed prematurely. I think its more a manufacturing QC problem rather than a design problem.
I changed out all my incandescent bulbs BEFORE it became fashionable. When one “moon lamp” burned out I returned it to Home depot which replaced it immediately as they have a 5 year warranty. When you buy these bulbs, they are all made in China since it is to dangerous to use mercury in the US. Costco sells cheap crap anyway so they got what they paid for - problems!
Since I keep track of my electric bills, I did see a reduction in Kw used after installation of CFL’s.
The damned things interfere with AM radio
These bulbs last quite a long time. I have one in my garage that was here when we bought the house 11 years ago that is still working.
If cap and trade goes through I'll be stocking up on candles. That's a democrats definition of progress.
First. I have a couple of these ‘green’ bulbs in areas that are hard to reach, such as the garage ceiling, and the hallway to the house from the garage. Usually left burning for hours and hours. The bulbs have been up there for a couple of years. No problem at all.
That said, whenever incandescent bulbs are on sale I stock up.
I DETEST fluorescent bulbs of any kind, and will not have them in the house (I have a few long tubes in the garage, however).
I’m waiting for the price of LED light bulbs to become competitive.
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