Light Bulbs

[BreakingBad]

I don't know about you guys, but I've noticed those Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL's) don't last for the years and years they are supposed to.

Matter of fact, I've been having to change those things in my house left and right.  They cost 5 times more than the incandescent bulbs and last half as long, and we have to buy them now.

What a crock.   

[Nefarious]

You're right, They are horrible for lighting and they are filled with deadly Mercury. Have you read the instructions on how to clean them up if they break in your home? And just think, they all go to the landfills when they die.

I still buy regular bulbs when I can find them, I've got a nice little collection.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Same thing with the 'energy saving' halogen bulbs. They cost almost 10x more but last only 50% of the duration. Still they're miles better than the horrible fluorescent lamps - I refuse to use them in my house. They're ok for outside lighting at most.

[rabbidrabbit]

Not to mention low use spots like closets where you want light but only once in a great while for a short period of time.  How the heck is it green friendly to use fluorescent that only gets used less than an hour per year? How is it saving me any money?  Idealism and reality, they occasionally cross paths.

[Easyscor]

The electrical and lighting industries did a terrible job educating customers about CF bulbs.
If you don't leave them off for at least ten minutes after turning them off, it drastically shortens the bulbs life.

Mute point now really. Most people hate them for the same reason as the OP.

The future is in LED bulbs. Far more efficient, and last years without the drawbacks of CF.

The LEDs are also considered hazardous waste and both bulb types need to be disposed of properly. Try your local Homedepot for their disposal program.

Incandescent bulbs are being banned in California because of their energy use. You'll be next. 

[uptown]

I just replaced every light fixture in my house a couple months ago (had a fire) and in doing so I bought several boxes of these high dollar bulbs. We hate them. The light is very dim, and that is with 2 in each light fixture. Not only that, we have dimmer switches in the dining room and living room and these bulbs will not work with dimmers.....they just flash off and on.  Thankfully they still have the old style bulbs out there. 

Which brings me to the question: will this mean the end of dimmer switches in the future also?

[Copprhed]

I manage and maintain an apartment community, and I find the OP's statement to be false. First, at Lowes you can get 6 60watt equivalent bulbs for under 4 dollars. Once I put one in a fixture, except for rare occasions, I forget about them for at least one year, if not longer. No, you can get compact florescents for use with dimmers.

[Randy1]

I buy my bulbs here.  I still use the kind Edison designed.

http://www.1000bulbs.com/?gclid=CIbZ9fHgk7UCFQPOnAod4UEAlw

[Babalonian]

I don't like the light from CFLs but I like Incandescents (but they do suck up the power, like a lot) and LEDs.  LEDs are the way to go for the future I think.

[uptown]

I manage and maintain an apartment community, and I find the OP's statement to be false. First, at Lowes you can get 6 60watt equivalent bulbs for under 4 dollars. Once I put one in a fixture, except for rare occasions, I forget about them for at least one year, if not longer. No, you can get compact florescents for use with dimmers.

I thought they probably did.... or at least I hoped they did. But I looked all over Menards the next day and damned if I could find any.  As far as the dimness, they seem to get brighter the longer you have them on. And I do have to say that a lot of the dimness issues we have can be blamed on our light globes as they are a smokey brown color.Which by design cuts down on the light I guess.

We have noticed a reduction in our electric bill by almost a 3rd.

[MarineUS]

[Rondar]

    If that was my wife i would keep some bad bulbs around and put in some bad ones once in a while 

[pembquist]

I've moved over to CF bulbs and they seem to work fine and last longer. They come in different color temperatures which can be confusing because they are not always clearly labeled.  A hotter color temperature is actually a colder light.  I talked to a GE rep and asked him why anybody wants the bluer lights and he said that in S America everybody prefers the bluer light.  My neighbor likes the bluer light, I hate it. Anyway one advantage my aging eyes have found is that I can put bulbs that are the equivalent to 100watt incandescents into fixtures that would be scortched otherwise.  They also take longer to warm up to full brightness unless you buy the more expensive instant on variety.

[CAP1]

I don't know about you guys, but I've noticed those Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL's) don't last for the years and years they are supposed to.

Matter of fact, I've been having to change those things in my house left and right.  They cost 5 times more than the incandescent bulbs and last half as long, and we have to buy them now.

What a crock.   

 i can't stand em. the light they make annoys me. i did see an LED light, and it was cheap, so i tried it. so far, i love it........

[Dago]

There are special dimmer switches for CF bulbs.