I have installed maybe a dozen of these new bulbs in the last couple of years and I have one left. All burned out and most of them burned out within a few weeks to a few months. I keep hearing articles about how they are several times more expensive than regular bulbs but last seven to ten years. Anyone have one that lasts that long?
I hear if you mount them upside down they will get to hot and burn out. The ONLY bulb I have left that is still working is in the vent hood in my stove. If all four burners are on its HOT up there yet the bulb still burns to this day while all the others have burned out.
I went back to the old style.
I keep hearing that lighting is such a huge part of your electric bill. I don't believe it for a minute. Try running an AC in Houston from March until November, that takes up the most power.
We tried one or two of them a couple of years ago and hated them. We didn't like the kind of light they off and they would not work with a dimmer or 3 way.
I know they are going to be forced on us eventually and I think that is going to be a sad day. No wonder the folks in Europe are hoarding and stocking up on regular bulbs.
I guess the light bulbs of today that work great, are going the same way as the old toilets, you know the ones that actually used to flush.
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Nearly all the bulbs in my house are those CF type. I haven't had to replace one in a long while. With the incandescents, I was replacing a bulb about once a week (I have a bunch of lights in my house), now I only replace the last few incandescents that are on dimmers (hard to find CFs that can handle dimmer circuits). They do work fine for the 3-way, however.
Funny, I also have those low flush toilets and mine work just fine. Of course, I paid a bit more for the Toto models rather than getting the cheapest ones out there (my Totos will flush just about anything).
I have some that I installed about 5 yrs ago that are still working great. You get used to the delay time for start up and the type of light they put out. I saw some CFLs for 3-way dimmers in the hardware store the other day.
Happy campin'
Mitch
Wife, daughter, son, and three campin' dogs.
If you received a sale paper from Home Depot today, on the front page they have a four pack of 60 watt incandescents for 25 cents!!!!
At work, we are being forced to go to the compact fluorescent lamps for everything, including flood and spot lights. We also are forced, by our State Dept. of Enviromental Quality, to recycle ALL fluorescent lamps, including the compacts. We box them up and ship them off to Florida. Guess what we pay for a single CFL, mini-twist 7 watt lamp? The price includes the recycling, it cost $8.49 EACH, yes a single lamp!!!!! Your Tax Money At Work.......
Dave & Pat
1999 Wanderer 230FB
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"No kids, no pets, trying to make it to retirement"
At our last house we had everything changed over to CFL's. We didn't have to change a bulb in the entire 4 years we lived there. I didn't feel like it changed the electic bill at all, though.
Also, as far as toilets go, I'll stick with our Vitra toilet. That one will flush anything.
Me, my DH, my DD (7) and DS (3)
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Owners of an auto repair shop-Working hard to play hard later
How much money can you save with the new energy saving fluorescent bulbs over a regular incandescent bulb..
Think about this scenario and then you decide.....
John Doe replaces the incandescent bulbs in his average American home with the energy saving fluorescent bulbs..
Each new fluorescent bulb cost about $1.50 each.
Each incandescent bulb cost about 50 cent each.
The average life of an energy saving fluorescent bulb is about eighteen months.
The average life of an incandescent bulb is also about eighteen months.
If John Doe drops and breaks a regular incandescent bulb, he is out about 50 cent and simply sweeps up the broken glass and tosses it in the trash can..
HOWEVER... if John Doe drops and breaks one of the new energy saving fluorescent bulbs, he is out about $1.50 for the bulb...... PLUS......
PLUS..... because of the chemicals inside the new bulbs, he is not allowed to simply sweep it up and toss the glass in to the trash can.....
... as doing so can bring a large fine and/or a prison sentence.
He must immediately evacuate his home and call 911 for the Fire department to race to his home where they must...
** put on special chemical protection suits
** cordon off several city blocks and evacuate the surrounding neighborhood for the protection of people who could be contaminated if they walk along the side walk in front of John Doe's house..
** Then the on-scene fire crew must call for a special truck with an airtight container on it so the broken bulb can be placed into for transportation to a pre-determined place designed for neutralization and/or storage of dangerous chemical materials..
** John Doe's house then must be treated by emergency personnel especially trained to clean up dangerous chemical spills..
this could take several days and possibly even weeks, before they give the okay for John Doe to move back into his home..
NOW.... the fun begins.....
** John Doe gets a bill from the fire department for the emergency call... $15,000.00
** Then the bill from the state for use of the designated area where the dangerous chemicals will be neutralized or stored for the next one thousand years.. $100,000.00
Meanwhile .... John Doe has paid for a motel room, food, clothing, etc.. for himself and family while waiting to return to his home... $1000.00
** and then ..... to add insult to injury,,,, poor old John Doe must go out and buy another energy efficient fluorescent bulb to replace the broken one... $1.50
********** A few weeks later his home owner's insurance company sends him a letter canceling his home insurance because of the incident...
NOW I ask you ....... which bulb is cheaper to use in your home ?????
ME ..????... I have nineteen cases of incandescent bulbs in various wattages ... stored in my basement.. each case has twenty four bulbs in it... so lets see...
hummmmm.... at one bulb every eighteen months and I have seven lamps in the house.. ...uhhh... 24 times 19, divided by 18 ....carry the 3 and add the 6...
no.. no... that's not right... let's see .... 24 times 19 divided by........
John
for those of you who are a little thick between the ears... this is sarcasm in joke form... so just laugh and don't try to get technical..
John Harrelson
Carson City, Nevada
fulltime since 1977
93 Ford 350 4wd Diesel
95 Prowler 30.5 ft 5th wheel w/slide
TWO CENTS WORTH
The story goes that a man died and was approached by the Devil who told him that he could buy his soul back for a dollar. The man searched his pockets and could only come up with 98 cent. While begging the Devil to forget the two cent he was short, an Angel happened by and hearing the Devil laughing, asked the man, "Would you mind if I put in my two cents ?" The Devil got so mad that he exploded in a puff of smoke and the man's soul was saved. The moral: Sometimes putting in your two cents worth makes a difference.
JOHN "the cook" 1997
so far the best we have done is have a cfl last about 6 months, more expensive,bad light, they say they last years , that is pure bull. we do not use dimmers.we have used several different brands and wattages. I hate them.
ps if they break, don't ask..don't tell!
2002 Rockwood 8272s
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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
Quartz halogen is the preferred light around here. I think we might have a few CFL's here and there, but not many as they don't last long. The ones we do have we do not turn off and on.
We also use strings or ropes of led's to illuminate the den and areas that need low light unless we are using the space directly, (looks very Polish ). We never turn those off either, as 20 watts lights up a lot of space.
That's funny, jharrelson, and you only elaborated a little bit, too!
According to EPA guidelines, should a CFL bulb break:
1. Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15 minutes.
2. Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner.
Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare hands).
Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard.
Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
3. Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it.
If your state permits you to put used or broken fluorescent light bulbs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available).
Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
4. The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.
And, if your city doesn't allow double-bagged CFL remnants to go out with the trash, you'll have to store the bagged debris until you can get it to an authorized recycle center. At the moment, I believe only Home Depot has ante'd-up with such a program.
Ain't Mercury Grand????
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). We never turn those off either, as 20 watts lights up a lot of space.
