One More Thing To Start Hoarding - American Made Light Blubs

[launderess]

Unless you like the Chinese CFL variety.

The Battle of the Bulbs

Three Republicans introduce a bill that would repeal impending standards for energy-efficient light bulbs.

green.blogs.nytimes.com

 

[bugsyjones]

Ugh.

CFL's....I don't like them. Or anything else 'energy efficient' for that matter.

I much prefer incandescents. Come to think of it, there's only one flourescent light in the whole house. A under cabinet light at the built-in desk.

Every fixture and lamp has a 60 watt in it. Just bought some more today, for a great price. 4 bulbs for 84 cents.

The incandescent has been around for 100 years. There must be something right about them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been around so long.

~Tim

 

[rp2813]

It was just announced last week, I think, that GE is closing down its last U.S. facility that produces bulbs.

I read that same article in the paper. It crossed my mind that I should start stockpiling incandescents.

I've tried dimmable CFL's but they aren't reliable. I'm hoping that CFL's are the 8-tracks of light bulb evolution. LED is supposed to be where things are headed, and they will be dimmable. Those of us who want to keep using incandescent will need to stock up for the interim period when only CFL's will be available.

 

[sudsmaster]

A lot of incandescent bulbs sold in the USA have been made overseas anyway.

I remember buying light bulbs made in Hungary as early as the 1970's.

 

[tolivac]

The company in Hungary is Tungsgram-they "partnered" with GE years ago on light bulbs.Tungsgram-"ACTION! Tungsgram"(the logo printed on Tungsgram tube boxes) also makes transmitting tubes have used a few of them.They work OK.The best transmitting tubes are US ones and RUSSIAN made ones.Sevtlana and SovTec are Russiain tube builders that come to mind. also they all make tubes for musical trade-guitar amps and hi fi amps.
I have seen and been by that GE factory in Winchester-went by it while going to Winchester,Va to investigate some vacuum cleaner places there.Downtown they have a cool vacuum store that has a Royal metal vac hung like a swing sign-with the vac stores sign hung from the vacuum,and went to a janitorial supplier there for NSS parts.Sad that factory is closing-maybe that vacuum store and janitorial supplier will have fewer customers.

 

[lordkenmore]

I also have noticed that a lot of light bulbs are being made elsewhere. One very common elsewhere is China, even for the incandescent bulbs.

Given the environmental record of the Chinese, one thing I'd like to know is whether Chinese CFL bulbs represent a plus for the environment. Hypothetically, if the standards used in making them are low, with lots of uncontrolled pollution, it seems that perhaps the energy savings wouldn't be such a big deal. I have no knowledge on this either way, but given China's history, it's a question I think should be answered.

I may be one stocking up on incandescent bulbs. I'm not necessarily against CFL, but I am doing my best to avoid buying anything Chinese. In fact, I needed to get a replacement bulb for my car's turn signal yesterday. The easy solution was to grab the bulb at Chevron, where I was getting gas, anyway. But the bulbs were Chinese, so I went elsewhere.

 

[MrX]

They still seem to be mostly made in the EU here. Typically they seem to be from poland and hungary.

Incandescent bulbs over 40W are no longer sold here. Its a total p.i.t.a. As cfl s are still not really the same. They don't produce the same quality of lightas a normal incandescent bulb.

branded bulbs are also being squeezed out by store own brands although I have found these inferior to Philips, Osram and GE etc

 

[MrX]

I just checked a GE spiral standard bayonet cap 23W long life CFL. it's marketed and distributed by GE Lighting Europe in Hungry
However, it's made China.

I think I will be buying Philips and checking the labels more carefully next time!

 

[blackstone]

I actually have a horde of incandescents in the cellar, but that's because I have installed CFLs everywhere. I'd like to think that someday they will be worth something.

As for the CFLs, I think they're great. I make an effort to buy daylight (5000K) CFLs, because I like the whiter light better than the yellowish light. One hallway to the 2nd floor has a CFL on for 18 hours a day. Much easier to just leave the light on, instead of doing the electrical work to install switches at the top and bottom of the stairway. (OK, so this defeats the energy-saving reason, but this is just one instance.)

I kind of keep track of how long these bulbs last, by writing the dates on them. Most seem to last for years. I have a kitchen light on which I wrote the date in 2003. Sometimes a bulb will go after a few months, but overall, I am very satisfied with them.

So does anyone want to buy my stash of incandescents?

 

[MrX]

I have to agree they do last a lot longer. They save me from needing to get uo a ladder to change our porch light, which is always a bit of an ordeal and the quality and color of the light has definitely improved. Many of the bulbs are now even dimmable, although these are considerably more expensive than normal CFL bulbs.

I've replaced a lot of our halogen recessed lighting with LEDs. The earlier LEDs were quite poor and produced odd color light and very narrow beams but the newer ones are fantastic. They seem to last for years and they are really energy saving. I also like the fact that they don't produce as much heat. Recessed halogens are always one of those items listed as a regular cause of house fires.

I would say that LEDs will ultimately replace CFLs once the technology becomes a bit more mature and cost effective
The bulbs are still a bit too pricy.

 

[rapunzel]

CFL life span

I've had the same CFL bulbs in my room for over eight years now and they are still going strong. These were the first batch that were touted as being long-life bulbs and they haven't disappointed. Though, over the years I have noticed that the life-span of later CFL bulbs I've bought for other lamps around the house isn't anywhere near as good. Most of them don't even last 12 months.

 

[whirlcool]

I've noticed the short lifespan too. Last year we bought some GE CFL floods for the kitchen can lights that came with a 5 year guarantee. One by one they are going out. We kept our receipt from Home Depot. We took two of them back to exchange them for new and HD said that we have to mail them back to the mfg for replacement.
Who's going to do that? The postage would be about the same as buying new ones. That's like the surge suppressors with $25,000 warranties. If you read the fine print, they'll only pay after your homeowners insurance does, deductables not included.
It's a scam, IMHO. They know people won't be able to comply, but it sure does look good on the package.

 

[dirtybuck]

Legitimate Question

Do the new cfl's contain mercury like the older models? Maybe the lack of mercury is the reason why they're burning out so fast.

I have a two older cfl's in my lamps in the bedroom, and in each of my wall lights in the bedroom and living room. However, I have incandescent 3-way bulbs in both my living room lamps and two GE Reveal bulbs in my bathroom. I like those bulbs...they don't produce the harsh yellowish light like ordinary bulbs.

One thing I don't care for with the mercury cfl's is the "special disposal" of them. These are not merely throw them in the trashcan items...you have to take them to a place that disposes of them properly.

 

[whirlcool]

We use Reveal bulbs in the bathroom and in the closet. You get a better idea of the colors you are choosing to wear, according to my wife.

What's going to become of 3 way lamps? My reading lamp in the den has a 3 way bulb in it. We tried a CFL in there and it was too dim for some tasks. We put a CFL in the bedroom 3 way lamp but we'd like a little more light at times.

So it looks like we will be going out this week to get our stash of 3 way bulbs.

 

[mattl]

I've bought some 3 way CFLs, other than a second to come on they are OK. I swore at them years ago, but am slowly converting what I can. They do have Reveal CFLs too.

At $1/bulb or less I'm putting them where I can, initially the slow rate to full brightness bugged me, but I'm OK with it now. I will NOT use them in my recessed cans, hate, hate the light the reflector CFLs put out, I'll wait for LED there.

 

[sudsmaster]

I only buy CFL's when they are heavily discounted at stores like Costco. That is when they are subsidized by the local utility. Something like less than $.75 ea. My current favorite is the daylight 75 watt equivalent Feit model. It really gives a nice light in the kitchens, baths, and offices/den space. The bulbs are so cheap I don't really mind if they go out after a year. And the warranty is actually based on average use, which means not on 7x24, but just on for a couple of hours a day.

LED's are still way too expensive. I converted some of my Maglite flashlights over to 3 watt LED bulbs, which work great. Much brighter and the batteries last longer, too. But even that wasn't cheap: $20/bulb. Now Maglite makes LED versions of their famous flashlights, except the bulbs appear to be non-replaceable (and the reflectors look to be redesigned to maximize the slightly different pattern the LED bulbs put out).

Even then, Mag has discontinued selling its LED replacement bulbs. They only fit the Maglite flashlights, at that. I'm a bit surprised that I can't find any local stores selling generic LED flashlight replacement bulbs. They are available on-line, at about the same rate as Mag was selling theirs retail.

I was in HD the other day. A 60 watt LED PAR 38 floodlight equivalent was something like $60. Um, not gonna shell out that kind of cash, not just yet. Instead I use Flourex flood lights. They consume 65 watts but put out brilliant daylight equivalent to 300 watts. They are great for illuminating the space in front of the garages when I need to work on my cars at night, esp in the winter when the days are short.