Tuesday, December 27, 2011

CFL Fluorescent Light Bulbs: More Hype Than Value



The following is a very interesting article on the Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs written by Paul Wheaton the founder of Permies.com


Don't get all bent out of shape if you don't agree.  I think he brings up some very valid points.  An interesting read...


I used to like fluorescent lights and then I changed my mind.
As the years passed, I found more and more folks like me, and more and more reasons to be uncomfortable with fluorescent lights. When some people see that I don't use them, they try to tell me about how great they are. When I try to explain why I prefer incandescent, I nearly always get a dismissive wave - signaling that I am clearly a fool and whatever tripe I am about to utter is clearly not worth their time. This article represents a glimpse into that tripe.


If you leave all of the lightbulbs in your house on 24/7, then replacing all of the incandescent light bulbs in your house with CFL light bulbs will save you money. For people that typically leave lights off when not in use, it turns out that incandescent light is cheaper than fluorescent light - the exact opposite of what we have been told all these years. 
With a little knowledge, you can stop wasting money on CFLs. Both in the short term and the long term. The long term stuff includes tax issues and the toxicity tie-in which leads to superfund cleanups and medical bills. 
In a nutshell:

  • CFLs do not last as long as is claimed
  • Many CFLs provide 42% less light than claimed
  • CFLs put out 20% to 30% less light as they get older


With these three things alone, I will make a rock solid case of how incandescent lights are cheaper than CFL. But there's more:

  • CFLs are subsidized to make them appear cheaper
  • the toxicity of a CFL is downplayed
  • there are better ways to save electricity than fiddling with bulb type
  • There are incandescent bulbs that are claimed to last longer than fluorescents
  • There are new incandescents coming out that give off more light per watt





14 comments:

  1. I found more and more folks like me, and more and more reasons to be uncomfortable with fluorescent lights now after reading the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Find here best Solar LED & CFL Based Lantern Manufacturer in India, joint solar provides all energy related equipments in india, they also manufacturer all solar eqipments like, solar charge controller, solar led lanterns, solar led street lights etc. feel free to visit joint solar website.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with you. Thank you for sharing the update. It is interesting to have it discussed widely, so that we can gain more objective opinions. outdoor solar lights for walkway

    ReplyDelete
  4. Trucking Cube Provide best services like Rent cheap moving truck, Affordable moving, cheap moving trucks, Transport Service, House Moving Companies, International Freight Forwarders Cost etc. If you need this kind of services then contact Trucking Cube.

    Moving Truck For Rent
    Truck Transports Services

    ReplyDelete
  5. Excellent Blog! I would like to thank for the efforts you have made in writing this post. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. I wanted to thank you for this websites! Thanks for sharing. Great websites! Local Packers And Movers Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  6.  Siya International Secure and Best Packers and Movers in Mahasamund, have perfect and systematic planning that will make your local moving successful and ends up all in a cost-effective manner. Packers and Movers in Mahasamund provide boxes and bubble wraps for packing of clothes and loose items. House shifting transport provides in Mahasamund. We are a new breed of residential moving companies Mahasamund, working for you around the clock with one goal in mind-to be your single-source provider for your residential move.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi colleagues, nice piece of writing and pleasant arguments commented
    here, I am truly enjoying by these.
    This is very attention-grabbing, You’re an overly skilled blogger.
    I have joined your feed and sit up for in search of extra of your excellent post.
    Also, I have shared your site in my social networks
    Nice and very unique post…help for me….
    Thank you very much…
    섯다

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like this website its a master peace ! Glad I found this on google .
    I must say, as a lot as I enjoyed reading what you had to say, I couldn't help but lose interest after a while.
    성인웹툰

    ReplyDelete
  9. เราพร้อมดูแลชีวิตประชาชน ด้วย สล็อต Pg ทดลองเล่น สล็อต Pg เว็บไซต์เดียวจบ ครบทุกเกมส์ สล็อต Pg ยอดเยี่ยมเว็บผู้ให้บริการเกมส์ สล็อตออนไลน์ เกมยิงปลา คาสิโนออนไลน์ซุปเปอร์สล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  10. ezbet 24h ชั่วโมงคือการเดิมพันออนไลน์ที่ให้บริการตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง โดยเกมที่มีให้เล่นมีหลากหลายชนิด PG SLOT

    ReplyDelete
  11. เกมslotxo เป็นเกมที่มีผู้เล่นพึงพอใจเป็นลำดับต้นๆในบรรดาเกม สล็อตยอดนิยม PG SLOT ออนไลน์ทั้งสิ้น เพราะว่าเป็นเกมที่เล่นง่าย ทางเล่นไม่ซับซ้อน มีภาพรวมทั้งเสียงประกอบที่เหมือนจริง อีกทั้งได้โบนัสจากเกมหลายฟีเจอร์ แล้วหลังจากนั้นก็ที่พิเศษ

    ReplyDelete