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Poll - CFL lights
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Do you like them?
[Poll]
[Poll]
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Re: Poll - CFL lights
SS -- We started replacing our regular bulbs with CFL's, but I'm going to switch back because:
a. I hate the light they produce.
b. They burn out way too fast. Faster than standard bulbs in my experience.
c. They are toxic to dispose of, not to mention a PITA if you do it properly.
I admit - not a fan. We have some outside, which of course don't go on right away because they have to warm up. We also have some dimmable ones downstairs that quite literally scare me. First of all, they flash when there on anything but the highest setting, which makes them pointless, and secondly, we've had to replace several, even though we've only had them since I was pg with DS (so about 2 years). In addition, I've witnessed two go out and release some sort of puff of who knows what toxic materials, which 100% freaks me out. I kind of want those out of my house, I hate to say it. I'm just worried about what they're releasing and would rather have non-EF, but dimmable lights in there that aren't off gassing who knows what.
I'll admit - we have one or two here and there in the rest of the house, and the normal ones I'm ok with - not a huge fan w/ their coloring, but don't hate them like the outside & downstairs ones.
porque?
I'll keep them around but I have a variety of reasons to not use them.
I've actually removed them from all the rooms I was using them in because the color that they cast (even the soft white ones) appeared green to me.
Also, the quality of the light isn't as pleasing.
And, the general consensus from a lighting class that I took is that they really aren't as great as they are cracked up to be.
Sorry, I hit post on accident.
They also burn out quickly if turned on or off more than once a day. They are designed to be on for 12 hours at a time.
I have an LED bulb in the hallway lamp, & so far, I like it. It's frosted so that the light is soft and not glaring. It's the "warm white" color, not the LED blue that makes you crazy. DH bought it, & when I saw what he paid, I about died. It's the "tester" bulb for us.
Also, for all you PA residents, a light bulb factory in St Mary's is going to produce toxin free light bulbs that meet the new guidelines. They start production in May!
I wonder if it has anything to do w/ old or new wiring or tendency to get surges? I think the dimming/fashes that the dimming creates has been one of the reasons we've had SO many issues, so maybe if your house is prone to power surges they wear out that much faster? (have no idea...)
I don't mind them. We have them in like 30% of the house. Pre-remodel I would say they were in 90% of the house but with each room remodel the contractor installed classic style bulbs free of charge without even mention - and I am kind of glad because I prefer the lighting.
I haven't had trouble with CFL's dying early, excpet when outside. Inside, even at bedside and table lamps I find they last forever. The one in the hallway bathroom I put in there five years ago and it's still kicking. That used to be our only bathroom so the light got plenty of use.
We have CFL's in our outdoor lights (which are on for often over 16 hours/day b/c we're the entrance to the neighborhood and I hate the house being dark), and we've replaced 2 of the 4 lights in the past 3 years.
We take them to Home Depot to recycle or properly dispose of them when they burn out.
I have a CFL floodlight in my kitchen lights (only one so far b/c the builder installed lights from 4 years ago are still going strong), and it takes a while to heat up, but I like how bright it is. We've had that light for over 8 months and it's turned on/off MULTIPLE times a day without problems.
I'm just afraid if one ever breaks. But we've got them, so we'll use what we have and reassess at that time.
My Three Sons
#1: 2.06 #2: 1.08 #3: 9.10
DS #3 diagnosed at birth with panhypopituitarism - lack of pituitary function. He is treated with thyroxine, hydrocortisone, growth hormone and testosterone.
Our house was built in 2003, but our area (rural) is HIGHLY prone to surges, brownouts, and power outages. That, and we have little monsters who think it's fun to flip light switches. Perhaps that has something to do with it?
And mine is over 100...
we were using some on a dimmer switch as well and got some funky issues like you're talking about. at some point, i read that you aren't supposed to use CFLs on a dimmer switched so that is one place where i don't use them anymore. not EF I guess but i do feel safer!
Big E (6) & Little E (2.5)
This.
I really want to love them but I can't afford to have them in our house when they're 3-5x the cost of incandescents and they burn out 3-4 weeks after I've replaced them. My regular bulbs last months or YEARS.
Hate hate hate.
1. They do NOT last as long as advertised. Ours seem to burn out super fast.
2. Hate the light they produce.
3. The delay is irritating (although that has improved a lot in the last 5 years)
4. Diposal sucks.
5. Top reason is that here in MN, where we heat the house 8 months out of the year, durnig those 8 months there really isn't an environmental advantage to them, since the heat produced by regular bulbs just goes to heat the house.
These are specifically dimmable CFL's, so they SHOULD dim... Very expensive, but, fortunately (kinda) they are replaced for shipping when they don't last the full 5 years, so the 4 or more that we've had to replace have just been to ship the old one back.
We use them basically everywhere except for fixtures that have traditional flourescent bulbs (tubes and don't get me started on how those suck.)
I learned from my old apt. that they don't last as long when they are in a completely enclosed fixture- say something like this:
I had 2 light fixtures like this in my old apt. and probably had to replace the CFL's annually over the 5 yrs I lived in my apt.
In our house all of the light fixtures are more open, get more air circulation then that style fixture and the house had at least 3 CFLs in fixtures when we moved in and they are still chugging along 2 yrs later no issue.
We live like 2 miles from a Home Depot and you can drop them off there for recycling. Also the prices on them has dropped a lot and HD has a good selection of different "color" CFLs- most of ours cast a very warm tone, no green or blue at all.
The only one I don't remember ever having to replace is the only one in a closed fixture. The ones that most often go are in ceiling cans, so open at the bottom.
Do you think those cans get hot?
Perhaps - but there's not much around the cans (no insulation, not even a covered ceiling - just in between boards w/ plenty of air flow) so if it is getting overheated, despite the fact that CFL's are supposed to stay cooler and the fact that there is premium space in between them and anything else - it'd still be considered a design flaw in my book.