Light Bulbs

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Look. I'm all about conserving energy. Our thermostat doesn't wander too far past sixty degrees in the winter or under eighty in the summer. We turn off lights in the house that aren't being used. And we use low-wattage bulbs.

But. These fluorescent bulbs are ugly. They're ugly. Everything caught under their light looks ugly. They're too bright. They make my head hurt. The light's too sterile or something. Even the shape, that damn corkscrew, looks ridiculous. Whenever I see them in a restaurant, I lose my appetite. Can't stand them.

Now, if LCD or LED lighting becomes cheap and mainstream, I'm all for it. But in the meantime, you can keep your fluorescents. Not every lamp or front porchlight needs to look like a fucking prisonbreak.

I mean seriously. Unless you're a marijuana plant or a disposed carburetor, are these energy-saving lights really something that's going to improve your quality of life?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:30 (eighteen years ago)

All I can say is I bought three for three lamps when I first moved into my place in January 2003 -- haven't replaced any of them. As for the ugliness of their light, maybe it's all down to the lampshade, but again, no problems.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:31 (eighteen years ago)

The problem I've always had with fluorescents -- and this led to my skipping half of high school and wearing prescription sunglasses for the rest -- is that long before they need to be replaced, they flicker almost unnoticeably, which triggers my migraines. I know some epileptics have the same trouble, it's not some unique quirk.

Of course, they could probably be replaced at that point and still be cost-effective, but in schools, offices, etc., you don't often see light bulbs replaced before they cease to provide light.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:35 (eighteen years ago)

I used to get the worst headaches at the Kinko's I worked at, and I'm convinced that it was due to all of the fluorescent lights.

I'm enough of a snob that I turned my nose up at a church that was using the new bulbs. Instead of a welcoming cavern of prayer, it looked more like a really big post office or something.

They're more annoying when they're installed in a ceiling fixture than behind a lampshade. That's when sitting in an easy chair at home starts feeling more like being stuck at the dentist's.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:45 (eighteen years ago)

I say we go back to gaslight.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:46 (eighteen years ago)

I should think it would be a lovely job, trotting around the city as the sun sets, lighting all the lamps. It'd be like a scene out of le Petit Prince.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:47 (eighteen years ago)

There are new fluorescents out that are the traditional frosted bulb shape - I've got them all over our house in the fixtures where the bulb is exposed. They take a few minutes to come up to color temperature, but the light's comparable to a frosted incandescent. Ballast technology for the bulb-shaped ones is different, so supposedly the flicker doesn't happen. The one thing I have noticed: the burgundy bath towels were suddenly deep purple (which I liked better) and I look more tan.

I'm also testing some LED bulbs, which are truly too focused, too stark, too blue-white.

And, our electric bill dropped by 20% once I got all the fluorescents in.

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:47 (eighteen years ago)

The compact fluorescents I have are exactly the color of sunlight.

― Paul Eater (eater), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:51 (eighteen years ago)

glad someone with actual lighting knowledge posted here. Jaq totally OTM - yes these save tons of electricity, classic problems with fluorescent flicker have long been resolved, etc.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:52 (eighteen years ago)

Ah, the casual hostility of ILE. By all means, let me light for you the path to a bag of dicks.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:58 (eighteen years ago)

Is it still the case that much electricity is wasted if you turn fluros on and off like you would tungstens?

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:58 (eighteen years ago)

Hahaha Tep.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:59 (eighteen years ago)

What brand of light do you have, Paul?

I'm only familiar with these:

http://usaled.com/userimages/nightlight-250.jpg

which is ASS.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:09 (eighteen years ago)

uh, there's way more than one brand/style of CFL. I've never seen that weird nightlight setup you got there.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:12 (eighteen years ago)

PP, those really are ick. I hate those curly ones.

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:16 (eighteen years ago)

They look like electrick pig tails, which should in theory look a lot cooler than that.

I haven't seen any CFL that looks like sunlight. I didn't mean that I've only seen ONE BRAND of that particular bulb. Just that I've only seen that color and brightness.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

dude if you plug a bare incadescent directly into a socket it looks like shit too.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:20 (eighteen years ago)

I don't remember what kind I have! GE maybe; they're curly like that. (The non-curly ones are too bulky to fit into my fixture.) It's not immediately obvious that it's the color of sun, but if you look at the surface it's shining on -- not at the bulb -- you can pretend you're under a skylight.

― Paul Eater (eater), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:27 (eighteen years ago)

Shakey can you take the "asshole" down a notch? It's just light bulbs.

― Allyzay doesnt get into the monkeys or vindications (allyzay), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:29 (eighteen years ago)

pot kettle black

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:31 (eighteen years ago)

Imagine what it's going to be like to go to an art gallery in California that's lit with fluorescent bulbs instead of incadescent. To me, it's just a lower quality of light as far as aesthetics go.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:34 (eighteen years ago)

I am familiar with the lighting strategies for art galleries (and believe me they don't involve incandescents)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:36 (eighteen years ago)

floros were my entire strategy for being carbon neutral. Fuck.

― don weiner (don weiner), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:36 (eighteen years ago)

Those aren't incandescent bulbs in the track lighting.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:37 (eighteen years ago)

Shakey is sales rep for GE Electric and I claim my $5.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:38 (eighteen years ago)

Okay, the ones we have are made by Sylvania. The corkscrew is tiny and hidden inside a standard frosted bulb. They come in cool, warm, and daylight. For some reason, they are not on the Sylvania website, but I got them at Lowe's.

Trayce - the fluorescents don't have to heat up as much as a tungsten bulb, so probably don't burn as much if you cycle them. Possibly isn't good for bulb life though.

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:41 (eighteen years ago)

I work as an energy efficiency consultant (currently on 5-hr long superboring conference call)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:42 (eighteen years ago)

i assume that halogen is the bad end of the spectrum as far as energy-use goes? i have tons in my place now. i like the tone of the light, and i usually keep them pretty low... i'd love to know how they measure up to other forms of light when kept at certain levels of brightness via dimmers.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:44 (eighteen years ago)

I've only taken a couple classes in lighting, but replacing incandescents with CFLs has been industry standard recommendation for at least 7 or 8 years, if not more. There are definitely art gallery applications for CFLs/fluorescent tracklighting.

Otherwise I defer to Jaq, who's probably got more firsthand experience than I.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:46 (eighteen years ago)

I love the corkscrew bulbs! And they make green salads look amazing!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:48 (eighteen years ago)

tungsten halogens last longer than incandescents and have better lumen maintenance - so while they're more expensive technically they're more efficient than standard incandescents. For some reason the notes I have on them also say "more likely to misapplied" ... although I forget what exactly was meant by that :(

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:48 (eighteen years ago)

it means don't use them as lipstick, obv.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:57 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, they are expensive. but longer-lasting? a couple of my 35w GU10 halogens have already burned out on me after only a few months of limited use :(

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:59 (eighteen years ago)

do they really need to legislate this??

― friday on the porch (lfam), Thursday, 1 February 2007 00:15 (eighteen years ago)

we need to legislate everything possible because the planet is in a crisis.

― don weiner (don weiner), Thursday, 1 February 2007 00:27 (eighteen years ago)

Down here we've been legistated into buggery for water usage: in QLD they're going to have to start drinking recycled clean effluent. In Victoria, no one is allowed to use water for gardens, cars or pools anymore, and people are saving water from showers and washing machines to use on the plants.

End times, people.(ok maybe not)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 1 February 2007 00:27 (eighteen years ago)

Also, what Don said.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 1 February 2007 00:27 (eighteen years ago)

Shakey, don't defer to me, 'cause my field is mechanical eng. and control systems. Light bulb research is for my own personal gain only.

― Jaq (Jaq), Thursday, 1 February 2007 00:32 (eighteen years ago)

U.S. residents—Your electric bill has a charge in it for energy audits—you're paying for it, you should use it. The guy who came to our house was totally cool, fanatically green. They don't work for the power company—they're subcontracted. The power company is legally compelled to do this. Anyway, the guy gave us a huge supply of compact flourescent bulbs, and also a paper that enabled us to get a discount when we replaced our dying fridge with an energy-efficient one.
Then he returned later that week with his SHELL COLLECTION!!!!!!

GET AN ENERGY AUDIT!!!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Thursday, 1 February 2007 16:19 (eighteen years ago)

Beth that's amazing!

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 1 February 2007 16:46 (eighteen years ago)

bulbs that melt in the heat of being ALIGHT wtf?

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 1 February 2007 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

Beth where do you live/what's yr utility?

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 1 February 2007 17:07 (eighteen years ago)

Massachusetts—N-Star. But I don't think the energy audit thing is just here.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Thursday, 1 February 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago)

just curious - those programs are definitely all over the country (CA's utilities are mandated to perform all sorts of energy savings activities - thanks CPUC!)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 1 February 2007 19:54 (eighteen years ago)

I didn't do it for years because I thought it was part of some sort of Big Brother monitoring of my home. Too much youthful pot-smoking.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Thursday, 1 February 2007 19:56 (eighteen years ago)

three years pass...

last night i went to switch my bedside lamp on, and it blew. not just a bulb blowing but a full on BANG and the bulb inside had a burnt hole in the metal casing. It tripped my house electricity off too.

how would this have happened? isn't the fuse supposed to blow before that? it's not a new lamp.

― Don't look at the finger (Ste), Monday, 7 June 2010 08:51 (fifteen years ago)

fuckin bulbs

― the other is a black gay gentleman from Los Angeles (contenderizer), Monday, 7 June 2010 09:15 (fifteen years ago)

i think it was God telling you to go to sleep.

― The Clegg Effect (Tracer Hand), Monday, 7 June 2010 09:23 (fifteen years ago)

Problems with fuse box? Power surge? One of my lamps isn't responding to further interference and the 3-amp fuse isn't even blown. WTF? Electrician/engineer types?

― baby you can drive my kaur (suzy), Monday, 7 June 2010 09:38 (fifteen years ago)

Actually heres a question I have. I had some of those touch lamps, where you touch a metal base and it turns the light on, dim, dimmer, off.

They worked fine with regular tungsten bulbs but when I put a fluro energy saving one it, it'd only go on, and then the touch thingy would cease to work at all. What gives?

― property-disrespecting Moroccan handjob (Trayce), Monday, 7 June 2010 10:34 (fifteen years ago)

those lights won't dim, which is the prime source of my intense hatred for them, so i'd guess that is the source of the prob.

there are some new low energy lights which are dimmable but they are about £20 each.

fuck these lights. they aren't even environmentally friendly anyway because they use so much embodied energy in their production.

― jed_, Monday, 7 June 2010 11:04 (fifteen years ago)

disposal of them is pretty hazardous, no?

― fruiting bodies of minds in agony (dyao), Monday, 7 June 2010 11:10 (fifteen years ago)

Chuck 'em in the bin, where's the hazard in that?

― Wenlock & Mandelson (Tom D.), Monday, 7 June 2010 11:13 (fifteen years ago)

there's a new wave of them that are mercury free but the standard ones you're not supposed to put in the general rubbish because, yes, it's hazardous. i don't know what you're supposed to do with them.

― jed_, Monday, 7 June 2010 11:15 (fifteen years ago)

xpost that's what i do and what everyone does.

― jed_, Monday, 7 June 2010 11:15 (fifteen years ago)

I thought I remembered reading about having to call a hazmat team if you broke one of them on your floor, to help take care of the mercury.

― fruiting bodies of minds in agony (dyao), Monday, 7 June 2010 11:17 (fifteen years ago)

Yeah I always thot fluro bulbs were pretty toxic compared to tungsten ones.

― property-disrespecting Moroccan handjob (Trayce), Monday, 7 June 2010 11:39 (fifteen years ago)

its a kind of a myth

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp

― Jarlrmai, Monday, 7 June 2010 12:52 (fifteen years ago)

what the hell, when did snopes undergo a redesign...and what the hell is this new 'mixture of true and false' classification

― fruiting bodies of minds in agony (dyao), Monday, 7 June 2010 12:54 (fifteen years ago)

I demand a snopes investigation into the claim that old snopes is better than new snopes, and that that claim be deemed TRUE

― fruiting bodies of minds in agony (dyao), Monday, 7 June 2010 12:55 (fifteen years ago)

six months pass...

Start stockpiling your 100 watt incandescents now

― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Monday, 27 December 2010 22:41 (fifteen years ago)

nine years pass...

it was a mistake to mix lightbulb types : (

― j., Saturday, 8 February 2020 03:19 (five years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.