Light bulbs, life is complicated..

[Deja Vous]

I got an email from a very sweet guy about the new CFL bulbs.. As I read it, my heart stopped. Fire??? Really? Geesh.. So here is the thing, I now in my life have a good number fo the bulbs in my home to save energy, as well as I have unplugged my appliances that I am not using to save energy because they use it just being plugged in, not running??? What the Darn? lol. So, my light bulbs might save on energy but might cost me my Rats life, or mine? What else don't I know about?

[Assassin]

GE is the largest producer of CFL bulbs, they also spent lots of money lobbying in DC to stop production of incandescent bulbs. They've been "expressing concern" (bitchin') about mercury for years and now they want us to use light bulbs that when broken are considered "hazarous waste" because they contain mercury. Folks don't understand how powerplants work, if you don't use the power it is gone, there's no saving A/C power. If you don't use it you lose it. At least incandescent bulbs are safe and in the cold weather the heat they radiate is another source of heat in your home.

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

LL'

 

And, we had one in our kitchen and it started making strange noises, then it started smoking, then we had sparks. That's when we turned it off and replaced it with a regular bulb.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Let me guess, it was the one showing a CFL lamp with a darkened spot on the base, maybe some charring, and a description of it throwing out a flame like a flame thrower or blow torch, right? ANY electrical device may do something similar, but the chances are very, very low.

 

Go ahead and use 'em. I've changed out literally tens of thousands of them when I worked for a handyman, and NEVER saw one that had failed like that. The base in which the ballast is housed may discolor some, there might be some blackening where the glass tubes go into the base. You will get an odd odor and maybe a tiny bit of smoke.

[Deja Vous]

GE is the largest producer of CFL bulbs, they also spent lots of money lobbying in DC to stop production of incandescent bulbs. They've been "expressing concern" (bitchin') about mercury for years and now they want us to use light bulbs that when broken are considered "hazarous waste" because they contain mercury. Folks don't understand how powerplants work, if you don't use the power it is gone, there's no saving A/C power. If you don't use it you lose it. At least incandescent bulbs are safe and in the cold weather the heat they radiate is another source of heat in your home.

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

LL'

 

And, we had one in our kitchen and it started making strange noises, then it started smoking, then we had sparks. That's when we turned it off and replaced it with a regular bulb.

 

 

thanks for the post.. and they do feel warmer.. I never thought about that... The new ones are not as warm.. so I wonder if they really save at all?

[Subdeacon Joe]

thanks for the post.. and they do feel warmer.. I never thought about that... The new ones are not as warm.. so I wonder if they really save at all?

 

They do. You get the same lumens from a 28w CFL as you do from a 100w incandescent. Looked at another way, you can run 4 of the 28w CFLs for about the same cost as a single 100w incandescent. You can also, without increase of power use, get a brighter light. On your CFL somewhere you will see a number like 2700k or 3500k (or maybe 27k, that is the Kelvin temperature the lamp runs at (don't worry, the lamp itself isn't that hot). The lower the number, the yellower or warmer looking the light is. 2700 gives a what is called a soft white or warm white, fairly yellow. 4100 gives you a much bluer color, a cool white or bright white. And then you get into a very bright, full spectrum almost bright daylight when you get towards the 6000 range. All from the same wattage lamp. In some places I've used an 18w, 4100k to give about the same illumination as a 25w, 2700k.

 

LL wrote:

Folks don't understand how powerplants work, if you don't use the power it is gone, there's no saving A/C power.

 

True, once it is generated there is no saving it. But if everyone is drawing full bore all the time, then the likelyhood of blackouts and brownouts increases. Look at how many areas tell people to limit use of air conditioners during very hot spells. That isn't to try to save energy, that is to try to keep the grid up. Just making what is generated go farther. Sort of like with gasoline, you go farther with a 30 mpg engine than with a 5 mpg engine.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I have a dark spot in my cellar because one of those very expensive 100w replacement bulbs lasted only 6 months with a usage around 10 minutes 4 days a week. Statististically it would last a long time, but this one sure was on the short end of the curve.

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

What else don't I know about?

 

This was relayed to me by a pard that worked in a processing plant and asked, "what are those containers of poison for?" The maintenance man obliged him with an honest answer.

Some commercial chicken feed is supplemented amounts of arsenic to make the chickens retain water to be more plump and copper sulfate to make them an "appealing" yellow. Copper sulfate is (or was used) in pressure treated wood. I always thought those yellow color chickens reminded me of my grandfather when he got cirrhosis of the liver.

Remember when we were kids the chicken skin was always white now its yellow in certain brands? All of a sudden we start seeing these yellow Purdue chickens on TV. Apparently these changes in growth and color are not due to evolution.

I can neither confirm nor deny these claims, but I 100% wholeheartedly trust the source, which has hesitations for obvious reasons to eat chicken.

[Doc Shapiro]

I hate those bulbs. They've got mercury in 'em and their blink rate really hurts my eyes and leaves me with a bad headache. Not only that, anecdotal evidence shows that they don't last nearly as long. If it truly does come to pass that I can't get regular old incandescent bulbs anymore, I'm going to halogens or LED bulbs instead.

[Subdeacon Joe]

I have a dark spot in my cellar because one of those very expensive 100w replacement bulbs lasted only 6 months with a usage around 10 minutes 4 days a week. Statististically it would last a long time, but this one sure was on the short end of the curve.

 

Take it back to the store for replacement. The life of a lamp is determined by taking something like 1000 of them, burning them for their rated use cycle (the really cheap ones rated "residential" are based on a three hour burn, then turn it off. Commercial ones are a 12 hour burn, then off) until half of them have failed. So there will be some that fail almost at once, and some that last double the life. I'm thinking that yours might have failed because it wasn't really getting up to its working temperature before you turned it off. Operating cold like that is hard on them.

 

 

I hate those bulbs. They've got mercury in 'em and their blink rate really hurts my eyes and leaves me with a bad headache. Not only that, anecdotal evidence shows that they don't last nearly as long. If it truly does come to pass that I can't get regular old incandescent bulbs anymore, I'm going to halogens or LED bulbs instead.

 

A fair number of people just can't take any fluorescent lighting because of that. As for them not lasting as long, what happened was when CFLs first came on the market people complained about the price - they were all the longer burn commercial grade. So the companies made a cheaper version that they could sell for a buck or so and still make money. Those are the residential version. If you look on them you will see that they are rated for three hours of continuous use. After that they need to be turned off to cool the ballast. I have no idea how they came up with that three hour, other than by maybe averaging in the use of the lights in the bathroom, which is usually pretty short, with the living room and such - which usually burn for 4 to 8 hours.

 

 

If you have a business and want to save money by using the buck a piece ones instead of the 6 buck commercial ones and you have a fire that can in any way be traced to your lighting, you may be screwed by your insurance company. "You obviously used a residential grade rather than a commercial grade lamp, sorry, that is not an accepted practice, your policy doesn't cover your loss."

[The Original Bad Bob]

LED bulbs will replace these soon.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

The new bulbs have a weird greenish hue compared to our regular incandescents. However, for outside they do seem to hold up better to variances in weather...

 

G (stockin' up on the 'old fashioned' good stuff) G ~

[Subdeacon Joe]

LED bulbs will replace these soon.

 

They are coming. Slowly getting around the excess heat problem with them. And once they are more accepted the price should start dropping.

 

The new bulbs have a weird greenish hue compared to our regular incandescents. However, for outside they do seem to hold up better to variances in weather...

 

G (stockin' up on the 'old fashioned' good stuff) G ~

 

What do you mean by "new bulbs," Gunner? CFLs or LEDs?

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

They are coming. Slowly getting around the excess heat problem with them. And once they are more accepted the price should start dropping.

 

 

 

What do you mean by "new bulbs," Gunner? CFLs or LEDs?

 

Sorry pard - CFL's is what I meant. The one's I have outside have lasted over a year and there has been a couple weeks were we have been gone and they have stayed on. The 60w incandescents only would last about 3-4 months for some reason. I miss 'em though as they gave off a 'prettier' light.

 

Didn't even know that they made LED light bulbs for the home...that's COOL!! Might try 'em

 

http://www.eagleligh...utm_term={OVKEY}

 

GG ~

.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Sorry pard - CFL's is what I meant. The one's I have outside have lasted over a year and there has been a couple weeks were we have been gone and they have stayed on. The 60w incandescents only would last about 3-4 months for some reason. I miss 'em though as they gave off a 'prettier' light.

 

Didn't even know that they made LED light bulbs for the home...that's COOL!! Might try 'em

 

http://www.eagleligh...utm_term={OVKEY}

 

GG ~

.

 

If you have CFLs outside in MI and they are coming on in the winter, you are ahead of the game. They don't like cold weather. Even in the low 30s they take a long time to reach full brightness, and often in commercial freezers they won't come on at all.

 

See what the K on them is - 2700k, 4100k, and see if you can find one in the store that is different. The higher the number the more towards the blue end of the spectrum they are.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

If you have CFLs outside in MI and they are coming on in the winter, you are ahead of the game. They don't like cold weather. Even in the low 30s they take a long time to reach full brightness, and often in commercial freezers they won't come on at all.

 

See what the K on them is - 2700k, 4100k, and see if you can find one in the store that is different. The higher the number the more towards the blue end of the spectrum they are.

 

Yeah, they worked when we were at -10 deg F too...and yes, it is true about the delay - they took a second or two and then came on fine..... Here is a picture of them the morning after the crazy snowstorm we had two weeks ago.

 

I'll pull a bulb and check the k.

 

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj281/pagnew/IMG_0226.jpg

 

GG ~

.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I got an email from a very sweet guy about the new CFL bulbs.. As I read it, my heart stopped. Fire??? Really? Geesh.. So here is the thing, I now in my life have a good number fo the bulbs in my home to save energy, as well as I have unplugged my appliances that I am not using to save energy because they use it just being plugged in, not running??? What the Darn? lol. So, my light bulbs might save on energy but might cost me my Rats life, or mine? What else don't I know about?

 

 

Da sun comes up in da west and set in da south .

 

 

Bottles......more wishkey here !

[Rye Miles #13621]

I have one of them squirrley light bulbs in my kitchen. That light is on at least 16 hours a day, if I go out of town fer 2 or 3 days it's on 24 hrs. The bulb is now been in there exactly 2 years. I was changing incandescent bulbs every 3 or 4 months. They do last longer, I just hate the fact that after 2014 you HAVE TO buy them! Why not let the free market rule? Nope not this administration...er...REGIME!

[Assassin]

After I experienced a CFL bulb catch fire I do not leave them turned on and unattended in my house. I'm a quick learner. Hope you all have good homeowners insurance.

 

 

LL'

[Rye Miles #13621]

After I experienced a CFL bulb catch fire I do not leave them turned on and unattended in my house. I'm a quick learner. Hope you all have good homeowners insurance.

 

 

LL'

 

Man this house will go up like a moon rocket! I've got 13 lbs. of BP along with about 3 lbs. of smokeless plus loaded ammo, Whoaaa

[Iron Pony]

With CFLs the two things I hate about them are the format, sometimes they look as goofy as hell in the fixture it they will fit. Second is the time it takes for them to get up to full output. There are two right above my shaving mirror in the bathroom and I'll swear they come up to full power about the time I'm half done shaving.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

After I experienced a CFL bulb catch fire I do not leave them turned on and unattended in my house. I'm a quick learner. Hope you all have good homeowners insurance.

 

 

LL'

 

Too bad for you..

 

Not sayin' it can;'t happen, but...although I don;t take Snopes as gospel....this is interesting

 

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cflbulb.asp

 

GG ~

[Cypress Sun]

I have one of them squirrley light bulbs in my kitchen. That light is on at least 16 hours a day, if I go out of town fer 2 or 3 days it's on 24 hrs. The bulb is now been in there exactly 2 years. I was changing incandescent bulbs every 3 or 4 months. They do last longer, I just hate the fact that after 2014 you HAVE TO buy them! Why not let the free market rule? Nope not this administration...er...REGIME!

 

 

Actually this bill came into being in 2007. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

[Subdeacon Joe]

After I experienced a CFL bulb catch fire I do not leave them turned on and unattended in my house. I'm a quick learner. Hope you all have good homeowners insurance.

 

 

LL'

 

Can you give us some details on that? Type of fixture, how old the fixture was, location, etc. As I said, I've changed out tens of thousands and have not seen any evidence of fire. Heating, yes, fire, no. I have seen the old style ballasts for fluorescents drip that black goo in them and catch fire. I'm really curious about what happened.

[Assassin]

I've read the stuff on snoopes also. This was in a regular kitchen fixture that was made for two incandescents no dimmer switch. I don't know the brand name, we bought a two or three pack at Home Depot when they were on sale. The CFL was horizontal, they are supposed to be upright only. Did not know that until I read up on the MSDS sheets. Like I said before it was making a sizzling noise, it started smoking, then the sparks and flames came out of the plastic housing. We just threw it out figured they were all pieces of shit. IMHO they are fine for lighting, and they are efficient. Just don't leave them unattended. Believe what you want, call me a liar if you want, it aint the first time. My wife does not want them in the house. That's been about five years. I know a little something about them cause I've used them for at least 20 years, I take care of 19 buildings, we don't buy incandescent bulbs only CFL's, T-8's, T-12's. I've had a couple others just overheat and start smoking without any sparks, then they just quit.

 

 

LL'

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

I've read the stuff on snoopes also. This was in a regular kitchen fixture that was made for two incandescents no dimmer switch. I don't know the brand name, we bought a two or three pack at Home Depot when they were on sale. The CFL was horizontal, they are supposed to be upright only. Did not know that until I read up on the MSDS sheets. Like I said before it was making a sizzling noise, it started smoking, then the sparks and flames came out of the plastic housing. We just threw it out figured they were all pieces of shit. IMHO they are fine for lighting, and they are efficient. Just don't leave them unattended. Believe what you want, call me a liar if you want, it aint the first time. My wife does not want them in the house. That's been about five years. I know a little something about them cause I've used them for at least 20 years, I take care of 19 buildings, we don't buy incandescent bulbs only CFL's, T-8's, T-12's. I've had a couple others just overheat and start smoking without any sparks, then they just quit.

 

 

LL'

 

Easy pard...don't think anybody was sayin' that.

 

GG ~

[Subdeacon Joe]

Thanks. I had never seen one that had any flame out of it. Even one that was in a socket that had been wired for 220.

 

The ones I don't care for are the U-shaped two tube, two pin plug ins. I've had the tubes pull out of the base lord knows how many times.

 

I was just curious as I had never seen one on fire, and the guy who got me into lighting had never seen it in his 20 years in the business. Seen a bunch of exploding HID lamps though. Or the aftermath. GAWD those scorched ballasts stink.

 

I've read the stuff on snoopes also. This was in a regular kitchen fixture that was made for two incandescents no dimmer switch. I don't know the brand name, we bought a two or three pack at Home Depot when they were on sale. The CFL was horizontal, they are supposed to be upright only. Did not know that until I read up on the MSDS sheets. Like I said before it was making a sizzling noise, it started smoking, then the sparks and flames came out of the plastic housing. We just threw it out figured they were all pieces of shit. IMHO they are fine for lighting, and they are efficient. Just don't leave them unattended. Believe what you want, call me a liar if you want, it aint the first time. My wife does not want them in the house. That's been about five years. I know a little something about them cause I've used them for at least 20 years, I take care of 19 buildings, we don't buy incandescent bulbs only CFL's, T-8's, T-12's. I've had a couple others just overheat and start smoking without any sparks, then they just quit.

 

 

LL'

[Assassin]

Easy pard...don't think anybody was sayin' that.

 

GG ~

 

No offense, just asked my wife if she remembered that incident and she acknowledged. I don't always agree with Snoopes or Mythbusters, some do.

 

LL'

[Deja Vous]

K.. so I don't know every thing about them.. But I have had some burn out early, some last a long time. The disposal of them is a larger concern for me. How many people will simply toss them in the trash can and off they go to the city dump?

 

They don't seem to give off the same quality of light either. Reading by a lamp light is harder now days, course maybe that is my age showing? lol

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

K.. so I don't know every thing about them.. But I have had some burn out early, some last a long time. The disposal of them is a larger concern for me. How many people will simply toss them in the trash can and off they go to the city dump?

 

They don't seem to give off the same quality of light either. Reading by a lamp light is harder now days, course maybe that is my age showing? lol

 

Most people just toss them. They shouldn't, but they do. Pain in the butt to remember to take them to the proper recycle center.

 

See if you can find a 4100k or higher. That will give a bluer light and seem brighter. What wattage are you using now?

[Deja Vous]

Most people just toss them. They shouldn't, but they do. Pain in the butt to remember to take them to the proper recycle center.

 

See if you can find a 4100k or higher. That will give a bluer light and seem brighter. What wattage are you using now?

 

 

It says 120 V 60 HZ on it.. and it is one of the brighter ones... I think it says 14W but they don't put it on the end, but on the ceramic like end instead so it is harder to read. It is made by Revisien.. Let me tell you, I am the queen of cheap, so the bulb has to be from Sams.. lol.. Gun's now they are worth spending money on.. lol

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

This may be of interest ....

 

 

Back when our Federal Government announced that "in 2 years time" incandescent lamps will no longer be available ...... (this was to appease the "environ-mentalists") ......

 

..... the very next day the "environ-mentalists" began ranting about how this "irresponsible action" would increase the mercury levels at "landfill" sites as people started to discard failed lamps ...

 

 

You CAN NOT appease the "enviro-mentalists" .... even when you give them what they demand

 

 

...... of course it may not have been of interest too.

 

 

 

 

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

No offense, just asked my wife if she remembered that incident and she acknowledged. I don't always agree with Snoopes or Mythbusters, some do.

 

LL'

 

I hear ya on the Snopes thing - Some folks take those things as gospel...I sure don't...sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't.

 

Anyway - have a great day!

 

GG ~

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq. SASS 9953]

I've replaced most of the incandescents in the house with CFLs. I stared in the cellar where he had problems with some relatives of Pepe Le Pew trying to take up residence and start a family. Skunks don't like light, so I bought some CFLs for a couple of fixtures. That drove out the skunks and has kept them out (but the other day I found evidence that one was trying to get back in by digging around a place where I'd blocked a previous entry with a steel plate and some rock; he didn't make it but they can be persistent buggers ).

 

I wrote the month and year on the base of the lamp with Sharpie just to see how long they would last. I’m getting 15-18 months on average. The incandescent bulbs were going in 60 days; I tried some halogen bulbs (found ‘em in a sales rack at Home Depot) and they went 9 months, more or less.

 

CFLs do have a “warm up” time but I don’t find that to be overly annoying. They do generate less heat; living in the South I find that to be a Good Thing! It’s an open question on what they’ve done to my electric bill. I can’t say it has changed much.

 

Regarding power generation, it’s correct that you can’t “save” power from a steam turbine plant but you can save money by not having to build and operate so many steam turbine plants. With a hydro system you do have a limited ability to “save” power as you don’t have to run so much water through the turbines meaning you can keep you lake levels up against the time when you do need it.

 

Not every government “mandate” is the Devil’s Work.

 

SQQ