Flourescent bulbs

[solveg]

When these first came out, I bought a giant box of them through my electric company.

Now* I really hate these things, and I've heard that there's legislation which is pushing to get rid of traditional bulbs entirely. I can only hope that they're replacing them with LCDs.... there's a new nano coating which is supposed to give a beautiful daylight color.

Here's why I hate the mini-flourescents.

1. In small print, they say they are not to be used in enclosed fixtures. Oh, and their lives are significantly shortened if used upside down. Or is it right side up? One of the directions. I tried it anyway, and it exploded after about a month, upside down in an enclosed fixture. There's mercury* in theses things. Which brings me to point #2.

2. There's mercury in these things. I asked a kid at the hardware store how many people were bringing these bulbs in after they burn out. He said they last for years, so it's too early for these things to be returned. Hah.... none of mine besides, ironically, the outdoor ones, lasted more than a year and a half. People are throwing them away, because either they didn't read the fine print (it's a lightbulb!) or they forgot it was toxic. There have been several times that I had to fish them out of the garbage because I* forgot.

Back when they first started making tennis shoes with little blinkers in them, there was enough mercury in one pair of shoes to contaminate a lake. I wonder if those were LCDS? I have to go google and see if LCDs contain mercury. If everyone starts tossing these things in the trash, the incandescents are going to start looking like the eco-friendly solution.

solveg

[solveg]

Ooops. I meant LED instead of LCD in the last post. I was getting all hot and bothered during my bulb rant.

solveg

[solveg]

Here's from the GE website:

• Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist. To find out what to do first check www.earth911.org (where you can find disposal options by using your zip code) or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options. Another option is to check directly with your local waste management agency for recycling options and disposal guidelines in your community. Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org. Finally, IKEA stores take back used CFLs, and other retailers are currently exploring take back programs.

• If your local waste management agency offers no other disposal options except your household garbage, place the CFL in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it in the trash. If your waste agency incinerates its garbage, you should search a wider geographic area for proper disposal options. Never send a CFL or other mercury containing product to an incinerator.

Source: http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_light ... m#disposal

If you break one of these bulbs _do not vacuum up the mess_. Follow these steps:

• Get people out of the spill area immediately. Keep uninvolved people and pets away until the spill is completely cleaned up. Blow fresh air into the area to dilute the mercury’s invisible, odorless, harmful vapors.
• Try to determine how much mercury was spilled. Contact one or all of the following:
• Poison Control Center
• local fire department HAZMAT team
• Department of Health and Family Services’ 24-hour answering service

Small spills are those involving less than a dime-sized puddle of mercury metal. These small spills can be
scooped up using a small, disposable dustpan or sucked up using a syringe or an eye dropper, but this method
doesn’t deal with the vapor problem. Safety equipment, if available, should include disposable liquid-proof
gloves and eye protection.

The most effective way to clean up mercury spills is to first spread sand, clay or sawdust in a circle around the
spill to stop the mercury from spreading. Then add an “amalgamating” powder to the spill to make the
mercury solid and reduce evaporation. Mercury clean up kits containing amalgamating powders are available
through safety supply companies and from some local health departments. Once the mercury spill turns into a
solid amalgam (a few minutes), the vapor hazard is reduced and the material can be easily picked up and put
in a sealed plastic bag.
Source: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/HAZEXCEPT ... rclean.pdf


solveg

[Yanita]

WOW!,

That was alot to read, and truthfully I never did a search on the safety of light bulbs...like you said they are light bulbs, never even read the fine print.

Thinking quickly about all the bulbs in this home, I bet I have about 30 in this house...

I have not had a problem with the ones that are installed upside down, like in ceiling fans, they have been there a year and still work.

I do have trouble keeping the ones in the exterior lights....thought it might be because those are set to reduce power after 30 minutes of no motion.

Thanks for the info,

~Yanita~

[Gary Gary]

Hi,
I think they have improved since you bought yours.

Pop Mech had a test of and incandescent bulb against 7 CFs in the last issue. All 7 CFs beat the incandescent in every category they tested (light color, reading, ...).
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_jo ... ?series=15

The mercury in a CF is much less than the extra mercury that the coal plant that produces the electricity for powering an inefficient incandescent spews out over the life of the bulb.

We use all CFs and regular flourescents, and like them a lot. The 29 CFs we have save us 1120 KWH/year, which is worth $112, and reduces CO2 emissions by 2240 lb per year.

Gary
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/ ... vation.htm

[Jim from Canada]

A modern CFL (compact florescent light) has about 5 milligrams of mercury. Old style thermostats have from 500 to 3000 milligrams of mercury. About 13.6 milligrams of mercury are emitted to produce the electricity for one incandescant light bulb compared to 3.3 milligrams to use a CFL. So by using (CFL's) we are in fact reducing our exposure to mercury.
Reprinted from an article by Tom Dunbar, writer for Focus News Magazine.

Jim

[solveg]

I have heard that statistic about less mercury being used by power plants that offsets the mercury used in the bulbs... and I hope they have gotten better since I bought mine.

I'm just saying that if everyone starts using these bulbs, I'll bet that people will not dispose of them correctly for a number of reasons, with unneccessary pollution resulting.

I really thing someone should start an educational advertising blitz, as these bulbs are becoming hugely popular.

solveg

[Jim from Canada]

Apparently IKEA will take them. If you drop them off they send them to a company that extracts the mercury and re uses it for more CFL's. Best idea I've heard yet.

Jim

[Guest]

We bought some of the new florescent bulbs, those squirrelly looking do dads that twist around. They last a long time but the light they give out is too bright for us. Maybe bright isn't the word...but white. We like a more yellow, mellow glow and even when we've bought the lowest watt florescent the light is still high colored white.

I wish the manufacturers would make florescent that gave off light like incandescents. We'd buy more of them then.

[Gary Gary]

[quote="
..

I wish the manufacturers would make florescent that gave off light like incandescents. We'd buy more of them then.[/quote]

Hi,
Maybe you can find a CF brand with a more pleasing light color from this test that Popular Mechanics did:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_jo ... ?series=15

--
I was in Costco yesterday -- they had a package deal with 6 CFs going for $6.
For a $1 CF that is used 4 hours a day, and uses 50 watts is less than an equivalent incandescent, the saving is about 60 cents a month -- so, payback in less than 2 months


(50 watt)(4 hr)(30 days/month)($0.1/KWH)/(1000 w/KW) = 60 cents per month

Gary


Gary

[Jim from Canada]

Just look at what you are getting. There are 3 types of light, warm white, cool white, and daylight. One is bluish (cool) one is yellowish (warm), and one is full spectrum (day). The full spectrum is the one we prefer and they are harder to find. We get them at HD. Go and buy one of each and try them each for a week in the same room.

Jim

[Guest]

I bought some at Lowes saw they had the 4 packs for only $4.95
(said price includes a discount courtesy of Edison) These so call ECObulb flourescent are very bright 100watt replacement yet only uses 23 watts save $74 per bulb in energy cost. I when ahead and bought 4 packs 16 bulbs and changed out every bulb in the house.

I don't know if any of you seen an inconvenient truth, but we all need to do are share to save the planet!

You can see it happening all over the world major floods etc. time running out!

Watch the trailer!
http://climatecrisis.org/

[timg]

All this info is interesting, and I don't care what color it is... if it can save me 50-75 watts per bulb: rock 'n roll! I've used them for about a year and haven't had to replace any of them. Unfortunately, my electric bill still hasn't gone away!

Out of all the posts, I noticed one thing.

Yanita! The CF bulbs are not meant to go in dimmers. I think the directions even say there's risk of fire when placed in a dimmer.

Yikes! Don't burn yourself.

Tim

[Yanita]

Hi Tim,

LOL, I have since removed the ones from the dimmers/motion lights. Instructions for light bulbs...hmm, never saw any, or maybe that was part of what I stood on to remove the globes from the exterior lights!

All other bulbs in the lamps are still burning strong!

Yanita

PS, thanks for the heads up Tim!

[Jim from Canada]

Here is the Home Depot Canada page that shows the ones we use. They give a much nicer light. They do take a few minutes to get up to their full light output though.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stor ... PartNumber