[scottwww]

Conventional incandescent lamp bulbs will be going away.

The standard 100 watt bulb that puts out about 1,600 lumens will be banned by Jan. 1, 2012. Then next is the 75 watt bulb to be banned Jan. 1, 2013. "Finally" the 40 watt and 60 watt bulbs will be banned starting Jan. 1, 2014.

Need any of these cheap bulbs? Stock up before then, or they will be treated like drug smuggling.

Since the government can control the amount of water used in a toilet flush or the amount of flow from the shower head, it makes sense they can control power consumption from bulbs. There is a difference in that energy efficient bulbs cost more... significantly more. A flow-restrictor for a shower head is extremely cheap. And toilets don't get replaced very often, so the cost for those is essentially once, and as far as I know, a low flow toilet is not more expensive to buy than a water hogging toilet.

I am all for using less electricity. Hopefully a better lamp bulb will be invented that is produced cheaply enough and without the flicker of fluorescents to make it into a win-win situation.

In the meantime, I'll have to build up my bulb stash. I wouldn't want to have to buy from a black market.

link for details

[MadDog]

inb4csb

[JayKay335i]

The best prices for the energy saver bulbs can usually be found at walmart. I think it was due to some save the world campaign shit but they discount them. Haven't use a regular bulb in years. Saves me a fuck ton on my electricity bill. Also, havent had a single energy saver burn out.

[miiipilot]

CFLFTW

Soon to be LEDFTMFW

miiipilot

[JayKay335i]

I think we have a while yet for LED bulbs.

[scottwww]

I have bought many CFLs. They burn out too, but it takes longer. I haven't paid attention to any difference in cost for electricity. I don't use the CFLs where their ugly shape is unacceptable. Also my wife objects to the color of the light and complains about something difficult to describe. I guess it is an uncomfortable glare.

Also, my wife complains about the new toilets (I replaced them a couple years ago with low-flow models). She thinks they plug up easier than the old ones (they probably do). And making more flushes reduces the saving per flush. And she doesn't like the flow restrictor in the shower head. I shower without the water turned on to max flow (about 1/2). She can't shower without max water flow.

You would think I were the wacko environmentalist. But it is her and our kid who talk as if they are environmentalists. Yet, they both treat the lights and water about the same way... as if there were an inexhaustable supply.

[JayKay335i]

She sounds like a pain in the ass. CFLs and normal yellow incandescent bulbs have about the same color as far as I can see. You can get them in different colors and shit. I cant stand that "natural" sunlight flourescent color. Currently all I have are ikea lamps and florescent in the ceiling so I cant complain about the looks.

[scollins]

I'm done, DONE with CFL's. I can't fucking stand them:
1.) they are slow to warm up to full brightness. Yes, the newest ones are better, but still not "instant on" like incand.
2.) they barely seem able to last even half of the claimed lifetime, not even 25%. Supposed to last 7 years?? Then why have I replaced most in my house (5.5 years old) 3 times or more?
3.) How am I saving money with supposed "longer life" CFLs when they cost 5 to 7 times more, but only last maybe twice as long?
4.) Most of my bulbs are now back to incand. My electricity bill seems to be the same. Where were the savings?
5.) I've had a few CFLs burn out with scorch marks on the base. I'm certain they weren't that far from starting a fire (holy shit!!)
6.) You can't just throw out a CFL (mercury), and with the rate I was having to replace them, Hazmat runs were getting out of hand.
7.) Dimmer switches plus CFLs = No Go.

So about 6 months ago, I stopped replacing the CFLs with new CFLs, and went back to the "enviro-killer" bulbs. I guess I'll have to start stocking up on them.

LEDs may be an option at some point, but I'm still gunshy after my CFL experience to drop the coin on them....

[scottwww]

Just thought of a new campaign slogan:

Be a tight-watt.

Or where it won't fit on one line abreviate to:

Be a twat.

[lux.sh]

I use candles..

[timmahh]

I started installing the $50 replacement LED inserts for recessed lights from Home Depot, kinda has the blue-hue to it but overall it's good bright lighting and easy to install.. and not a shitty CFL.

[JayKay335i]

With Samsung starting to make LED bulbs and using all in house components, as well as other companies hopping on the band wagon, it would be retarded to start replacing bulbs with $50 LEDs now when the market will soon be flooded and prices will drastically drop

[Vanity]

Originally Posted by scottwww

I have bought many CFLs. They burn out too, but it takes longer. I haven't paid attention to any difference in cost for electricity. I don't use the CFLs where their ugly shape is unacceptable. Also my wife objects to the color of the light and complains about something difficult to describe. I guess it is an uncomfortable glare.

Also, my wife complains about the new toilets (I replaced them a couple years ago with low-flow models). She thinks they plug up easier than the old ones (they probably do). And making more flushes reduces the saving per flush. And she doesn't like the flow restrictor in the shower head. I shower without the water turned on to max flow (about 1/2). She can't shower without max water flow.

You would think I were the wacko environmentalist. But it is her and our kid who talk as if they are environmentalists. Yet, they both treat the lights and water about the same way... as if there were an inexhaustable supply.

Looks like you won't make it as a hippie.

[scottwww]

Originally Posted by Vanity

Looks like you won't make it as a hippie.

I haven't been a hippie since the 70s and early 80s.

[NYCGP]

CFL's are a scam to make me money... I tell all of my friends and the eco-enthusiasts how stupid they are for buying into this garbage. They are so costly to dispose of.. Before e-waste recycling laws were enforced they ended up in landfills. These bulbs have dangerous amounts of mercury. Your old bulb had none. Now we have created a brand new source of mercury into our waste streams that never existed before.

But hey, the polar bears are stranded on flowing ice chunks right? right?

[bogdan]

Originally Posted by NYCGP

CFL's are a scam to make me money... I tell all of my friends and the eco-enthusiasts how stupid they are for buying into this garbage. They are so costly to dispose of.. Before e-waste recycling laws were enforced they ended up in landfills. These bulbs have dangerous amounts of mercury. Your old bulb had none. Now we have created a brand new source of mercury into our waste streams that never existed before.

But hey, the polar bears are stranded on flowing ice chunks right? right?

They're expensive, but it fills some void/need for some of these insipid people to feel like they're doing some "good." The average consumer has about a 6 month memory when it comes to purchased products, so buying new expensive bulbs every 3 years is acceptable becuase they come with new and improved eco-friendly packaging.

[MadDog]

Expensive? Costco sells a four-pack of 60W CFLs for $.99 and 100W CFLs for $1.99.

Disposal? Easy. Home Depot recycles them for you for free, and the city also takes them.


No reason to not use CFLs.

[bogdan]

Originally Posted by MadDog

Expensive? Costco sells a four-pack of 60W CFLs for $.99 and 100W CFLs for $1.99.

Disposal? Easy. Home Depot recycles them for you for free, and the city also takes them.


No reason to not use CFLs.

<--- Feels stupid after seeing Costco prices. Most of the 4-packs in this area are at least $9 when shopping at Home Depot.

[rs6655]

Originally Posted by scottwww

Since the government can control the amount of water used in a toilet flush or the amount of flow from the shower head,

When I watch the news from the "city" and see them yapping about lawn watering restrictions I think "what hypocrites". Society accepts pouring thousands of gallons of water on poorly chosen ground cover but bitches about shower heads. That makes no sense at all.

I live in the country and have my own water well and septic (no water or sewer bill). I have too much property to water so I'm careful to only plant drought resistant grass which for me is Pensacola bahiagrass. Most folks plant St Augustine grass which needs regular watering.

I've essentially rerouted a tiny fraction of what it would take to water my grass through my shower heads. Both of my shower head restrictors are drilled out and I take awesome showers.

[NYCGP]

Originally Posted by MadDog

Expensive? Costco sells a four-pack of 60W CFLs for $.99 and 100W CFLs for $1.99.

Disposal? Easy. Home Depot recycles them for you for free, and the city also takes them.


No reason to not use CFLs.

That is because you live in San Francisco. They have 1 company which handles commercial, residential, salvage, recycling, etc. Most other places in the country don't have that luxury of a monopoly to service their city.

To give you a little idea of how much it costs to dispose of CFLs normally...

http://www.lamprecycling.com/store/p...s.aspx?id=6752


It is not cheap either to dispose of them from the recycling standpoint either. It requires a $500,000 - $750,000 machine, hundreds of thousands of dollars in EPA and DEP permits. You need an obscene amount of space and ventilation units. The amount of energy required simply to dispose of the bulbs is mind boggling. Compared to the cost of disposing of a little bit of metal filament and glass. But whatever keeps the tree huggers happy..

Personally, I care more about illegal dumping and such. Energy conservation is a bit short sighted. They never take into account the cost and energy expense of dealing with their new energy saving or cleaning burning contraptions.

[scollins]

Originally Posted by MadDog

Expensive? Costco sells a four-pack of 60W CFLs for $.99 and 100W CFLs for $1.99.

Disposal? Easy. Home Depot recycles them for you for free, and the city also takes them.


No reason to not use CFLs.

I think the local CA electric utilities offer instant in-store rebates to get to those prices. I have not seen them that cheap at Costco around here.

[MadDog]

Originally Posted by NYCGP

That is because you live in San Francisco. They have 1 company which handles commercial, residential, salvage, recycling, etc. Most other places in the country don't have that luxury of a monopoly to service their city.

To give you a little idea of how much it costs to dispose of CFLs normally...

http://www.lamprecycling.com/store/p...s.aspx?id=6752


It is not cheap either to dispose of them from the recycling standpoint either. It requires a $500,000 - $750,000 machine, hundreds of thousands of dollars in EPA and DEP permits. You need an obscene amount of space and ventilation units. The amount of energy required simply to dispose of the bulbs is mind boggling. Compared to the cost of disposing of a little bit of metal filament and glass. But whatever keeps the tree huggers happy..

Personally, I care more about illegal dumping and such. Energy conservation is a bit short sighted. They never take into account the cost and energy expense of dealing with their new energy saving or cleaning burning contraptions.

I don't live in the city, I live in what they call the "South Bay". I know other parts of the country aren't as environmental or recycle conscious as CA. Is this a good reason to move to CA??