Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

[Happy Monkey]

Depends on how efficient they are... What's the electricity difference?

[duck_duck]

I used a fluorescent bulb in my reading lamp. It was neat because it was shaped like curly fries but I never noticed a warm up time for it. I just turned it on and it was bright enough to read under and didn\'t hurt my eyes at all. Another neat thing about it was it didn\'t put off nearly as much heat as an incandescent bulb of the same brightness.

Soon there will be cheap LED bulbs you can buy that will be bright enough for lamps and other household lighting needs.

[Cloud]

interesting article, glatt, thanks

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by duck duck

Soon there will be cheap LED bulbs you can buy that will be bright enough for lamps and other household lighting needs.

That's what I'm telling myself, duck, I'm just holding out for LED technology. Compact fluorescents will be the 8-track of the electrical world, just you watch!

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

That's what I'm telling myself, duck, I'm just holding out for LED technology. Compact fluorescents will be the 8-track of the electrical world, just you watch!

I found some flourescents that are inside those tear-shaped bulbs for outside lights. I use them there since they are on all night and the dim/warmup time is not really a factor. Hopefully, I'll save a buck or two.

I just bought 2 led flashlights for the house. Dang, those things are bright. If they last half as long as the package says, I'll be happy (the battery that is). We burn through flashlight batteries like there's no tomorrow (the ankle-biters turn 'em on and leave 'em on).

LED lights are coming - no doubt about it.

[elSicomoro]

I've been pondering switching to compact fluorescents in the house. The only time I've ever had an issue with fluorescents in general is when they're about to go out. Of course, my energy bill is stupid low already, but I'll take extra pennies any way I can get them.

[Skunks]

I say why stop at compact flourescents. Embrace the whole world of cold cathode lighting: embrace neon in the home, in the bedroom, in the bath. Wife upset by compact flourescent color and warmup delay? Turn her prized kitchen into an authentic tiki bar, pour yourself a margarita, put your feet up, and demand some pies.

Seriously, though, there's a whole world of colors out there. Done right, neon will last 30 or so years (you might have to replace the transformer a few times). And it's cooler than some silly miniature flourescent bulb.

[Undertoad]

and demand some pies

i lol'd

[tw]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Depends on how efficient they are... What's the electricity difference?

Seven times less electricity for the same light.

Fluorescent technology is not new. Before Edison developed an incandescent bulb, fluorescents had already been developed and demonstrated. Yes, the technology is that old. In one early experiment, that scientist was trying to determine how long a fluorescent tube could be. He had a tube many tens of feet long before his cat overturned his experiment.

Lightning industry made a big push in the 1960s to make incandescents as efficient and long lasting as possible. By 1970s, incandescents were considered as good as they would get. Eventually some of those better ideas appeared as 'new technology' such as halogens.

CFLs demonstrate again why, for example, the Macintosh could be developed in early 1970s and yet sit stifled for almost 10 years. Why Unix could be developed in late 1960s and early 1970s - and yet remain stifled by AT&T until rescued by AT&T self destruction and by Linus Torval. Why electric motors could be developed in the 1800s and yet not cause massive productivity gains until what we now call the Roaring 20s.

CFLs have been suddenly 'discovered' by Sylvania and Wal-mart. And yet still so many 'fear change'. Minor 'tactical' problems (noise, startup time, color) will become even less so as we finally reject our fears and innovate.

CFLs demonstrate how many of us fear innovation as we did computers in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

LEDs for lights? I was putting them into my mid 1980s designs to eliminate switch failure and (worse) failure of mission critical warning lights. Companies such as LEDtronics have been making LED incandescent replacements for maybe 20 years now. LED replacement for essential lighting such as Fire Exit signs are that old, that long available, and still some refuse to use the technology.

Opposition to CFLs is mostly silly as was my opposition to broccoli. Wrestling taught me to make broccoli one of my favorite foods. Logic prevailed. There are some situations where obsolete technology incandescents will still be necessary just as there are still places where horses are preferred.

CFLs are perfect example for the post-baby boomers here to learn and appreciate how opposed so many are to innovation - new ideas - change. That has always been a problem in America. The more widespread that fear, then recession occurs.

Light bulbs that use 1/7th the energy - and yet so many are still opposed. Watch the opposition that Wal-mart has from others, such as GE and Home Depot, when trying to promote innovation in America.

[duck_duck]

Originally Posted by Beestie

I found some flourescents that are inside those tear-shaped bulbs for outside lights. I use them there since they are on all night and the dim/warmup time is not really a factor. Hopefully, I\'ll save a buck or two.

I just bought 2 led flashlights for the house. Dang, those things are bright. If they last half as long as the package says, I\'ll be happy (the battery that is). We burn through flashlight batteries like there\'s no tomorrow (the ankle-biters turn \'em on and leave \'em on).

LED lights are coming - no doubt about it.

I have an LED flashlight and I haven\'t changed the light or batteries in the two years I\'ve had it. I even left it on one night when I went to sleep because I was scared by a movie I watched.. lol

[Aliantha]

We have CF's all through our house and I don't notice a warm up time at all. I can't imagine we're that much futher advanced than you lot. Surely you can get ones over there that don't have to warm up?

[TheMercenary]

I have been trying to get my wife to change all the lights in the house to these. She can't stand the light difference. They put off a different color of light and the warm up thing annoyed her. I wanted to do it just because it would save electricity in our all electric house.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The dimmable Maxlites, in Kitsune's post 5 link, look like the color isn't that bad.

[freshnesschronic]

LED technology was invented at my university.

Carry on.

[Clodfobble]

If you say so. Wikipedia doesn't mention your school.