Compact Florescent Light Bulbs Gone Wild!

reply to post by usernamehere


your welcome..

I hope everyone here watches it too..

I live in the northern part of the USA. The wasted energy of the lightbulb is in the form of heat and we need heat about 8 months of the year. Spring and fall we need it in the early night when the lights are on. Replacing them with the fluorescents will just make the furnace run more and the furnace also has a blower and takes electricity. Most houses have had their furnaces sized taking in consideration the energy given off by normal activities to get the best efficiency from the unit. Change the formula too much and you may have a furnace that is too small. Up north the summer days are long and we don't use lights that much till it gets dark. I can see fluorescent bulbs used in the south where there is a need for airconditioning and the heat causes extra cooling energy costs, but the law has major flaws to it's logic in these northern states. I guess you can't expect too much of those overeducated idiots in charge.

You have to consume whatever they distribute to your area. Safety may not be the driving factor of the why they are making non incandescent light bulbs. If a company can afford to lobby fat-cats in Washington DC they can make these new bulb markets. They are passed off as being green and energy efficient, meanwhile being highly volatile in comparison to incandescent bulbs.

Some states still make or carry the old bulbs though. I agree that the simplistic old style is still just as usable. They cast different types of lights too. The banning in most places seems misplaced.

Has anyone heard anything negative about LED bulbs other than low light output?

reply to post by liejunkie01


on the point of the bulbs lasting longer,

there are bulbs created by hand by thomas edison that have been lit or turned on to this very day, one is in the thomas edison musuem,

its a well known fact to those who can do alittle research that incandescant bulbs can be crafted to last many many many years,

they are intentionaly designed to burn out in a year to keep you buying more,

www.youtube.com...



^ 4 minutes in shows a lightbulb thats been lit for over 110 years

It is so weird that I just read this. Literally, just about 5 minutes ago, I had that exact same thing happen. Luckily I am still awake as it happened to a bulb that was in a light that is left on at all times unless we leave the house.

I'm sitting here reading on ATS (though a different thread at the time) and I hear this electrical fizzing noise, I look over at the light and it was on fire. Not just smoking or anything, full out on fire. It isn't a problem of old wiring, either. The wiring is only 5 years old. I hate these lights and miss the old incandescent bulbs. The multitude of problems that I've had with them far outweigh the convenience of them lasting a little bit longer. This is the first time that I've had one actually on fire, but there have been many instances where the light starts spewing smoke before burning out, prompting a frantic mad dash sprint to the other end of the room to get to the switch as quickly as possible. They give me bad headaches and bother my eyes, so I really don't appreciate that aspect of them, either.

I'm not sensitive to them like some people, but I definitely have sympathy for those who are sensitive to the CFL lights. I would go crazy having to deal with more than just the headaches and how they bother my eyes. Frankly, they seem to be more trouble than they are worth.

Take care,
Cindi

reply to post by Glencairn

I'm glad you are OK

Reply to post by pryingopen3rdeye

I see that and look at my new CFL's less than a month old burning out around me (7-10 years my ass) and it really gets my goat.

I haven't had a CFL yet that made it one year.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by nkultra
Has anyone heard anything negative about LED bulbs other than low light output?

LED's actually have higher light output for the same watts going in than fluorescent and incandescent, they just cost more. The cheap led bulbs don't put much light out, although they don't consume much energy either. You need to get the higher power led bulbs, like cree.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


I agree, I seem to be buying light bulbs at least every two to three months now and they are a lot more expensive than the old bulbs used to be, their light is ineffective especially as the eyes get weaker as I grow older.
I gave up even trying to read at night to avoid straining my eyes until a friend gave me a rechargeable LED bedlamp which has a solar powered charger and it's excellent! Has three different levels of light and a couple of hours charge lasts longer than I can use in one night!
S&F

Originally posted by Freezer

Originally posted by nkultra
Has anyone heard anything negative about LED bulbs other than low light output?

LED's actually have higher light output for the same watts going in than fluorescent and incandescent, they just cost more. The cheap led bulbs don't put much light out, although they don't consume much energy either. You need to get the higher power led bulbs, like cree.

What you need to do is get a bunch of tiny LED's and put them all together, some of the brightest torches I own are LED torches like that, and they run off a few batteries and last for ages. The small LEDs I'm talking about are like less than a dollar each, you don't need one huge expensive LED. The LED bulbs (with a bunch of small LEDs) shouldn't be so expensive, although I think they require a small transformer, but then again I'm pretty sure CFL's need a small transformer in them too.

reply to post by wiser3

I agree, I seem to be buying light bulbs at least every two to three months now and they are a lot more expensive than the old bulbs used to be, their light is ineffective especially as the eyes get weaker as I grow older.

Well all of my CFL's are easily lasting more than a year. I would start asking questions about the frequency of the electrical grid and stuff like that, I remember reading that some cities in the US were messing around with the frequency of the power grid and a lot of people have already started reporting problem with all sorts of electrical devices.

Incandescent bulbs have such high mercury content, you are advised to leave the room for 15 minutes if one breaks. As another poster said, it's worse to inhale than to ingest.

Thanks for taping that, but next time, save yourself ok? (mercury builds up in the brain, can never be removed, and leads eventually to insanity).

i worked in the lighting industry for 8 years,and we only dealt with florurescent fixtures.
the problem with this style lamp is that it is self ballested. heat builds up and blows the lamp.
the better cfl lamps have a seperate ballast. it looks as though you may have had a power surge.
the smell was probably phosphorous.
L.E.D. lighting is still kinda new,and quite expensive! you can get them at an electical wholesale centre, and one to replace a 60 watt bulb will run around $50.
hope your family and home are ok

Originally posted by Glargod
reply to post by nkultra

 

Nothing like a good old light bulb. take a 40W incandescent bulb and voila let there be light

seriously though, have you noticed that the old bulbs are a little tricky to find in stores? They are harmless (unless you unscrew one after it just burnt, then ouch). No high frequencies, No mercury, no fuss starting up, no fire hazard... no problem...

go back to regular bulbs

i heard that regular light bulbs were being "banned" so that people could purchase the CFL ones. i guess stock up on regular light bulbs while you can.

-subfab

reply to post by nkultra


Thanks, to you, too. While I hate that it happened to you, I'm happy that I am not the only to experience this. It is scary!

I also haven't had one last for more than a few months before needing to be replaced. It can't be blamed on old wiring and it isn't that I turn them on and off constantly to shorten their lifespans, but there isn't a single room in my house that has had one last for more than a whole year.

I really dislike that you can't find regular old incandescent bulbs in the stores around here, either. At least not in most of them, I'm sure they aren't impossible to find yet, but it's getting that way. It disturbs me that my government thinks that I am so stupid that I can't even figure out which light bulbs I feel are the best for me and my family, enough that they have to go as far as to ban the use of incandescents.

Take care,
Cindi

reply to post by subfab


yes in fact if you read through this thread it has already been linked that a new law is set to take effect in 2014 banning them in america.

its realy sad that i may actualy go back to candles and lanterns like they used over 100 years ago, talk about moving backwards as a society, thomas edison is rolling in his grave. i shouldnt be forced to return to flame light for lack of an alternative to flourescent,

freedom and free market means we should have the choice to pick which type of bulb we want, if we as a society prefer flourescent then incandescant would be phased out simply for lack of demand, since they clearly had to make it a law to FORCE us to stop using them its obvious that we do not want to phase them out, but we arent left with the option, cause this is not a free country.

Planned Obsolescence (products designed to fail for maximum short term profit) is one of the downsides to a market driven economy.

Most of you scream FREE MARKET on here... then once confronted with one of its downsides you complain when it affects you negatively. (And yes I know no country is truly free market blablabla).

Not that I have anything against free markets, I'm just sayin..

I've had a cfl bulb "burn out" in a similar way. At least I think it was similar. I wasn't there while it was happening, I just came home to a bad smell and the bulb was out and the plastic base was browned, but not fully melted.

There's this stuff too...

Energy saving bulbs 'release cancer-causing chemicals', say scientists

20th April 2011

Energy saving bulbs emit cancer causing chemicals it was claimed last night as new fears were raised about their safety.
Scientists said they should not be left on for long periods of time or placed close to a person's head because they release poisonous materials...


...They should not be used by adults to read or kept near a child's head all night, the experts said.

While it is already known that harmful amounts of Mercury are released if one of the new 'green' bulbs is broken, the latest research shows other carcinogenic chemicals are emitted when they are switched on.

The German research shows that the chemicals are released as a form of steam

The harmful substances include phenol - a poison injected by the Nazis to kill thousands of concentration camp victims during World War II - and the human toxins naphthalene and styrene...

...Andreas Kirchner, from the Federation of German Engineers, said: 'Electrical smog develops around these lamps. I therefore use them only very economically. They should not be used in unventilated areas and definitely not in the proximity of the head.'

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on......Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment."
...the German scientists claimed that several carcinogenic chemicals and toxins were released when the environmentally-friendly compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were switched on, including phenol, naphthalene and styrene.

this one is a very interesting read, I won't quote any of it because I'll end up just quoting all of it...

A New Method of Poisoning Us With Radiation: 'High Efficiency' Light Bulbs

We switched to cfl's about 4 years ago. even brought them from our apartment and put them into the home we bought 3 years ago. I think I've replaced MAYBE 6 in 4 years. We use them in every single socket in the house. What I don't understand is why all the uproar over CFL's? Don't most of you people work/go to school or at least shop in places that have fluorescent lighting? You know those long tube bulbs that have been around for eons? Those are mercury vapor lights just like the CFL's.

Another thing to consider is yes, the sun gives off UV and can cause cancer. But, don't assume the UV output from a bulb is anywhere even close to what's coming through your windows in the daytime. I don't see how a CFL could be any worse than a sunny day or sitting at work under nothing but fluorescent lighting. Sorry, I'm not buying that your puny 15w mercury bulb is causing you crippling arthritic-type cramps or causing rashes that you wouldn't otherwise get from going outside. If there is a direct correlation then I wouldn't be looking at UV light as the culprit.

That 16:9 lady said "they refused to comment" - well if someone was asking me dumb questions I wouldn't comment either.

I agree that LED will be the way forward. CFL's are fine as long as you take them in to get recycled when they die (Most home improvement centers have bins for them.) Problem is, the general population doesn't give a damn about anything so they'll likely just toss them in the trash.