Another CFL bulb installed

[disneysteve]

I want to gradually convert over to CFLs in most of our light fixtures. I could do it all at once, but I hate the thought of tossing out perfectly good lightbulbs even though I know it would save energy and money in the long run. It just seems wasteful to me.

Anyway, about a month ago when I got that Lowe's coupon, I bought 6 CFL bulbs. One went into my bedside lamp. Then last night, a bulb blew out in our kitchen. I replaced it this morning with a CFL. As bulbs die, I will replace them with CFLs.

[esso82]

I have found only one problem with the CFL bulbs. We have made the change to only CFL's in our home. However we are going back o regular bulbs in our bathroom vanity. The CFL's seem to take a long time to get to full light and when you are only in the bathroom for short period of time then it does not provide enough light.

[poundwise]

Originally Posted by esso82

I have found only one problem with the CFL bulbs. We have made the change to only CFL's in our home. However we are going back o regular bulbs in our bathroom vanity. The CFL's seem to take a long time to get to full light and when you are only in the bathroom for short period of time then it does not provide enough light.

As with everything else, there are different quality CFL bulbs. The first ones I bought come on quickly and are bright white. Then, later, I bought a multi-pack on sale, thinking I was getting a good deal. Those bulbs were dreadful. They took a few seconds to come on when you flipped the switch and the 'color' of the light could be described best as amber. I find that most complaints about CFL bulbs come from people who buy the poor quality ones. A good CFL bulb will come on (almost) instantly and provide good light from the start.

[poundwise]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I want to gradually convert over to CFLs in most of our light fixtures. I could do it all at once, but I hate the thought of tossing out perfectly good lightbulbs even though I know it would save energy and money in the long run. It just seems wasteful to me.

Anyway, about a month ago when I got that Lowe's coupon, I bought 6 CFL bulbs. One went into my bedside lamp. Then last night, a bulb blew out in our kitchen. I replaced it this morning with a CFL. As bulbs die, I will replace them with CFLs.

Like you, I buy CFL bulbs to save energy and money. Many people do it for the 'green' aspect, which I find a bit laughable seeing as how the bulbs must be disposed of as hazardous materials. I'm not sure the 'green' of lower wattage outweighs the toxic waste. But I digress. I just wanted to jot a note to remind you (and others who will read this) that when it comes time to dispose of CFL bulbs, don't just throw them in the trash. CFL bulbs need to be disposed of properly. LINK

[momof1in150]

There are certain application where CFL bulbs aren't a good investment. The light has to be on for more the 15 minutes or else they will burn out quickly. This happened in our pantry because the light is on for so little time. There are also different types of CFL bulbs for different applications.

CFL Sizes and Shapes : ENERGY STAR

You need to buy specific bulbs for dimmers & 3-way lights. Also, they don't work for photo-cell and aren't recommended for lights that vibrate (ceiling fans, garage door openers).

[maat55]

Originally Posted by poundwise

Like you, I buy CFL bulbs to save energy and money. Many people do it for the 'green' aspect, which I find a bit laughable seeing as how the bulbs must be disposed of as hazardous materials. I'm not sure the 'green' of lower wattage outweighs the toxic waste. But I digress. I just wanted to jot a note to remind you (and others who will read this) that when it comes time to dispose of CFL bulbs, don't just throw them in the trash. CFL bulbs need to be disposed of properly. LINK

I wonder just how many people will go out of there way to dispose of them properly. I bet a job as a refuge hauler is going to pay very well in the future.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I agree with those who say there is a range of quality. It is not just a range among brands, but within a brand as well. I suspect there must be inherent problems in running quality control in the production of CFLs. Even so, the bulbs continue to improve. I've been using them 16 years now, so have have a fair amount of experience with them. Anyone who was interested 10 years ago but did not like them, should consider giving them a try again. In general they are much better, most especially the color and quality of light they give. You can now select the color range you prefer by wavelengths or degrees Kelvin, especially if you do not limit yourself to buying from a box store, but turn to the internet.

You can get them in decorative shapes now, too.

I have discovered that some of my bulbs become slightly noisy (a soft whistle-hum) when I have the house at 58-60 degrees. It is not as loud as many computers or certainly many refrigerators which most people accept as normal, acceptable background noise.The noise goes away at warmer temps. That noise was one of the problems of CFL bulbs when they first were on the market, but generally is not a problem any more. Usually, they are silent.

As for your incandescent bulbs, You should be able to find plenty of people who would like to have your cast-offs. I just read a thread on a home decorating forum in which a number of people declared that they would be hoarding incandescents as the CFLs only policy is phased in.

[mom-from-missouri]

Originally Posted by maat55

I wonder just how many people will go out of there way to dispose of them properly. I bet a job as a refuge hauler is going to pay very well in the future.

Our electric rural coop has a rubbermade bin inside their office to collect them. They also sell the bulbs, cheaper than the stores do.

The bulbs are guarenteed. I flatten my package and staple my receipt to it with a notation of what fixture the bulb is in. It it goes out before it is supposed to, I take the bulb and the packing and receipt in for a free exchange.
I just keep them in a file in the file cabinet.

[minnie1928]

Just to add, Home Depot now accepts old CFLs at their stores for recycling.

[bjl584]

I have a few of these in my house. I have been slowly replacing them as old lights burn out like Steve is doing. I like them. They give off a nice bright white light. The only thing that you can't use them in is any fixture that is attached to a dimmer switch. The CFL lights are all or nothing and can't be dimmed. Also, since they are flourescent, you may run into problems in cold weather, such as if you try to use them in your outdoor porch light fixtures. Often, flourescent bulbs have trouble lighting in cold temperatures.

[momof1in150]

Originally Posted by bjl584

I have a few of these in my house. I have been slowly replacing them as old lights burn out like Steve is doing. I like them. They give off a nice bright white light. The only thing that you can't use them in is any fixture that is attached to a dimmer switch. The CFL lights are all or nothing and can't be dimmed. Also, since they are flourescent, you may run into problems in cold weather, such as if you try to use them in your outdoor porch light fixtures. Often, flourescent bulbs have trouble lighting in cold temperatures.

They make dimmable CFL bulbs.

[SnoopyCool]

I have many CFLs, but I'm interested in LEDs later on down the road (you know, when they're more affordable).

[maat55]

Originally Posted by minnie1928

Just to add, Home Depot now accepts old CFLs at their stores for recycling.

This option would be nice, we have one a mile away and are in the area alot. I still think that there will be many who throw them in the trash.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by poundwise

A good CFL bulb will come on (almost) instantly and provide good light from the start.

Can you tell us specifically which ones you've found that come on instantly at full brightness? I have yet to find one that does. The ones we have now come on instantly but do take a minute or so to get to full brightness. That's fine for where we have them but would be inadequate in certain other places.

Originally Posted by bjl584

you may run into problems in cold weather, such as if you try to use them in your outdoor porch light fixtures. Often, flourescent bulbs have trouble lighting in cold temperatures.

I haven't found this to be a problem. We have 3 CFLs in our outdoor fixtures and they perform just fine in the cold down to the teens and single digits.

[tulsa_sr5]

In this house I have a couple lights I use alot and the rest are rarely if ever used, so I made sure to get CFL's in the main ones right away. I'll reuse the old bulbs else where since they don't get used much and won't affect the electric bill hardly at all.

Steve, if you haven't tried them I really the the bright white ones I get at home depot. I wouldn't say they are 100% full brightness immediately but they are close to it.

One other thing I noticed especially in the older houses I've owned is that any light that seemed to go through bulbs really quick (like every couple months) switching to CFL's helped a lot.

[creditcardfree]

My original plan was to replace them gradually, too. I received a Home Depot gift card for Christmas, so I stocked up on CFL's. I replaced them with the lights we use the most. And, I saved the bulbs I replaced them with. I will probably put them on the garage sale this spring.

We bought the soft white ones. They do have a different 'glow' to them. I'm sure with time we will get used to them.

[Gjowers]

most every light in my home is a CFl. I like them, but they are supposed to last for years and I still have them burn out too frequently. That could be related to my old, old wiring I suppose.

[poundwise]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Can you tell us specifically which ones you've found that come on instantly at full brightness? I have yet to find one that does. The ones we have now come on instantly but do take a minute or so to get to full brightness.

Hmm... I'll be glad to look and see what the brand is when I get the chance, but I'll point out that I didn't say "instantly at full brightness."

What I said was that they come on "(almost) instantly" and that they "provide good light from the start." So, that's two separate things:

1. Instant on (almost)

2. Not full brightness but good light to start with, warming up to full brightness; as opposed to the bulbs I described as 'amber' in color and dim at start-up


Edited to add: Ok, I looked. Some of the bulbs I have are Sylvania and the others do not have a name-brand printed on the base. The latter are the ones I like best, though the Sylvania ones work well too. In fact, they are mixed in my bedroom light fixture and I never noticed any difference.

FWIW: I think the ones that were slow to 'heat up' and somewhat dim and I didn't care for were called "Bright Effects" from Lowes.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by poundwise

Hmm... I'll be glad to look and see what the brand is when I get the chance, but I'll point out that I didn't say "instantly at full brightness."

What I said was that they come on "(almost) instantly" and that they "provide good light from the start." So, that's two separate things:

Ok. In that case, I think the ones we have fit that description. They are Sylvania Soft White micro-mini from Lowe's. They come on instantly. I really don't notice any delay when I flip the switch. They are dim at first but reach full brightness pretty quickly. That's fine for most applications. The places where that isn't good enough, I probably wouldn't use a CFL, like in our closet where I just put the light on for a few seconds to pick out some clothing. I need the light to be full brightness so I can see what I'm doing.

[momof1in150]

Originally Posted by Gjowers

most every light in my home is a CFl. I like them, but they are supposed to last for years and I still have them burn out too frequently. That could be related to my old, old wiring I suppose.

It could be because they are in lights that aren't on for more then 15 minutes. They burn out quicker if they aren't on for at least 15 minutes. We went through 3 bulbs in 8 months in our pantry before I did some research and figured out why.