PrntRhd
join:2004-11-03
Fairfield, CA
 ·Comcast
·Comcast Formerly ..
4 edits | reply to jay_rm
Re: Another CFL (compact fluorescent light) question
EPA estimates the U.S. is responsible for the release of 104 metric tons of mercury emissions each year. Most of these emissions come from coal-fired electrical power. Mercury released into the air is the main way that mercury gets into water and bio-accumulates in fish.
Your opinion is uncorroborated. Mine is not.
www.nescaum.org/documents/rpt031104mercury.pdf/
»members.4cleanair.org/rc_files/3···cury.pdf
»www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20···1654.htm
»www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integr···ons.html
»www.scientificamerican.com/artic···ule-over |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
1 edit | reply to the Grumble
said by the Grumble  :CFL bulbs contain mercury if you put one where it can overheat easily and break and the mercury gas be trapped in the enclosure (read about mercury poisoning). considering CFL are MUCH cooler than regular bulbs I seriously doubt heat would be an issue if a 15W CFL is too hot for an enlcosure then a 60 W regular bulb certainly is. Mercury is so overblown. The CFLs out today have 1/500th the amount of mercury than the themometer your mom used to put in your mouth as a kid.
By the way they have CFL that are enclosed in a bulb to make it look like a regular bulb. So if overheating is an issue how coould they do that? |
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BoulderHill1
join:2004-07-15
Montgomery, IL
 ·AT&T DSL Service
1 edit | reply to jabarnut
I run a 60 room hotel for a living. I use CFL's everywhere in this building. Upside down, right side up, sideways, in enclosed fixtures, above the jacuzzi tup in a recessed fixture, inside the sauna, on ceiling fan fixtures, everywhere. Anywhere you can physically fit a CFL I have put one.
This amounts to several hundred CFL bulbs around the property. I can say with much experience that if you can fit a CFL in where an incadesent was then go for it with no worries.
I have been doing so for 5 years. In this time I recall only replacing one of these for premature failure. (It had only a days use and quit)
There are still a significant number of original bulbs still in use around the hotel from when we opened five years ago.
Actually the most often needed reason to replace a bulb at the hotel is because someone stole it out of the lamp!! |
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jabarnut
Light Years Away
Premium,MVM
join:2005-01-22
Galaxy M31
| said by BoulderHill1 :I run a 60 room hotel for a living. I use CFL's everywhere in this building. Upside down, right side up, sideways, in enclosed fixtures, above the jacuzzi tup in a recessed fixture, inside the sauna, on ceiling fan fixtures, everywhere. Anywhere you can physically fit a CFL I have put one. This amounts to several hundred CFL bulbs around the property. I can say with much experience that if you can fit a CFL in where an incadesent was then go for it with no worries. I have been doing so for 5 years. In this time I recall only replacing one of these for premature failure. (It had only a days use and quit) There are still a significant number of original bulbs still in use around the hotel from when we opened five years ago. Actually the most often needed reason to replace a bulb at the hotel is because someone stole it out of the lamp!! I really appreciate all of the replies folks....I think I'll go with this one. 
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I had a life once.....now I have a Computer and a Modem. |
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PrntRhd
join:2004-11-03
Fairfield, CA | good choice
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nunya
SEE ROCK CITY 475 MILES
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
clubs:
 ·AT&T CallVantage
| reply to jabarnut
As a professional, I feel the "cheapy" consumer grade CFL's that you buy at Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Etc... are all basically a crap shoot. Some last, some don't. I gave up on them a few years ago because of high failure rates.
You either have to spring for the expensive ones or take your chances.
IMPO, the OP should look into ordering some LED lamps for his particular situation. Now is the time.
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Looks like Reverend Wright got his wish - God Damn America. |
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DCIFRTHS
join:2000-02-18
Hartsdale, NY
2 edits | reply to BF69
Skip this post... |
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DCIFRTHS
join:2000-02-18
Hartsdale, NY
| reply to BF69
... The CFLs out today have 1/500th the amount of mercury than the themometer your mom used to put in your mouth as a kid. ... When I was a kid, I broke at least two of those thermometers in the kitchen sink, just to play with the mercury (if it really was mercury). I'm 46, so were talking about 38 years ago. Thank God I'm still alive and I have no (obvious) defects from it! |
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Tzale
Proud Libertarian Conservative
Premium
join:2004-01-06
Sweden
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Optimum Online
| reply to jay_rm
said by jay_rm :said by PrntRhd :said by the Grumble :You'll have to open the enclosure sooner or later. True, But the amount of mercury released by using CFL is lower than the amount released by burning fossil fuels like coal to produce the energy to light them. » www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/p···cury.pdf PROVE that running a multi-10's-of-megawatt plant for the milliseconds it takes to power a single CFL for it's lifetime generates MORE mercury then is enclosed in said CFL - I don't believe it. Don't reference any government websites either - they're the ones mandating the use of CFL's... Those "milliseconds" quickly add up when there are millions or billions of CFLs replacing incandescent bulbs around the world. To think otherwise is foolish! With your logic, we might as well make every 60 watt bulb a 100 watt bulb since the energy production at plant level is negligible for one bulb!
-Tzale
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-:-
"I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism."~Ronald Reagan |
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Tzale
Proud Libertarian Conservative
Premium
join:2004-01-06
Sweden
·Verizon FIOS
·Optimum Online
| reply to BF69
said by BF69 :said by the Grumble :CFL bulbs contain mercury if you put one where it can overheat easily and break and the mercury gas be trapped in the enclosure (read about mercury poisoning). considering CFL are MUCH cooler than regular bulbs I seriously doubt heat would be an issue if a 15W CFL is too hot for an enlcosure then a 60 W regular bulb certainly is. Mercury is so overblown. The CFLs out today have 1/500th the amount of mercury than the themometer your mom used to put in your mouth as a kid. By the way they have CFL that are enclosed in a bulb to make it look like a regular bulb. So if overheating is an issue how coould they do that? Overheating is definitely an issue... But not with the gas in the CFL, rather the ballast (electronic) portion which resides outside the fake "bulb" covering.
-Tzale
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-:-
"I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism."~Ronald Reagan |
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quatrix
Premium
join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL
| reply to TearAbite
said by TearAbite :i tried putting CFLs in on our rear porchlight. It is enclosed AND upside down, and all CFLs i ever put in failed after a week or two - and they are only turned on for a minute or so per day (while we feed the dogs).. dont know if that's because it was enclosed or upside down.. or both. I just replaced the same kind a few days ago -- back yard, upside-down, and enclosed. It lasted about three years after about five hours a day. On the other hand, there's an enclosure in the front yard that's NOT upside-down, and that one kills CFLs about every six months. |
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Dustyn
Premium
join:2003-02-26
Ontario, CAN | reply to jabarnut
I've installed CFLs in enclosed fixtures years ago. They still work perfectly? I really don't see a problem? If there life is shortened a bit... it can't be any worse than using an incandescent. The CFL has still outlasted the incandescents. |
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Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to jabarnut
said by jabarnut :If it's just because they won't last as long, it couldn't be any worse than the standard light bulbs Ha! I've had CFLs die in less than 100 hours.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. |
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Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to TearAbite
said by TearAbite :FWIW we also put CLF's in the bathroom and are totally disappointed with the (lack of) brigtness & color. I have some Philips CFLs in my bathroom. They're 9W and are brighter than the 40W incandescents. The color is good. They're the 4" (I think) globe style. I got them at Walmart.
However, they take forever to warm up (I have to turn the light on at least 5 minutes before I go in the room) and one died very quickly. But they're the only globe type I've found that will fit in the fixture.
Read the reviews - »www.amazon.com/3-Pack-Vanity-Phi···0YUMHXY/
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. |
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dmagerl
join:2007-08-06
Woodstock, IL
| reply to jabarnut
»sound.westhost.com/articles/inca···tm#exist
This is an interesting article on CFLs and has some pictures of CFLs damaged from being used in sealed fixtures.
BTW, it presents a very negative opinion about CFLs. |
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jeffster1970
Whatta Ya Think About Dat?
Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
clubs: 
·magicjack.com
·Vonage
·Acanac
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to jabarnut
Just get the CFL's that don't have the warning on them. I have CFL's in several enclosures, including two ceiling fans, and are going onto their 5th great year with not problems. The living room enclosure is probably around 2001 or 2002 install, and they still are going strong.
I suppose if you buy the real cheap ones, they'll die more quickly, so avoid the ones from the dollar store.
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"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 |
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Foxnet
join:2008-11-18
| reply to jay_rm
I have used CF bulbs since the early 80's in Europe with absolutely no problems whatsoever. they last longer they are far cheaper to run and they can be used in ANY fitting with enough clearance. If there is too much heat buildup inside a fitting then a normal incandescent bulb would produce the same, if not worse condition.
The mercury issue is not really an issue, all florescent bulbs contain a minute amount of mercury, no one has complained before about dangers. |
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Bamafan2277
join:2008-09-20
Louisville, KY | reply to jabarnut
You could also try LED bulbs in the fan. They will have a longer life than the CFL and will not have any Mercury in them. |
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nukscull
@rr.com
| reply to the Grumble
said by the Grumble :CFL bulbs contain mercury if you put one where it can overheat easily and break and the mercury gas be trapped in the enclosure (read about mercury poisoning). Yeah... they don't contain enough mercury to poison anyone immediately, unless you're breathing in every bulb that you break.
Eating tuna is going to poison you more than a lifetime of CFL's ever will. |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to nunya
said by nunya :As a professional, I feel the "cheapy" consumer grade CFL's that you buy at Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Etc... are all basically a crap shoot. Some last, some don't. I gave up on them a few years ago because of high failure rates. You either have to spring for the expensive ones or take your chances. IMPO, the OP should look into ordering some LED lamps for his particular situation. Now is the time. I haven't seen LED lamps anywhere at any price. only the flashlights
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
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