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389 Comments
- Fluidity, on 10/12/2007, -3/+264WTF how can any light not cast a shadow? You've just re-designed the laws of physics! Congrats, and on a Friday too!
- Suchmann, on 10/12/2007, -7/+139Yeah birkoph,
Mother Nature is totally spamming on digg. We should block her. - Moocat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+114When we moved into our new house we replaced ALL the bulbs in our house with energy saving bulbs.
Living Room - 5 bulbs x 60 watts = 300 watts (OLD)
Living Room - 5 bulbs x 13 watts = 65 watts
Kitchen - 5 bulbs x 100 watts = 500 watts (OLD)
Kitchen - 5 bulbs x 13 watts = 65 watts
Bedrooms - 4 bulbs x 100 watts = 400 watts (OLD)
Bedrooms - 4 bulbs x 13 watts = 52 watts
OLD - 1200 watts
NEW - 182 watts
SAVED - 1018 watts
Cost - $30
Savings - About $140 a year
Here's a neat link for calculating it out: http://www.goodmart.com/light_bulb_energy_saving_calculator.aspx - pap3rw8, on 10/12/2007, -4/+85Totally dugg. I recently replaced many of the frequently used bulbs at my place with CFLs, and if you buy the good ones you can hardly tell the difference between CFLs and incandescent bulbs.
Also see:
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagid=483&campaign=mts&source=actioncenter - DreKor, on 10/12/2007, -4/+44I'd really like some lights that don't cast shadows, I could light my entire house with a single bulb. Anyway, what's the wattage on your low power lamps? It must be hard to buy replacement bulbs that are lower than 23 Watts. Perhaps you use nets of Christmas lights? If so, you have to remember to add up the power consumption of all your bulbs, not just use four 25 watt bulbs in place of a single 100 watt.
- noodlez, on 10/12/2007, -3/+39i've always used CF bulbs because it saves the environment AND it saves me $ on my energy bill.
i've always wanted to try LED bulbs though... - vtron, on 10/12/2007, -4/+39Go one step further, get LED bulbs that use 1W and last years.
- vypergts, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27Actually, a 100w Incandescent has 1,690 lumen output on 4 hours every day cost $1.33 a month. A 27w Fluorescent has 1,750 lumen output on for 4 hours every day only costs $.36 a month, so that easily makes up the initial purchase cost. CFLs are as bright and do cost less.
- MtnXfreerider, on 10/12/2007, -6/+31"Typical bulb = 100w" I dont think I have a single bulb over 60 watts in my house.. most are 40
- tnsimonson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21The coldness or warmth of a light is based on its Kelvin rating. The higher the K rating the more whitish-blue the light will be. I use CF lights over my planted aquarium that range from 5000-10000K ratings. 5000K is roughly equivalent to morning sunlight, 6700K equates to the quality of sunlight at noon, and 10000K is a very cold whitish-blue. I believe that most CFs sold for home use fall below even the 5000K threshold and thus have a nice warm yellowish cast to them. In any case, they are extremely energy efficient compared to incandescent, or even standard fluorescent lighting.
- fluidfoundation, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23yeah, but do we really need it to be that bright? certain situations, yes, but for the most part i've been able to deal with it being slightly dimmer.
God, I remember when my grandmother would use 4 100w bulbs in the friggin kitchen light fixture.
You can still see the permanent burn silhouette shaped like a toaster on the kitchen counter. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+23Bigfoot:
>If my electric power comes from a nuclear power plant, what will changing a bulb to CF do for me?
Reduce your bill, for one. For two, reduce nuclear waste. Unless of course you're a Republican and you like higher bills and nuclear waste because it makes you strong and not wimpy to your friends. - raid517, on 10/12/2007, -6/+22"I can't stand the light from compact fluorescents. They cast no shadows and are too cold, even the "warm" ones. I'll keep my low wattage incandescents instead, and save more energy than you."
You wanna do the maths on that? I bet you any money you have (unless you like your home especially dark) that my low wattage CF's will trump the energy savings/cost per watt of your low wattage incandescents any day.
And CF's produce a light that is 'too cold'? What era are you living in? Maybe 20 or more years ago this was true as all fluorescent fittings seemed to give off the same old blue glow - but the light from modern CF's is certainly (to my eyes) much soften and more subtle than the light from incandescents.
Why not admit it, you are just a lazy SOB who couldn't give a crap about the environment and who really doesn't care less about how much energy they waste?
It is people like you who make me think that things like incandescent light bulbs should be banned and that strategies should be adopted to force inconsiderate sorts like you to conserve energy. (Such as an excessive usage tax). - Dipsomaniac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16@ wendelgee2:
We have Philips CFs and they have a fairly nice light, but what we've found works even better is to use shades around the light to make it 'warmer'. You don't lose a lot of brightness and it'll look nicer. For even more diffuse light find an upward-shining lamp and put a CF in that. We converted one of ours from the 300 W halogen bulb to a 23 W CF (had to put a new socket in) and it's just as bright but it doesn't get hot enough to set things on fire. - fluidfoundation, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17some people do actually get headache from those, so you get a pass on that one.
but you have to plant 3 trees and do 2 hail mary's. - obrysii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14"Sorry. No one is making a significant change to their monthly bills by changing their light bulbs. You can go neo-environmental-con if it floats your boat but don't lie to make yourself feel better. Just say it makes you feel better because that's all it's really doing."
Sorry. But you are wrong. Do the math, and you'll see a startling difference. We replaced all of our lights with CFL's and we've noticed that our electricity bill in the summer is cut in half. In winter, it's not as much (because in the summer, the AC has to work extra hard to remove the excess heat produced by incandascent bulbs), but it's still a notable savings.
Skyshock, the ballasts must be of low quality in those CFLs ... they should not take more than thirty seconds to reach full brightness. - KissTheRing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Hey man if they hurt your head that isn't selfish. Maybe you'd like LED light bulbs better, they use even less energy than CF bulbs and last longer but they do cost more to buy the bulb.
- fluidfoundation, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14who pissed in your cornflakes?
- wendelgee2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Can anybody suggest brands or product lines of flourescents that look nice? I keep buying them and 3/4 of the them they are these garish blue/white nightmares.
- cghobbs31, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12This site is tracking progress:
http://www.onebillionbulbs.com/ - nebben, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Bad ballasts in overhead tube fluorescents can cause that blinking effect. Modern CFL bulbs (incandescent replacements) don't blink and don't give headaches.
- Tyr7BE, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Just start buying fluorescent instead of incandescent next time you need new lightbulbs. If you can gradually phase out old incandescent bulbs, even over the course of a few years, you're doing your part.
And I agree, some of the bulbs have a cold harsh light, but the warmer ones are quite pleasant. - mattsidesinger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9The bulbs that I have replaced on the exterior of my house seem to take some time to warm up in cold weather. It takes them about 10 minutes to reach maximum brightness.
- GeneralAntilles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9As mentioned above, they make cold-weather fluorescents.
- Homerr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I use full spectrum 15-30w CF bulbs in most of my lights, what a difference from the crappy 10-15w typical CF ones!
The light is so nice, but my wife complains because we can actually see when a room like the bathroom needs cleaning. =O Start sacrificing people, we are at WAR! =/ - edzieba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I wonder how long it will be until we get a digg story on replacing CFLs with LEDs to save power?
- griz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9A very bright idea.
- shrikedoa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I'm in the process of changing over. As incandescents burn out I'm replacing them with CFL.
First, buy the good ones: Phillips or GE.
The higher voltage ones start a little slowly. Indoors it's at most 15-30 seconds to reach full brightness, and you get used to it really fast. The lower voltage ones start up in a few seconds. Cold is a factor, so outside lights in the winter take longer.
The quality of light (assuming you got the good ones) is identical to incandescent, at least to my eyes. Our bathroom has a row of eight 60W bulbs and currently half are CFLs. Visually you can not tell which are which. I've tested multiple people and everyone agrees they all look identical. Same brightness, same color.
Walmart is selling the GE ones cheap now. Under $2 each in 3 and 6 packs.
Considering they use 25% the electricity and can last 5 years, this is a no brainer. - RaistlinMajere, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10I know this is going to sound rather selfish, but I can't stand fluorescent light. They give me a headache. I have a standard 3-incandescent bulb lamp in my office which is much more calming than the ghastly overhead lights. Is there a certain type of fluorescent bulb out there that won't cook my eyeballs?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I also have replaced every (I think) bulb in my house about a year ago. Aside from the whole energy, cost, carbon footprint, tree-hugging thing, these things are better as I don't have to get up off my butt and change them. The last time I changed a bulb was when I installed them a year ago.
All hail our CFL Bulb Overlords.
All your bulbs belong to us. - vypergts, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7You should be just buying bulbs with less watts to begin with...
- KissTheRing, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6If only we could harness the power of compound interest...
- RadiantBeing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5wendelgee2, I use "Philips Marathon 23 watt mini decorative twisters." That is the product name. I scoured the net looking for reviews or even impressions before buying but couldn't find much so I'll share my observations here. These CFL's throw off a pleasing warm yellowish light very similar, if not identical to incandescents. They go on fast at about 80-90% brightness and then reach full brightness in 30-60 seconds. I compared these side-by-side to my older CFLs and the difference is amazing. The older ones are slow to start and throw off a weak, ethereal light. The Philips are warm and bright.
- kgerm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5its called "full spectrum" bulbs there the closest to day light, and you can grow with them too ;)
- xtiger, on 10/12/2007, -7/+12from the GE website. First of all, the warming up issue is real annoying. Now read this from GE's website.
4. Can I use a CFL in applications where I will be turning the lights on/off frequently?
Compact fluorescent light bulbs work best if they are left on for over 15 minutes each time they are turned on. These types of lamps can take up to 3 minutes to warm-up. Warm-up will probably not be noticeable from a user stand point, but the lamp needs to warm-up in order to reach the point of most efficient operation. Frequently switching them on and off will shorten the life of the product. If the life of the lamp is shortened significantly, you will not reap the financial benefits (includes energy & life of lamp), that are common to CFL lamps. - mraustin1337, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7I replaced 15 bulbs in my house with CF bulbs.
15 diggs. ;-) - kremvax, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Ikea has some vnice 11w CFLs for $1/bulb. They're the warm rose spectrum variety. They also have a few fancier "rounded" CFLs that have a silicone diffuser that's bulb-shaped for artsier lamps for about $3/bulb.
Even if you (foolishly) ignored the electricity savings, the longer life of these bulbs make them less expensive than the edison bulbs they'd replace. - david76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6The 14W CFL flood I used to replace a 65W incandescant flood is actually brighter than the original. In this case it was a nvision soft-white CFL that I picked up at Home Depot. My only complaint is the warm-up time. But if you're leaving them on for longer than a minute, it's well worth it.
- JeremyTTU, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@mo^9
* Actually the price on the bulbs has really dropped since WalMart started carrying them.
* They might be more expensive, but they last longer... therefore cheaper in the long run.
The only problem I have with them is using them outside. When its cold, they do not get as bright, so they are affected by temperature. - fluidfoundation, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Enough months of using those and you can afford a PS3!
Then watch your power bill go back up lol. - elpipetuanis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I have replaced all but 3 bulbs in my house with compact fluorescents. and those three aren't really replaceable by the CFL's.
- MacBandit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I don't have any incandescent lights in my house. Well all of them except the ones on dimmer switchces. That's the only big problem with fluorescents you can't use them on a dimmer. I know there are ones out there designed for dimmers I've tried them and they failed within days. You can pick up 10 packs of mini-compact fluorescence at Costco for less than a $1 a bulb.
- jkdrum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have a one bedroom apartment. I use CFL everywhere. The only drawback is the warm up time before full light output. Otherwise you wouldn't know the difference. The average electric bill at my apartment was $60 a month. Since I been using CFL it becomes ~$25 a month.
- r3al1tych3ck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Dugg and done a few years ago, all of them. They seem to last forever too!
- GeneralAntilles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Depends on the ambient temperature. Around 58°F or less is when you have problems getting up to decent light levels quickly. I haven't been using any heat this winter (minus my G5, which is pretty good for 500sqft) and it's been hovering around 55-65°F in the mornings when I turn the lights on and it usually takes about 30 seconds to a minute for them to get to full brightness. They make cold-weather fluorescents for usage in freezers, outdoors and such, but in a home environment they're not usually necessary.
- rderveloy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I replaced all the bulbs in my lamps with CF lights. They take *might* take a split second to come on, but they have a nice soft light to them. My primary reason for getting them was because they last so much longer than regular bulbs. The fact that they consume 1/3 less power, which trims down my power bill quite nicely, is an added bonus.
- evilgold, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4i've been using CF bulbs for almost a year now. Saves quite a bit, especially if your like me and always forget to turn off lights. Although my bill is still pretty high due to the many computers running 24/7 in my house.
- LiquidPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7@raid517
"It is people like you who make me think that things like incandescent light bulbs should be banned and that strategies should be adopted to force inconsiderate sorts like you to conserve energy....."
Be careful what you wish for. As we discuss this a Californian lawyer is trying to push a bill through to ban incandescent bulbs from the California market.
I'm sorry, but while I like, and use, CFL's wherever possible. CFL's are not practical in every situation. For instance, I use a collection of work lamps for a variety of tasks. Some are ring FL's, some are CFL's because that's the kind of light I need in some situations. In other situations, I still use a standard incandescent since I need the kind of light it gives off. Places like the closet, shed, garage, kitchen all use some kind of FL. However, the computer room, craft room and work areas are strictly incandescents or a mix of both. The oven still uses incandescent since I still haven't seen a FL resist the kind of heat it puts out. (There might be, I don't know).
And while everyone is focusing on the energy savings between CFL and incandescents, I still haven't seen any studies or information regarding total environmental impact. CFL's are more complex to manufacture, in part, due to the more complex circuitry required to operate. More complex circuits and design require more energy to manufacture. Also, last I checked, FL has Mercury. Mercury isn't that much better than Lead and I haven't seen any ROHS compliant CFL's (there might be, but I haven't seen them). And regardless of what people think, returning your FL to a store for "recycling" does not happen. Most people don't bother and many stores simply dump them in the dumpster environmental laws be damned.
So what would it be? Buy CFL's and simply shift the energy usage to the manufacture and create an environmental impact on disposal or recycling or continue using Incandescents and pay for the energy bill yourself? Don't delude yourself that one technology is "cleaner" over another just by looking at the energy it consumes during usage. - gweedo767, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Someone hasn't used new CFL's at all then. You can get them in any light temperature you want and electronic ballasts don't' flicker or make any noise.
- GLJones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Several months ago we replaced all ~200 bulbs in our house with CFLs. We did have one ceiling fan that flickers (no dimmer either) with CFLs that we left an incandescent in. The following month, the weather was the same and we didn't have any real changes to our electricity usage but the electric bill dropped $40.
There is a slight warm-up time on some of the bulbs but once you get used to it, I prefer it. Doesn't hurt my eyes when I flip a light on in the dark.
Can't wait to see what they come up with on the LED front. -
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