Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
 

Yes yes, they save money and energy and all that jazz. And the new mini bulbs fit in lamps that the older styles would not.

But am I the only person who notices that just like their long tubular predecessors, they have a "warm up" time before they are fully lit, sometimes as long as 10-15 minutes? This is the one reason I don't use them. I feel somewhat guilty, but I'm also not going to turn on a dim light and wait for it to bother to get brighter. Is there maybe a brand which is better about this than the others?

I have some in my lamps, and I don't notice a warm up time. Hmm.

However, I'm glad you brought this up, because my major problem with them is -- they don't dim. You can't put dimmers on them.

Right?

i have one in my bedroom the warm up time is annoying. I've actually changed my routine to allow it to get bright enough to differentiate between socks in order to get a real matched pair. such an impostion. i really resent it, now that you mention it.

Focus on your breathing for the next 3 minutes. Make sure you're doing it right.

I have one for my reading chair. I only seem to notice a 2-3 minute warm up time. I'm usually not in a hurry.

Sure you can.

Warm-up is a pain, but oddly comforting on the eyes when you flick the lights on in the middle of the night and aren't blinded.

I haven't seen those in the stores--I'll look for them, thanks

Did you guys hear about the straight kind of fluorescent bulb? Instead of being curled up, it's straight - and it can be as long as 4 feet long, or even longer!

Because of that, it distributes fluorescent light over a larger area. Offices and stores are installing them everywhere!

Wild!

but they are among the worst "warmer uppers" aren't they?

and they hurt my eyes

I hadn't seen any dimmable ones that didn't require special circuits.
Maxlites are $17 for the 20 or 25 watt.
Greenlite's are currently not available at Amazon.
Westinghouse and GE don't show dimmables but you can print 2 $1 coupons at the GE site.

Thanks Kitsune

Yeah, the warm-up thing is annoying as all shit. I've got two CFs and two regular floods in my kitchen, and it takes about 3-4 minutes for the CFs to come up to full power. :rar:

I have 17 recessed lights in my kitchen, and the are all compact fluorescent. Everyone has their annoyances they can't live with, and I've got mine too, but the warm up time really doesn't bother me. The bulbs are shorter than the flood light that are supposed to go in the cans. They actually sell light bulb socket extenders, that bring the bulb down to the proper height. They cost about 5 bucks a piece. I don't know what you call them, but the things you screw into a light socket, that you can screw a light bulb into the end, and can plug in two cords on the side, are the perfect length. They cost about 33 cents a piece.

Be careful Harold, those 33 cent pieces are plastic that wasn't chosen to handle the heat of recessed cans. Make sure the compacts stay cool enough.

Weird. There was an article on the front page of the Washington Post this morning about just this "issue." Basically saying that wives hate compact fluorescents because of the color and the warm up time.

I don't mind the warm-up issue at all, but the high frequency buzz can be annoying if I make the mistake of noticing it and dwelling on it.

Okay that settles it. I'm not going to be some stereotypical ...wife. Nope, not me. CFs are great! Go team! :right:

It does sort of defeat the energy-saving purpose of CF if you have to leave it on so it stays bright enough.