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America's Light Bulb Revolution

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21 March 2019, 10:13 AM
QuirtEvans
America's Light Bulb Revolution
https://www.nytimes.com/intera...%20and%20Environment
22 March 2019, 06:43 AM
Mikhailoh
Huge. But small. And natural. This is how emissions will be tackled.


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"A mob is a place where people go to get away from their conscience" Atticus Finch

22 March 2019, 12:00 PM
Amanda
Having looked (unsuccessfully) in four stores recently for what this article calls "Curly compact fluorescent bulbs ", I thought this article was going to highlight this market change.

(The stores, supermarkets and Walmart all told me they hadn't been carrying them for some time.)

I thought given the cost of LEDs (haven't fallen enough to suit me) this was because the fluorescents are so environmentally unfriendly. (AFAIK only Home Depot recycles - perhaps, past tense - recycled them). And if they break, there's all that mercury in your house.

How bulb types have morphed is a worthy topic, but I'm still surprised that there appears to be no discussion of the problems with the "curly" fluorescents (and have or haven't they been discontinued as those store clerks told me?)


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The most dangerous word in the language is "obvious"

22 March 2019, 12:02 PM
Steve Miller
quote:
Originally posted by Amanda:
Having looked (unsuccessfully) in four stores recently for what this article calls "Curly compact fluorescent bulbs ", I thought this article was going to highlight this market change.

(The stores, supermarkets and Walmart all told me they hadn't been carrying them for some time.)

I thought given the cost of LEDs (haven't fallen enough to suit me) this was because the fluorescents are so environmentally unfriendly. (AFAIK only Home Depot recycles - perhaps, past tense - recycled them). And if they break, there's all that mercury in your house.

How bulb types have morphed is a worthy topic, but I'm still surprised that there appears to be no discussion of the problems with the "curly" fluorescents (and have or haven't they been discontinued as those store clerks told me?)


You can still get curly fluorescents but not many people want them. They tend to cost more than LEDs and don't last as long.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

22 March 2019, 12:15 PM
QuirtEvans
And aren't quite as energy efficient. And the light's not quite as good.

But other than that ...
22 March 2019, 12:18 PM
Nina
LEDs are fantastic! I think they're worth the switch over, even if you have to do it on a schedule. They're really good for can lights embedded in high ceilings, because replacing them is a gigantic pita. We swapped those out immediately.
22 March 2019, 12:22 PM
Steve Miller
Amazon is a good source for low-priced LEDs. I buy a lot of lamps there, especially oddball sizes and shapes.

Anaheim Public Utilities (They have their own electric company) has just come out with a program where they partially subsidize the cost of LED lamps you buy at a Dollar Store and/or Habitat for Humanity. I haven't yet checked to see how much cheaper they are.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

22 March 2019, 12:23 PM
Steve Miller
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
And aren't quite as energy efficient. And the light's not quite as good.

But other than that ...


And they don't fit in a lot of light fixtures.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

22 March 2019, 12:26 PM
Amanda
Wow! LEDs seem a lot more costly than curly flourescents last I checked (quite some time, admittedly).

One weird thing I noticed bulb shopping (of course I ended up getting LEDs), at Walmart four 75 watt (equivalent) LEDs cost $4 +/- while four 100 watt (equivalent) LED's cost well over $20.

Besides lumens, the "100 watts" were dimmable. I certainly don't care enough to pay five times as much.

(And yes, THOSE LEDs were economical).


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The most dangerous word in the language is "obvious"

22 March 2019, 12:30 PM
QuirtEvans
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
And aren't quite as energy efficient. And the light's not quite as good.

But other than that ...


And they don't fit in a lot of light fixtures.


I just recently changed out some incandescents in ceiling cans for the best possible LEDs (at least, the best possible I could find, based on research, I think it was the GE Reveal line). They are MUCH more energy efficient. But even the warmest LEDs aren't as warm as incandescents, sadly.

It bothers me more at nighttime, when there's no outside light to soften the LEDs, but I put up with it.

As an aside, my true preference is for uplighting, but those cheapo black pole halogen uplights that I used for years are fire hazards.
22 March 2019, 12:33 PM
Steve Miller
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
I just recently changed out some incandescents in ceiling cans for the best possible LEDs (at least, the best possible I could find, based on research, I think it was the GE Reveal line). They are MUCH more energy efficient. But even the warmest LEDs aren't as warm as incandescents, sadly.


What color temperature was listed on the GE reveal lamps you used?

quote:
As an aside, my true preference is for uplighting, but those cheapo black pole halogen uplights that I used for years are fire hazards.


Google "LED torchiere". The price has come way down on these. No fire hazard.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

22 March 2019, 12:39 PM
Amanda
Aside, I LOVE solar outdoor lighting - especially the "warm" colored ones (hard to find). Now THAT's energy efficiency and so cheerful at night, especially when the power goes!

On my paths they look like fairy lights.


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The most dangerous word in the language is "obvious"

22 March 2019, 12:59 PM
RealPlayer
I love the LEDs but the one I put in my piano lamp sometimes bugs me. Either it's the bulb or the reflectivity of the paper, but my pencil markings seem to disappear. Maybe try another bulb.


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“It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person." -- Bill Murray

22 March 2019, 01:43 PM
QuirtEvans
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
I just recently changed out some incandescents in ceiling cans for the best possible LEDs (at least, the best possible I could find, based on research, I think it was the GE Reveal line). They are MUCH more energy efficient. But even the warmest LEDs aren't as warm as incandescents, sadly.


What color temperature was listed on the GE reveal lamps you used?



The warmest I could find. Mid to high 2000s, I think.

I’ve read that the problem is the tightness of the color spread. LEDs have a tight spread. Incandescent and natural light have a wider variation.
22 March 2019, 01:50 PM
Axtremus
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:

You can still get curly fluorescents but not many people want them. They tend to cost more than LEDs and don't last as long.
The fluorescents are more toxic too. I can throw a spent LED light bulb into regular trash, but have to bring fluorescents to a town designated collection point for proper disposal. Shrug


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www.PianoRecital.org -- my piano recordings -- China Tune album