RIP 100 watt bulbs

[Ole Juul]

Anybody else getting compact fluorescents stuffed down their throat? In a few situations I actually like them, but generally, what a farce this whole CFL thing is. I just wrote an article about it.

Where I live, we started the year with a "ban" on 100 and 75 watt incandescent light bulbs. Retailers are not allowed to re-order when their stocks run out. Apart from the non-science, bad math, approach to this whole thing, we have an interesting situation where I live. We have winter. In fact it goes below freezing about 8 months of the year. Right now it is warming up a bit and it's up to about minus 14°C tonight. For my American friends, I think our weather can be compared to Minnesota.

There are two things which are different in colder and rural areas. One, we use 100 watt bulbs to keep pumps and other water equipment from freezing. That is traditional and time proven. Heat tape doesn't heat a small area and doesn't give light. We will have to find a different solution such as a heat lamp which is typically 300 watts. The other problem is quite severe lowering of light output of CFLs when cold, and sometimes very short lifespan. I haven't done any real measurements, but intuitively I would say that we actually get more light for less electrical use over any given time when we use incandescents outside. At least for 8 months of the year. They always specify light output when new, but CFLs get progressively dimmer, so IMO, they should specify the area under the curve.

In order to get one that is good and has the light colour that I like, I have to buy half a dozen and then chose one. I'm not sure about the economics of that, but I guess I could ask a politician to do the math for me. lol There is no labeling for temperature, colour, light output over time, or anything which one might need. Couple that with an inability to buy the same device twice in a row, and it's a crap shoot. Anyway, for outside use they are completely inadequate. I need a bulb which will last more than two months and give out enough light to see by. Actually a 15 watt incandescent gives about the same brightness as a 12 watt CFL when it is cold, so I don't see any advantage in paying 4 times as much to gain 20% advantage in electrical usage.

[Detonate]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

I got my granddaughter an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. This is a toy oven that allows a young child to actually prepare and cook simple recipes. The oven requires a 100w bulb to operate. I am going to look for one today. Hope I can find one. I'll probably buy several if I find them. The other places I need incandescent bulbs are my garage and front porch lights. As OJ noted, CFL's just don't work well when located in cold areas. When I turn on the light in my garage or on the front porch I need light now, I don't want to wait for it. Although incandescents have not been outlawed here, they are getting harder and harder to find in the stores.

[ardvark71]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

Hi Ole...

Is this a new provincial (BC) requirement or was it passed down by Parliament for all of Canada? Here in the U.S. we haven't faced such restrictions, at least yet. More laws and regulations in the name of saving the environment.

Regards...

[Snowhog]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

In 2007, Congress passed, and the President signed into Law, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub.L. 110-140).

"Incandescent lights
Under the law, incandescent bulbs that produce 310–2600 lumens of light are effectively phased out between 2012 and 2014. Bulbs outside this range (roughly, light bulbs currently less than 40 watts or more than 150 watts) are exempt from the ban. Also exempt are several classes of speciality lights, including appliance lamps, "rough service" bulbs, 3-way, colored lamps, and plant lights.[23]
The phase-out of incandescent light bulbs was supported by the Alliance to Save Energy, a coalition of light bulb manufacturers, electric utilities and conservation groups. The group estimated that lighting accounts for 22% of total U.S. electricity usage, and that eliminating incandescent bulbs completely would save $18 billion per year (equivalent to the output of 80 coal plants).[24] Light bulb manufacturers also hoped a single national standard would prevent the enactment of conflicting bans and efficiency standards by state governments."

Boiling a frog is easy, as long as you raise the heat very gradually. In the case the Government, an outright ban on the incandescent light bulb would have been a very hard sell, if it could have been sold at all. But, imposing 'standards' on their manufacture is 'okay' as it doesn't say you can't make them, you just have to make them 'more efficient.' Of course, the standards imposed can't be met, so the effect is the same as a ban, but in this way, the electorate/consumer is permitted to 'believe' instead that it's the 'Evil Corporate Body' that just doesn't want to spend the resources to comply with the standards, and of course, do so without raising the price of the resultant product.

I'm proud to be an American, in that I was born in America, and the idea of what America was instituted to be by our Founding Fathers. However, our Federal Government has become that which our Founding Fathers feared - to large, to powerful, and to over-reaching into affairs it has no business being in.

[ardvark71]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

I'm proud to be an American, in that I was born in America, and the idea of what America was instituted to be by our Founding Fathers. However, our Federal Government has become that which our Founding Fathers feared - to large, to powerful, and to over-reaching into affairs it has no business being in.

I completely agree and to be quite frank, I believe our nation is in the process of reaping the consequences of its sin and abandoning God and what He has instructed in His Word.

I stand corrected on the light bulb legislation, I didn't even know it was already on the books. I find it odd that President Bush would sign such an act that included this provision.

Regards...

[GreyGeek]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

For all those needing a replacement for the heat generated by a 100W incandescent light bulb I offer the 100W Resistor for only $13.95.

But, you might be able to get a carton of 24 100W incandescent light bulbs for just $12.45 (that's 50 cents apiece!) from here, but I don't think they will last long at that price.

[GreyGeek]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

....
I'm proud to be an American, in that I was born in America, and the idea of what America was instituted to be by our Founding Fathers. However, our Federal Government has become that which our Founding Fathers feared - to large, to powerful, and to over-reaching into affairs it has no business being in.

+1

I forgot, did we have a mind-meld in the recent past?

[Snowhog]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

I forgot, did we have a mind-meld in the recent past?

"Remember." (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

[GreyGeek]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

....
The other problem is quite severe lowering of light output of CFLs when cold, and sometimes very short lifespan.
....

We put a yellow "60W" CFL on our front porch two years ago. I had to replace it last fall, after 18 months and two winters. It's my job to "whiz-poo" our little 9 lb miniature Toy Poodle on her two or three nightly relief walks. When it is cold out side, below 40F, she gets done with her business, her sniffing around and answering her dog-mail before that light gets bright enough to illuminate her activities. This week been at or below 0F and that light barely appears to be on. IF I leave it on all night it is very bright when she does her business, but leaving it on for 8 to 10 hours at night defeats the purpose of using CFLs, since the incandescent bulbs I turned on for only 5 minutes at a time.
CFL = 14W X 10 H = 140 W-H.
Incandescent = 100W x (3/12)H = 25 W-H
As far as my dog is concerned her needs consume 5.6 times as much power using CFLs.
No savings there.

Before 1999, but I am not sure exactly when, I installed a 75W flood lamp on my back porch with a motion sensor controlling it. I've never had to replace it and it turns on only when needed. IF a CFL were used instead (they sell at Sams for about $19-25) and the weather was cold the person which triggered the IR detector would have time to do what they wanted to do and be long gone before the lamp would get bright enough to see them, and would never scare them away because they could see it turn on and slowly brighten up.

Lights and spotlights with LEDs are another thing. They are on instantly and have a LONG mean-time between failure. I ordered a Ray-O-Vac flashlight that uses a single 3W LED and is powered by two AA Lithium batteries. They will power the light for 2 hours before the light begins to dim. That $25 flashlight sends a beam powerful enough to read by at 120 feet. Best flashlight I've ever owned. I keep about a dozen rechargeable Lithium ion batteries on hand because most of my electronic devices (tooth brush, TV controls, USB Mice, IR Temp gun, etc...) use them.

[GreyGeek]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

I forgot, did we have a mind-meld in the recent past?

"Remember." (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

Ah, yes.... It was your fingers I felt?

[Snowhog]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

Funny! Best laugh I've had today!

[Detonate]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

Just got back from Wal-Mart. Bought two packages of 100w GE bulbs for $1.24 a package. Four bulbs in each package. The aisle were the bulbs are kept is now about 90% CFL. You really have to look for the small amount of shelf space dedicated to incandescent bulbs. I am going to stock up every time I go to the store before they disappear altogether.

[Ole Juul]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

For all those needing a replacement for the heat generated by a 100W incandescent light bulb I offer the 100W Resistor for only $13.95.

That's 100W dissipation ability. Nice resistor btw. It's for audio testing and I would have loved to have a pair of those some years back. However, if you plug it into residential wiring in North America, then 8 ohms will draw 15 amps. IOW 1800 watts. I wonder what that smells like.

But, you might be able to get a carton of 24 100W incandescent light bulbs for just $12.45 (that's 50 cents apiece!) from here, but I don't think they will last long at that price.

Fifty cents apiece is a normal price in my part of the world. I'm going to stock up though. I always do anyway, because when I see clear bulbs I grab them because they are hard to get. I've also been worried about not having continuous spectrum lighting in the future.

I actually don't use a lot of 100 watt incandescensts. There are a couple of places where they are indispensable. One is on a trouble light. I don't suppose a politician would ever fix anything. After all you don't get into politics if you have basic life skills. The thing with trouble lights is they get knocked about. And like I mentioned in my article, you won't be able to use a CFL near food or water. Presumable the politicians have a replacement in mind for someone working on their well or pump house.

My preference for most fixtures is 25 and 40 watt incandescent. I used to like getting 15 watt full envelope medium base bulbs. Those were popular with old folks in the days when people were concerned with electricity consumption. The large envelope and low heat made them last for many years. Now however, most stores only carry 60 and 100 watt bulbs and even 25 watters have been difficult to find in recent years. It's funny how people want a technological solution to everything nowadays. It's almost as if they don't want any solution that would not benefit big industry. Presumably they are being influenced by outside forces like advertising and aren't really themselves - the word zombie comes to mind. lol

Outside of a skewed perspective of lighting, there are many other problems with CFLs. They give off too much ultraviolet for use near valuables like in a living room. Of the many I've see over the last couple of years, none of them have a suitable colour either. There is too much blue in them and I can't focus, let alone see stuff properly. Not having a continuous spectrum makes them toys as far as most home use is concerned. There is no way to judge colour in books, paintings and other stuff that I might want to look at. Presumably the TV watching proletariat won't notice unless the set goes off. lol Ah, I get so sarcastic when it comes to stuff like this!

[Ole Juul]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

Regarding the slow turn on that GG mentions. One of the first CFLs I got was about 5 years ago and I stuck it in the bedroom. I love yellow lights and that's what this was. Since we get huge amounts of bugs in the summer, this seemed like a good fit. It didn't work, but neither did I get around to replacing it for a while.

The funny thing is that it took me 2 weeks to discover that it did work! Every time I walked into the room I would automatically flick the switch, and seeing that nothing happened, just turn it off again. This happened for about two weeks while I didn't get around to replacing it. One day I left the switch on for some reason. And lo and behold, after about 2 seconds the light came on! Sheesh!

[kjjjjshab]

Re: RIP 100 watt bulbs

I worry more about LED lights ending up everywhere ... I am very sensitive to the flicker and they drive me absolutely crazy.

But yeah +1 to fed-out-of-control.