posted October 03, 2010 07:28 PM         

Incandescent Lightbulbs, We Love You
September 24, 2010

By Yul

GE just closed the last U.S. factory making incandescent bulbs and 200 workers are out of jobs because GE is importing compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) made in China. Under George Bush’s 2007 energy bill, incandescent bulbs will be banned in 2014.

Our house is full of them and, like this woman, we refuse to switch until the last one dies.

The Daily Green tells you what to look for in a CFL:

“…Energy Star-certified models…. .two-year warranty… minimum rated lifespan of at least 6,000 hours and cannot emit an audible noise. They must turn on in less than one second and reach at least 80% of their output within three minutes. They can’t have more than five milligrams of mercury.”

Noise? They take THREE minutes to come on? MERCURY?

“All fluorescent bulbs contain a small, and decreasing, amount of mercury, which is toxic. They actually result in less mercury released into the environment than incandescents, since those use so much more energy, much of which is generated from coal (which releases mercury).”

Does this look like the lamest rationalization for topping all your lamps with deadly poison you’ve ever seen? Yeah, I agree.

If you break a CFL, open all the windows, don heavy gloves if you don’t own a full hazmat suit, and carefully scrape up the glass and mercury. DO NOT VACUUM; it spreads the lethal fumes. Then use duct tape to pick up any tiny bits. Put the bulb and anything that touched it in sealed double plastic bags or a lidded glass jar and take it to the nearest hazardous waste dump (which should be right around the corner if these bulbs catch on). It may be illegal in your state — it’s already immoral in all 50 states — to throw it out with the trash.

Next time you vacuum that area, throw out the vacuum cleaner bag. In the meantime, you and your pets can walk on whatever’s there and that’s OK.

I want to know why our government is pushing CFLs while DOING NOTHING to facilitate disposal.

The mercury in one CFL can cause kidney and brain damage and poison 1,000-6,000 gallons of water.

CFLs create light with UV rays (you know, the same stuff you wear 30 SPF sunblock to avoid). The UV light bounces off the white coating on the glass. Reviews are mixed on whether this is dangerous, but UV is UV. Decide for yourself whether you want it inside your home every waking moment.

If a CFL is too close to electronic devices, the infrared light it produces can disrupt them. So if the channel suddenly changes on your TV, it could be the lamp.

A CFL hates being turned on and off a lot, dims over time, can’t be used in a fully enclosed fixture unless it’s outside, and craps out in extreme heat or cold. When it dies, it can smoke, sizzle, pop, and even start a fire.

So unless you coddle your CFLs like rare hothouse orchids, the chances of one lasting as long as the hype on the package and putting out decent light seem slim to none.

Thank you, U.S. government, for embracing CFLs, knowing full well that the fools who always dismiss facts — the Palin, Beck, and LimpPaw followers — will carelessly discard CFLs until they’ve poisoned every drop of potable water in the country — and then blame you.

The real tragedy is that there IS a safer, energy-efficient bulb: the LED. But it’s prohibitively expensive.

So why don’t we create jobs and protect the environment by investing in this technology? Companies could get incentives for making LEDs more affordable, and Congress could keep its damn light bulb legislation until people have a SAFE alternative.

In the meantime, we’re stocking up on incandescents while we still can and dare the Bulb Police to catch us.

PS: GE tells all you need to know about CFLs, but beware of the rosy corporate spin between the lines.

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posted October 03, 2010 07:35 PM         

we have some here where i work, they are disguised to look like incandescents! i noticed months ago that when you first turn them on they seem dim, then after a while they get brighter...i did not put 2+2 together but duh, fluorescents traditionally would go on a bit at a time and then blare into full action. should've realized that was what it was.

posted October 03, 2010 07:42 PM         

The christmas light people them...

quote:

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Having ventured into the realm of LED lighting and replaced my basement laundry room light with a LED bulb consisting of 36 individual LEDs, I felt the time had come to try a suitable living room light bulb replacement. I leave my small table lamp on 24hrs/day with an 11 watt CFL (40 watt equivalent). After discovering earthled.com, I found they had a reasonably priced ~45 watt incandescent replacement bulb that utilized only 3 watts of power. This bulb incorporates what are called, LED light engines. These high-power LEDs range in size, but are typically 1-2 watt each. This particular bulb, consumes 3 watts of power and uses 3 Cree 1 watt light engines. Think of light engines as little teeny (in this case) 1 watt processors.

The analyze I alluded too above is an important distinction between LED bulbs consisting of amassed individual LEDs and LED light engines. This bulb does produce heat. However, you will only feel warmed on the silver colored band around the middle of the LED bulb. That is because this band serves as the heat sink for the LED light engines. Do not be alarmed, the globe is cool to the touch and you will never be burned or deterred by touching the silver (or aluminum) heat sink band.

Having covered heat output, lets talk about light output. This LED bulb is fantastic. I am very pleased with both the construction and design of the bulb. There is an internal mirror assembly, that couple with the frosted globe, help to disperse light in a near 360 degree manner. This is a great advancement and brings LEDs to primetime in terms of household application. I find the light of this bulb to be pleasant, on par with the color spectrum of the warm white CFL, and near target for 45 watt incandescent light output.

Overall, I am very pleased with this LED light bulb and the cost savings over the lifetime of the bulb are just fantastic. Total cost over the projected 50,000 hr lifetime of the LED bulb is, at $0.10 kW/hr, is $15 for electricity and $29.95 for the bulb. This is a total of $44.95. For a comparable 11 watt CFL, rated at 10,000 hr lifetime, taken over 50,000 hrs, you are looking at a lifetime cost of $69.95 (assuming a $2.99 replacement cost for each of the 5 CFLs).

Since the lifetime of this bulb is roughly 50,000 hrs. You will be able to enjoy this LED bulb for 11 years at 12 hrs/day or 5.7 years at 24 hrs/day (like me!).

Look for the price of this bulb to come down as the technology for the LED light engines becomes more commonplace.

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posted October 03, 2010 07:51 PM         

Public, agencies ill-informed of risks
As long as the mercury is contained in the bulb, CFLs are perfectly safe. But eventually, any bulbs — even CFLs — break or burn out, and most consumers simply throw them out in the trash, said Ellen Silbergeld, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins University and editor of the journal Environmental Research.

posted October 03, 2010 07:58 PM         

and to be honest, no light bulb is a picnic to clean up. but anyone with small kids and LAMPS needs to be aware of the hazards as does anyone who might break one themselves.

and your right, there should be a disposal unit on every corner if they are going to be the only light in town..