Opinion of CFL's

[Minuteman]

Seems like, weither we like them or not, CFL's are going to be here a while, but what do you think about CFL's

 

[mdshunk]

I think the manufacturers should quit marketing some of them as "dimmable" until they match what customers actually expect.

I noticed the other day they're making a candelabra based CFL now. What a hideous looking thing. Sixteen bucks, to boot. Each!

 

[peter d]

I noticed the other day they're making a candelabra based CFL now. What a hideous looking thing. Sixteen bucks, to boot. Each!

I just installed some of those about a month ago in some outdoor decorative fixtures with candelabra sockets. Light quality is not an issue but energy effeciency is as they stay on all night via a photocell. I think I paid $12 for a 2-pack at Lowes.

 

[mdshunk]

I just installed some of those about a month ago in some outdoor decorative fixtures with candelabra sockets. Light quality is not an issue but energy effeciency is as they stay on all night via a photocell. I think I paid $12 for a 2-pack at Lowes.

Bummer:


Can a compact fluorescent bulb be used in a dusk-to-dawn fixture?
"Dusk-to-dawn photocell fixtures designed for screw-in incandescent bulbs contain a silicon chip
that converts radiant energy into electrical current. The technology is generally incompatible with
screw-in CFLs, shortening the life of the bulb. However, fixtures with built-in photocells that are
designed to use only compact fluorescent lamps contain a delayed instant-on circuit to make them
compatible with fluorescents."

I have no idea what the above means, but just an FYI anyhow. Sounds like a bunch of gobbly gook, to me.

 

[Minuteman]

Bummer:


Can a compact fluorescent bulb be used in a dusk-to-dawn fixture?
"Dusk-to-dawn photocell fixtures designed for screw-in incandescent bulbs contain a silicon chip
that converts radiant energy into electrical current. The technology is generally incompatible with
screw-in CFLs, shortening the life of the bulb. However, fixtures with built-in photocells that are
designed to use only compact fluorescent lamps contain a delayed instant-on circuit to make them
compatible with fluorescents."

I have no idea what the above means, but just an FYI anyhow. Sounds like a bunch of gobbly gook, to me.

I wired the first of several self storage units recently. You know those mini storage places that are various sizes and a roll up door? Anyway, I used two circuits for the whole building (40 units) and installed 4-0 Octagon boxes, CFL's in a Keyless, and motion detectors facing the door. I used 27 watt CFL's and installed 2 GFCI outlets per circuit. Everything passed inspection; they have a CO, and are renting out the spaces. Funny though, the maintenance guy was saying that the CFL's only stay on for about 2 minutes during the daytime. I had to tell him that the motion detectors have built in photo eyes.

 

[Rampage_Rick]

Hmm, when I was a young-un I build a photocell using a CdS cell and an SCR. I could see how that type of circuit would have issues with a CFL.

On the other hand, most everything I've installed has been of the relay-type, i.e. Tork 2001. I can't see how the operation of this type of photocell would be any different electrically than someone flipping a wall switch. If the issue is cyclling on-and-off, any decent photocell will have time delay circuitry, given that bulb cycling is an annoyance no matter what kind of lamp is used.

 

[e57]

An exchange for global warming type gasses - for heavy metal pollution!!!

A light quality that many people hate - or sacrifice for feel good political reasons.

Government mandates - if they choose the color of paint in your bathroom there would be bloody revolution. But the color of light seems to slip right by the public????

I think a vast number of smarter ways to save energy would serve us all better, more effectively - and a few of them have secondary benefits.

• Better research on safer Nuke Power, and other power like wind, geothermal, and solar thermal and PV. (Science and research)
• Closer plants to reduce distribution losses. (Local Jobs and more of them)
• Reduce the use of unnecessary lighting - like empty roads and freeways either all together due to every vehicle having lighting of its own, or in more urban and suburban areas, say motion or vehicle sensors to only light them when needed. (Darker skies and being able to see the milky way once more...) REALLY - THINK ABOUT THIS ONE!
• Make table lamps, surface ceiling and sconces fashionable once more... Recessed cans are the least effective method of room lighting per watt, and shear quantity of lamps to do the job. Since most of what they do is light knick-knacks... (More tasteful lighting design IMO)
• Wanna safe on your bill - pull a "Jimmy" and shut it off when not in the room.... Hire me to automate it if you like...
• Make better incandescent and instant start HID lamps.... They can make them last longer.... And I am sure can make them more efficient.

 

[Minuteman]

I think a vast number of smarter ways to save energy would serve us all better, more effectively - and a few of them have secondary benefits.

e57, You listed several good suggestions, to which most of us would agree. Would be great if the general public would be as well informed.

 

[haskindm]

The public wants an easy, inexpensive, painless "fix" for soaring energy costs and pollution. A politician will not get far in this country by telling people that they will need to make sacrifices in order for these problems to be solved, but tell people that everything can be "fixed" by installing CFL light-bulbs and they will elect you emperor!

 

[ishium 80439]

I certainly have customers who think these are the best thing since sliced bread. I cynically regard this mentality as so much Kool Aid drinking. Most don't realize the trade off between lower energy consumption and polluting landfills. Some have the "But the man on TV said these were good so they must be" attitude. I have one CFL in my own home and that is in an exterior fixture that stays on for long periods of time. I refuse to put them anywhere where I care about color. The other issue with CFL's is that it seems LED's are not too far away from getting the color right (though I guess those too would face dimming issues). Once that gets straightened out and the price comes down CFL's will look silly.

 

[Mr.Sparkle]

I do agree that the light quality of most of the CFL bulbs used to be pretty bad but there are a few new ones that really seem to have come around a bit in terms of "warm" light. As far as the mercury thing goes, they are not using nearly as much mercury in the new designs as they did a few years back, we are talking very small amounts here & I see no harm as long as people properly dispose of them. Sure they are overpriced and underdeveloped at the moment (Insert "dimmable" here, those Phillips R30's look like crap dimmed) but in the long run I personally do feel like it is a better choice over the old burning filament bulb. They really do use waaaay less energy to light and seeing that the majority of people out there are not very conservative or conscientious of the amount of energy they are gobbling up on a daily basis it is a good passive way of "lightening the load" if you ask me.

 

[brantmacga]

. . . . .I refuse to put them anywhere where I care about color. The other issue with CFL's is that it seems LED's are not too far away from getting the color right (though I guess those too would face dimming issues). Once that gets straightened out and the price comes down CFL's will look silly.

CFL's are available in a broad range of color temperatures. If you want something the color of an incandescent, get a bulb in the 2700k range. I like the 3200k. Not quite as yellow as incandescent, and not blinding white either.

 

[brantmacga]

I do agree that the light quality of most of the CFL bulbs used to be pretty bad but there are a few new ones that really seem to have come around a bit in terms of "warm" light. . . . . . .

See my post above. You can get CFL's in a variety of colors. I think when people look at putting CFL's in, they think of the 5000k fluorescent light in the garage. I would want that in my house either.

Sure they are overpriced and underdeveloped at the moment (Insert "dimmable" here, those Phillips R30's look like crap dimmed).

Agreed. The dimmable versions are coming. The problem is that manufacturers of dimmers aren't interested in making a product that works with CFL's. TCP is announcing the release of their own dimmer sometime this year. I'm not crazy about that because it may not integrate with other controls already installed, but I guess its better than nothing. I've called a couple of manufacturers, one for devices and the other for fixtures, to ask them about using their product w/ CFL's. The response I got from both was, "we're not required to test w/ cfl's and we have no interest in testing with cfl's." I can't say I wasn't a little shocked.

but in the long run I personally do feel like it is a better choice over the old burning filament bulb. They really do use waaaay less energy to light and seeing that the majority of people out there are not very conservative or conscientious of the amount of energy they are gobbling up on a daily basis it is a good passive way of "lightening the load" if you ask me.

It can be a better choice. I use them in my bathroom and kitchen; places where the lights will be on for a considerable length of time. I mostly like that they don't put off as much heat. I don't put them in closets or rooms where the lights will be on for less than a minute. That shortens the bulb life, and for the cost of the bulb, you won't get your money back out of it.

 

[HighWirey]

I certainly have customers who think these are the best thing since sliced bread. I cynically regard this mentality as so much Kool Aid drinking. Most don't realize the trade off between lower energy consumption and polluting landfills. Some have the "But the man on TV said these were good so they must be" attitude. I have one CFL in my own home and that is in an exterior fixture that stays on for long periods of time. I refuse to put them anywhere where I care about color. The other issue with CFL's is that it seems LED's are not too far away from getting the color right (though I guess those too would face dimming issues). Once that gets straightened out and the price comes down CFL's will look silly.

LEDs will rock shortly. A LED can easily be dimmed from zero to way too bright using just a little bit of electronic circuitry. Look at all those movable letter signs that have popped up around the world.

The trouble with 'em so far is the light output, and to a minor degree, the color. Those shortcomings will be overcome soon.

An un-addressed problem with those CFLs is RoHS, which the 'greenies', so far, have swept away.

Best Wishes Everyone

 

[hockeyoligist2]

One thing that gets me about the savings claims......... people claim that the power bill went down $50 or more a month after changing to CFL's. If I'm not running heat or AC my power bill is only about $50 a month! I also have a well pump instead of "city" water! Me thinks people need to turn off a few lights!

 

[peter d]

Bummer:


Can a compact fluorescent bulb be used in a dusk-to-dawn fixture?
"Dusk-to-dawn photocell fixtures designed for screw-in incandescent bulbs contain a silicon chip
that converts radiant energy into electrical current. The technology is generally incompatible with
screw-in CFLs, shortening the life of the bulb. However, fixtures with built-in photocells that are
designed to use only compact fluorescent lamps contain a delayed instant-on circuit to make them
compatible with fluorescents."

I have no idea what the above means, but just an FYI anyhow. Sounds like a bunch of gobbly gook, to me.

Oh well...I can't understand that goobly gook either. The last time that I opened up a "dead commercial grade" photocell it looked like it had a set of contacts in it just like a relay or a switch. At any rate I've been using CFL's and photocells in conjunction for years. Perhaps the life of the CFL is shorter but I certainly haven't been keeping track. Not for a CFL that comes in a 6 pack for $5 at any rate..

 

[ceknight]

One thing that gets me about the savings claims......... people claim that the power bill went down $50 or more a month after changing to CFL's. If I'm not running heat or AC my power bill is only about $50 a month!

Move to central NY or many other parts of the northeast. That $50 you're paying now will barely cover National Squid's monthly "delivery" fee.

I have a large old house that has been converted almost entirely to CFLs. It's a bit harder to gauge the savings now that most of the kids have moved out, but a few years ago when I changed out the bulk of the lamps and still had the kids here my electric bill went down dramatically that month. The bulbs had pretty much paid for themselves by the end of month 2.

 

[nakulak]

after watching that video of the honorable senator from Texas, I am incensed about CFL's !! The idea that they contain mercury and will contaminate landfills is insane ! The idea that they are only made in China is insane ! Mandating their use is absolutely insane ! I am all for energy efficiency, and its clear that without passing it into law, people will not do anything, but requiring people to change over to this crap is crazy.

 

[hockeyoligist2]

Move to central NY or many other parts of the northeast. That $50 you're paying now will barely cover National Squid's monthly "delivery" fee.

I have a large old house that has been converted almost entirely to CFLs. It's a bit harder to gauge the savings now that most of the kids have moved out, but a few years ago when I changed out the bulk of the lamps and still had the kids here my electric bill went down dramatically that month. The bulbs had pretty much paid for themselves by the end of month 2.

I pay 9 cents per KWH how much is it there?

 

[ceknight]

I pay 9 cents per KWH how much is it there?

Ours was about the same as yours last month, it rounds up to .09/kwh.

On my last utility bill, the electric supply came to $32 and the Squid's "delivery service" cost $33.