New CFL bulbs

[jetcone]

Finally got around to computing my 2007 and 2008 annual electric bills! And what did I find??

At the begining of '08 I went thru the whole house and the apartment replacing every bulb with a compact flourescent.

This was my energy savings from 2007 to 2008 >>> $588 dollars!

Thats huge!

And I actually like the light from the GE and Phillips bulbs! No heated rooms in summer!

 

[chuffle]

I've had great luck with 'em

since switching over three years ago, and have CFLs in every light socket save for two that are enclosed ceiling fixtures. I also like the GE and Philips bulbs. I have a couple of Sylvania bulbs that were on sale, and I find them to be way too harsh.

I like that both GE and Philips now sell CFLs with a cover to hide the pigtail. I especially am fond of the GE covered bulbs, as they are the only ones that fit in the front room chandelier (the bulb base is not as bulky).

I leave a lamp on the landing, and one in the receiving room through the evening until I go to bed, and I never would have done that with incandescent. My electric bills run around $39.00 a month, so those lights left on aren't eating electricity.

J

 

[norgeway]

We changed too...

We replaced all our bulbs with the new cf type, have only had 1 failure in 1 1/2 years, I am well pleased....the extra money saved is a big plus too.

 

[turquoisedude]

I am a little reluctant to replace every bulb, since the CFL's have to be disposed of at a harzardous waste facility 'cause they have mercury in 'em. So far, I use them in the 'heavy duty' areas where lights get left on for a long time (like the basement or laundry room) and on the lights I have hooked up to timers to give that "someone's home" look to the house.

 

[gansky1]

I bought a six-pack of them at Costco and have changed a few in the fixtures and lamps around the house. They cannot be used in dimming fixtures so the kitchen and dining room are not eligible for the change right now. I did see dimmable CFL's for sale but was told that despite the cost, they didn't last as long as the standard CFL. I have a couple more fixtures to switch over but they are working fine so far...

$588! That's huge!

 

[frigilux]

That's quite a savings! I'm into my 4th year with CFLs throughout the house (including two outdoor fixtures) and I have no complaints. Have only replaced 3 bulbs, two of them in the same bathroom fixture that vibrates from the bathroom fan. I turn lights on and off quite a bit, which is supposed to shorten their lives, but so far, no problems. I walk into a room, click the lights on, grab something, then click them off on the way out.

Don't mind them in lamps, either. I have two dimmer torchere-style floor lamps with that function, but their "dimmability" isn't as wide as a standard bulb. They go from medium-to-high; there is no "barely on".

I've also come to appreciate the quality of light they emit.

Congrats on your savings!

 

[petek]

Same here all lights except the dryer, oven and mw are Cf's or tubes in our house. Considering the diningroom chandelier took 6 standard 60 or 75 watt bulbs now 6 CFLs I'm using roughly just 75 watts now to light the whole thing up insead of 360 or 420 watts, Then all the ceiling fans in the bedrooms each have 3 or 4 bulbs, the bathroom vanity lights each 3-4 bulbs. Those alone are a huge amount of power. My power bill is minimal now and I don't fret as much about leaving lights on as I used to. I bought some el cheapo covered bulbs for $1 a piece but they are awful, not like the good ones,, they take forever to warm up but they're ok for the bathroom vanities, gives your eyes time to adjust when you go for a midnight pee.

 

[mysteryclock]

I've switched most of our bulbs to the Nvision CFLs (warm color) and I'm very happy with the results, especially with the overhead ones that eat up all the watts and heat up the room! The trick for us was to find the right color that didn't make everyone look sickly.

Since our local Home Depot offers CFL recycling that really isn't an issue for us. I do wish they would warm up a bit faster but you get used to that over time.

The only bulbs I ~haven't~ replaced are the ones in the kids bedrooms and other easily-knocked-over lamps so I don't have to worry about a mercury cleanup, which would suck.

 

[sudsmaster]

One advantage of CFL's, over and above their energy savings, and relative lack of heat, is that you can select any of a number of color temperatures, from warm white (closest to incandescent) to cool white (think office light) to daylight (my favorite for kitchen and bath).

$588 works out to about $50/month in electricity savings. That's a fairly dramatic improvement... are you sure you didn't make any other changes (more efficient "wall warts", for example)? More efficient fridge?

 

[MikeS]

Finally Disposed Of My First CFL

I finally said good-bye to my first CFL: I installed them in my living room and bedroom lamps--back in 2002! The lamp on the left side of my bed got the most use, and it held up well. I finally decided to dispose of it after it began making noises--a safety issue, so why take a chance? Of course, I purchased more CFL's and am installing them in other areas of the home.
(And yes, I am taking it back to Homo Depot where it will be disposed of safely.)
The new CFL's I purchased at Wal-Mart are better than the original ones--and for just under a buck each, a bargain in the long run.

 

[mattl]

They are fine for some applications not so much for others. Most of my lighting is such that CFLs are not an option. I have dozens of recessed lights and cannot tolerate the diffuse light from the CFls. I want point source. And my chandeliers are not amenable to CFLs, I've tried one of the candelabra base CFL and the light is dim and they are expensive. My Dining room fixture has 15 arms and the foyer has 16, so not an option. Plus it would make the crystal look crappy.

I put a CFL flood light in the fixture on one of the patios and I had to put a regular bulb in the light next to it. When I flip the switch in the summer it takes a few seconds for the CFL flood to come on, in the winter it takes several minutes, not what you need if you need to see what is going on out there. So, for some applications they are fine, I have them in all my lamp posts, but for anything other than the most common situations they are not an option for me.

 

[whitekingd]

When they make them in "Soft Pink" maybe I'll try one. Personally, I hate the things except for use in industrial type places. We took Mercury out of the thermometers and put them in the light bulbs! Ugh!

 

[scott55405]

I never would have thought light bulbs would make such a difference, as frankly I didn't realize they represented that large a portion of one's electric bill (though I suppose you notice it more living in a larger home). I am glad people are realizing such nice savings.

I first ran into these a few years ago installed in living room lamps in someone's home and thought "oh no, this will never do." I did not like at all the light they gave off, seemed very cold and harsh, kind of like bathrooms in office buildings which show one in the absolute worst possible "light", IMO.

I had heard rumblings at the time that incandescent bulbs could eventually be discontinued and thought "must buy lifetime supply before this happens." Clearly there are many more choices now and improvements have been (and I expect will continue to be) made.

One day last winter I came home from work to find a shopping bag hanging on my doorknob with two of these bulbs inside, courtesy of the power company. I just installed my first one in a lamp on my desk. So far, so good, I really like it. I can think of several other places in the house where they will do fine or come in handy and save.

I also have a handsome diffuser-covered fluorescent circline fixture in my kitchen I really like. The kitchen was too dark and shadowy with the one bulb 60w max incandescent fixture a previous tenant installed.

 

[spookiness]

I have used them for about 10 years now, and they have improved greatly. I also prefer GE.

 

[toggleswitch2]

I have a bit less of an aversion to fluoescent lights that have an electronic ballsat. I assume this means they are fed DC instead oif AC. AC-fed fluroescents "strobe" with the frequency of the current (60hz here and 50hz in 220v lands).

Incandescent bulps/lamps in the other hand have a glowing white-hot filament that contiues to emit light in those brief portions of a second even when used on AC and even when they are not (very briefly) receiving electricity.


Although basically imperceptible by the eye, the brain freaks-out and such storbing causes stress, eye-fatigue, yes and even pimples.

BTW when I first land in 50hz territory I can SEE the TV strobing/flashing/ "refreshing itself" for a day or so.

 

[retroguy]

Sylvania....

I had one of their CFL bulbs start to leak. (A friend said he thought it was leaking, anyway.) The effect? Soft pink light.
I enjoyed it until he put the idea in my head that it was leaking.

 

[alr2903]

Jetcone "I went through the house", i hear you i windexed the fixtures as i went. 36 bulbs and 4 hours later i am glad it was worth it. It's been so very hot this summer, and we have an old house with 2 central units, 1 was replaced this spring. I am glad you calculated your results.. it gave me hope.

 

[scott55405]

36 light bulbs!

No wonder people are realizing such savings. I have about a dozen total, counting the kitchen fluorescent fixture. Enjoy your hopeful savings and lower room temps!

 

[18millstreet]

bulbs

Hi, Is there much info. about fire hazzards with these bulbs? I like the new ones,but saw on tv where they showed one burning out inside the base area once bulb becomes old and ready to go out.Have not heard much about it. Is there much safety/fire risk? Thanks,take care,Walt