the bulb

[MrBern]

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3433

10 Reasons Why Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) Will Change the World

 

[scotrace]

As an experiment, I bought two lamps and put them in the lobby of my office building. One had a CF bulb, one a regular incandescent bulb. The lamps burned day and night for about a year. Each was connected to an electric meter. The CF used FAR less power.
The regular bulb was replaced maybe twice.
After about a year, I dismantled the display, and, not wanting to waste the CF bulb, which was still working, I brought it home and put it in a lamp. That bulb is now burning directly behind me as I type.

The display in my office building was initially set up in 1993. The bulb has lasted, in more than normal use, for around 13 years. I's one of the domed types, rather than an "ice cream cone."
They didn't catch on. Regardless of how long they last, at $10 or more you could buy 10 or 12 regular old fashioned bulbs for the same money. Some electric utilities offered CF bulb "rentals." Honestly, they were a white elephant for most merchants. You also couldn't use them in three-way switches or lamps with dimmers.

People want to do their part, but they have a cost threshold. $10 + was well above it. At $3 (if that's what they bring now), they might gain favor.

 

[Twitch]

I have a problem with flourescents. In office settings they are cold and drab and give colors a strange look as well as people. I believe they are unflattering due to a different shadow diffussion. Most for home use are not strong enough even though they advertise a 20 watt is equal to like 75 of an incandescent.

Flourescents have a bad habit of losing brilliance over time like a candle growing more dim. If you've experimented and replaced one with a new one the difference is striking. Incandescents have the good manners to just go out instead of provoking eye strain.

For years we had one in our bedroom lamp which we keep on while watching TV. We got new-old lamps recently and the had 3 ways in them. 50-100-150 watts. Geez, on 50 it makes a huge difference from the flourescent! The room is better lighted, less dingy and dull and the colors of things is radiant again. I realize now how I was straining my eyes in there for years.

Most of the smaller power flourescents last long but larger tube types don't seem to. Never been in a office that didn't have an ongoing cycle of tube changing every couple weeks. At home our kitchen lights above a drop translucent ceiling are flourescents and I can't count how many I've replaced over the years.

I'll put them in places where I don't care about but in any area I spend ample time I'm sticking with incandescents regardless of cost.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

CFs are old news, the next big thing are LED light bulbs! Florescent light bulbs are 3 to 4 times more efficient than a standard bulb. LED bulbs are 10 times more efficient than a florescent, or 40 times more efficient than a standard bulb. They can come in different colors too! 10 year life and only $4.99.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

That's one thing I do like about modern cars, some of them have the LED taillights, and you can actually see them, even when the late afternoon sun is shining on them.