How many SoWal'rs have converted to CFLs?

[Bob]

we did years ago...incandescents throw major btu's

 

[Wekick]

We have all antique lighting and I am packing in a lifetime supply of incandescent lighting. I have never been able to tolerate fluorescent lighting. We do have all of our lighting on dimmers so use less that way.

 

[Will B]

True fluorescent lights are harsh. We have CFL's all over our house here and notice no difference in color. They have come a long way...

 

[ASH]

CFL's come in different colors and brightness depending on your needs. Brighter blue or outdoor lighting for an office or reading location. Standard bulbs elsewhere. They also have wattages ranging from about 11W to about 23W as I recall.

I made the switch about 4 years ago and haven't had to replace one bulb yet. I've got them in both homes in completely different environments and couldn't be happier. The initial investment was steep in comparison, but when I look back and know I haven't had to swap out one bulb yet versus how many old bulbs I would have, I feel much better for investing early.

 

[TNJed]

Dimmers do NOT decrease the amount of electricity used. Dimmers have resistors which impede the flow of electricity to the bulb but that energy is still used and released in the form of heat at the dimmer switch.

edit: Just did some research AFTER I posted It appears there are newer dimmers on the market which are based on a "triac" principle and allows bulbs to cycle at less than 60Hz and do indeed use less electricity.

I guess if you are unsure if you have an older or newer dimmer is to simple feel if your dimmer switch gets warm when in use.

 

[TreeFrog]

Not being one who likes a bright place, there are quite a few 25w and 40w bulbs at my place. Need to look the next time I'm at HD or Lowe's, because for a good while there weren't CFLs with similar light output - all were brighter.

Fired Up's experience is dramatic. I knew that incandescents made heat, and halogens even more. We once had a table lamp with an incandescent located directly under the HVAC thermostat. Took a while to figure out why we were freezing in the house, but only at night.

 

[Minnie]

Are they the ones with mercury in them?

 

[Will B]

CFL's do have mercury in them...about as much as the period at the end of this sentence (I stole that!). No, you don't have to call for a HAZMAT crew if you break one, but you shouldn't toss them in the garbage either.

Here are some good instructions from GE on how to throw them away...

GE Consumer & Industrial Lighting: Ask Us: FAQs - Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

 

[GoodWitch58]

Fired Up Paint Your Own Pottery in Seaside FL could be Chelco Electric's poster child for cfl lighting use and the resulting energy cost savings.

When we bought the studio in 2006 there were over 2 dozen halogen bulbs lighting the art studio tables. The heat they generated was causing the air conditioner to run more, and the energy costs were through the roof. Between that and several kilns running daily, a $900 electric bill showed up one July.

We replaced every halogen bulb with a mix of cfl daylight and soft white bulbs as well as cfl floodlights. The Chelco electric bill dropped $200 a month. Bam!

For those who mentioned dimmer switches, costs are coming down on a new generation of dimmable cfl bulbs. And the new LED bulbs are indeed worth a look, though they're more expensive to date.

Whether you're a retail store or homeowner, the cost savings, heat reduction and longevity of compact flourescent bulbs makes the switch worth looking into.

For anyone who doubts the cost savings or light quality of cfl bulbs, stop by Fired Up Paint Your own Pottery in Seaside and take a look!

You guys rock for so many reasons--just added one more! beautiful space and enough light to make beautiful art--Grandma just needs a few lessons--the grandkids are showing me up!

 

[Minnie]

CFL's do have mercury in them...about as much as the period at the end of this sentence (I stole that!). No, you don't have to call for a HAZMAT crew if you break one, but you shouldn't toss them in the garbage either.

Here are some good instructions from GE on how to throw them away...

GE Consumer & Industrial Lighting: Ask Us: FAQs - Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Thanks I had wondered how to dispose of them properly especially the part about opening the windows to air the room out. Would have never thought about doing that.