Energy saving light bulbs offer dim future (CFL's are not bright as incandescent)

Telegraph.co.UK ^ | Published: 9:00PM BST 29 Aug 2009 | By Richard Gray and Julia McWatt

[Syrin23]

Energy saving light bulbs are not as bright as their traditional counterparts and claims about the amount of light they produce are "exaggerated", the European Union has admitted.

[MHT]

Just as an aging population needs more, not less, wattage, Congress imposes this stupid law.
Anyone who is not hoarding 100 watt bulbs is going to be sorry.

[Syrin23]

Yet another example of junk science/data being used to affect gov’t policy

[NavyCanDo]

I put them in my son's room replacing his floods, because he was forever leaving the lights on, and that bank of flood lights spun out power meter like a 78 record.

The problem with the CFL floods we put in is, they take awhile to get to their full output, so much so that I have to wait several minutes before I can read him a bed time story.

[DM1]

we switched over to these things about a year ago and we save about 20 bucks a month on the electric bill. They do take time warming up so if it is cold be prepared for a dim minute or two but once they warm up some of them appear brighter than the ones i replaced them with

[KarlInOhio]

The Euros tried to claim that it only takes 1/5 the wattage in a CFL to equal an incandescent. In the US the boxes claim about 1/4 the wattage. From what I've seen it is more like 1/3, so if you want to replace a 60 watt incandescent you'll need a 20 watt CFL, not 13-15 like they claim on the box.

[HoneysuckleTN]

Glad someone admitted it! I have two of those bulbs. One was put outside on the porch, but cold weather made it very dim. I moved it into the dining room. It has lasted several years, but the light is not as bright, even inside. And it hesitates a few seconds before coming on when I flip the switch as I move into the room. For that couple of seconds, I'm walking into a dark room and afraid I'll trip over a cat or something. LOL

The other is in a room where the light is hardly ever turned on. At that rate, it'll last for generations. ;)

Then there are the regular incandescent bulbs I've been buying lately. They changed them to a lower wattage (what was 100 watts is now 90 watts, etc.). Is that to get us used to the dimmer light like from the CFLs? They don't last as long as they used to, either. Cheaper materials? Purposely to force us to buy the longer-lasting CFLs? Who knows!

[Trust but Verify]

Duh!

[staytrue]

I like the cfl’s for hard to reach places because they last a lot longer.

I am looking forward to led’s though which never burn out.

[SoothingDave]

The govt obviously must have mandated a 10% energy savings.

[RaiderRose]

The ones I have used have burned out just as fast, if not faster, than regular bulbs, and the light has sucked. Am I buying the wrong ones? Wrong wattage? I can’t afford a $10 bulb right now.

I am going to start hording I guess. I’ll have to hide them in the attic or my husband will have a fit. lol

[manic4organic]

I bought a “daylight” florescent for my front porch to replace the one before which lasted about five years (and I burn it almost constantly). It’s very bright! Just picked up six 100w rated bulbs at Costco for about $10. I think the older ones took longer to light up but these new ones are instant on. They have bulbs for dimmer appliances too.

[Red in Blue PA]

In 10 years, everyone will have eye problems from reading next to CFL’s.

[Red in Blue PA]

I bought a few (big mistake) about a year or so ago at Lowe’s, and they had a recycling program for the mercury in them.

When one recently burned out, I took it there and was told the program was discontinued.

Look for mercury to come to landfills everywhere.

Thanks Libs!

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“The other is in a room where the light is hardly ever turned on. At that rate, it'll last for generations. ;)”

Actually, that one might be the first one to blow. Fluorescent bulbs need to be kept on for awhile, both to maximize their lumen output, and to realize the energy savings. They generally last longer when turned on and kept on for extended periods; HOWEVER, if they are turned on and off as frequently as people generally use their incandescents—they burn out much SOONER!
(And then we have our landfills filling up with mercury!) Way to go, Congress! You dipsh*ts!

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

See post #15

[ontap]

I put one on a flasher and was amazed to find out it worked!

[ontap]

I have been told not to buy the ones at the dollar stores!

[PapaBear3625]

LED Floods are coming down in price.

[HoneysuckleTN]

“The other is in a room where the light is hardly ever turned on. At that rate, it'll last for generations. ;)”

Actually, that one might be the first one to blow. Fluorescent bulbs need to be kept on for awhile, both to maximize their lumen output, and to realize the energy savings. They generally last longer when turned on and kept on for extended periods; HOWEVER, if they are turned on and off as frequently as people generally use their incandescents—they burn out much SOONER!

Ah, good to know. It's in a storage room. I haven't had the need to turn the light on in a couple of years. So, chances are, if I did turn it on now, it wouldn't work. Great.

There are ceiling fans in every ceiling light fixture in the house, even the porch and the storage room, so they are 60 watt (the highest recommended for ceiling fans). The one in the dining room is 3 or 4 years old and kept mostly off. But I switch it on and off a dozen times or more during the evening and night every day. Sometimes, it does get left on for hours at a time or even overnight. Even after being left on for hours it's still not as bright as an incandescent 60 watt bulb--now 52 watt, or whatever they are. And the light is...off, like it's a different color. Hard to describe.