Posted on 12/20/2017 11:59:03 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
They date back to the time of Thomas Edison. They’ve provided decades and decades of warm bright light to our homes and workplaces. And they’re about go bye-bye.
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the humble everyday incandescent light bulb will continue on its long and steady fade into our collective memory. Manufacturers will no longer make the traditional 100-watt bulb and stores will eventually sell out of current supplies. Consumers will have to choose from more efficient bulbs that use no more than 72 watts, including halogen incandescents, compact fluorescents and light-emitting diode, or LED, bulbs.
This is not the first time the state has focused its regulatory glare on what have been the brightest bulbs in our homes for more than a century. Check out this Associated Press story lede from January 2011: “Beginning Jan. 1, the state began phasing out certain energy-sucking bulbs, federal standards the rest of the country will enact next year.”
In other words, it’s deja vu all over again.
“We still have a few incandescent bulbs, but they’re being phased out,” said Dave Butts, a customer service rep at Richert Lumber, an Ace Hardware outlet in Pleasanton. “The LEDs are so much better these days and people have gotten used to them that the incandescents were going to go away anyway. They are also more expensive than the more energy-efficient LEDs, which use a fraction of the energy the traditional bulbs were using. So that means a lower PG&E bill, too.”
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
“Ya got any 60 watt, man? I need it real bad.”
I do too. I haven’t added to it in years and it is still well stocked. Incandescents last.
I find the light cast by the curly bulbs to be very diffuse and as a result tough on the eyes. I do a lot of reading and incandescents are the best for that in my opinion. Plus, aren’t there many anecdotes about the curly bulbs catching fire?
Didn’t this actually happen about five years ago?
Ditto!
To anyone who is still committed to incandescent bulbs, special use versions called “rough service” grade escaped the ban and can be had in abundance such as here:
https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/rough-service-light-bulbs/
Love 100 watt equivalent LEDs except for the price.
There are a few hard to get to fixtures that blew bulbs every 6 months. It was worth the price to switch those to LED, especially the one at the top of the basement stairs.
I have a touch lamp they responds only to an incandescent bulb.
Annnd, if you break one, you need to call in a hazmat team for the clean up.
I started using LEDS several years ago.
They last longer, and they have improved on the color.
Marko.
CFL bulbs, dirty electricity and cancer... not a new thing.
Nah LEDs, way cheaper to use.
Contrary to popular belief, LED replacement lamps don’t last forever. The last longer than incandescents, but they do go after a while. Probably half of the LEDs I have used have eventually failed. I will never again buy Cree bulbs, I haven’t had good luck with them.
Contrary to popular belief, LED lamps aren’t all “instant on”. I have one that takes about 1/2 second to light up. I bought that one as an experiment to see if I liked it. I didn’t.
Both LED and CFL bulbs produce RF interference (it varies according to make). Incandescent bulbs don’t have that problem, and I will continue to use them in certain locations as long as I can.
CFL bulbs have a weird character to their light that shows up on the lacquered brass case of a clock that I own. It’s hard to describe, but it looks sort of like it’s covered by rainbow swirls when illuminated by a CFL. I still have a few of them around, as they die, they will be replaced by LEDs.
Those were outlawed for the whole USA according to the fake news back then.
LEDs are better for bringing the utility bills down or with an off-grid solar power plant.
This is a complete crock and typical bad reporting. The Al Gore bulbs are a huge scam that raised the price 5-10x higher than the old bulbs. But they don’t last 5-10x longer and don’t run 5-10x cheaper. So it’s simply a big scam to enrich the utility companies, the manufacturers and the retailers while shafting the consumer.
I hate these bulbs and the regulators for mandating them. If people had any choice they would still buy the old ones.
In the colder states People actually use incandescent light bulbs to keep things from freezing.
Also note that incandescent bulbs are 100% efficient in the winter when being used in a room that is heated. They are simply supplementing your heating system. You can bet that numbers showing how much energy they waste does not take that fact into account.
California can
t stop the the use of Rough Service (duty) Bulbs. They’re aavailable in many places. As an example: “google” rough service bulbs.
Ebay http://www.ebay.com/bhp/rough-service-bulbs
https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/rough-service-light-bulbs/
https://www.topbulb.com/light-bulbs/rough-service
I still enjoy candles and kerosene lamps. Reminds me of the cabin as a kid.
A 12v based LED lighting system (read RV) sounds interesting, especially for power outages. Would eliminate RF interference, too.
100-watt bulbs are great for keeping pipes and water pumps warm in freezing weather and keeping baby chicks warm.
***I have enough to last the rest of my lifetime***
Same here. I keep finding them stuck away in places I forgot about.
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