I do believe there will be a long transition period.

Why? CFL don’t work in dimmer circuits. They’re light is often harsh. Floodlight versions are too expensive and burn out too fast. I think the heat buildup in conical fixtures is too much.

They’re okay for hallways, kitchen, bath, garages and utility areas. They stink in most bedroom, livingroom and dining areas (unless you like to feel like you’re in some cheap cafeteria while you eat.)

So why I like to save money a mixture of the two seems more reasonable for now.

There are sadly significant differences in quality between the latest Osram Sylvania CFL and Happy-Go Lamp Production products. I would love to see a quality complaint about a name-brand CFL. I’ll even forward the comments to the right people for you personally.

As with anything, the quality of a CFL is directly related to who makes it and how.

I still use the CFs, but only in combination with incandescents.

I’m sold on saving energy, but CFs don’t work well enough. I’m going to try out some LED bulbs next. As mythbusters found, they are the only bulb technology that can stand up to repeated on-off cycles.

How I’m saving money on lighting? I found some value packs of 8 incandescents at Target on clearance for 34 cents. I bought 5 packs. I turn the lights on as I need them and off when I don’t. At less than a nickel a bulb, it doesn’t matter if I stress them and burn them out sooner.

The url for the Livermore Pleasanton firehouse is http://www.centennialbulb.org/cam.htm.

B.

Actually they can be. There is a lightbulb in a Livemore Firestation which has been on continuously for over 70 years!

While I use some CF lightbulbs at home I have found that they certainly do not live up to their billing, nor do they work well in all applications. For example

1) I have yet to have a CF bulb last for more than a year (even the ones claiming 7 years), and I have kept track.

2) There are certain light sockets (I am not sure of the material) which react to the bottoms of the CF bulbs in a way such that “pitting” occurs on the bottom of the “bulbs” connector and it will no longer make good contact in the socket resulting in the bulb going out. I can rotate this particular “CF” bulb through several other light fixture until it will no lnoger work in any of them. I do not have this kind of problem with incandescents in these fixtures. (I am very interested in understanding what is causing this pitting if anybody knows).

3) CF’s do not work very well for outdoor porchlights as on cold nights they take a while in starting up (taking a lot of energy) as well as achieving their final brightness level.

4) CF’s seem to have more problems in unstable fixtures (like a hanging lamp). I think this is due to vibrations, but it could also be related to problem #2, since several (but not all) of my fixtures with problem #2 are also hanging.

5) CF’s need to be on for a while to start “saving” power. Flouresecent lights (including CF’s) take a lot of power to start up and need to stay on for at least 20 minutes (year 2000 number) before they start saving energy compared to comperable lumen output Incandescent light. This means that these could burn more power than an incandescent if used in say closets or bathrooms (unless you have kids that never turn off the lights or spend forever in the bathroom) since they will be turned “on” and “off” before they can start “saving” energy.

I should point out that power companies (like PG&E) love CF’s, not because they can save power, but because they can be turned off by the power company (without your control). This is because most CF’s use an electronic ballast which by federal law is required to turn off when the line voltage drops beneath a certain voltage (I forget the actual level). In a low voltage situation incandescents will continue to give off light, though much dimmer, hence the term “brown out”. With CF’s there are no “brown outs” (since the ballast is actually PWM circuit), just blackouts.

Using legislative means to force social compliance on any issue is often ill advised because it often ignores the other problems that it creates. This is just like the MBTE fiasco which occured in California (which is also thinking of mandating CF’s), where people using bad science come up with a politically correct idea, which when implemented is both self defeating and destructive.

Incandescents are durable?

I think CF bulbs are great. I’ve put them in all but a few fixtures in my home (there are a few places they’re not suitable). But you know what? We don’t need yet another stupid law on the books. CF bulbs are taking over all by themselves. Unlike when I first started buying them, they are now quite inexpensive. That plus their reduced energy and long life is convincing people to buy them. There is no need for the govt to involve themselves.

Secondly the color of the light is horrific.

Thirdly, the first several hours I had CF bulbs plugged in, they did indeed match the brilliance of the incandescent bulbs they were allegedly replacing. The next day however, they were immediately much dimmer in comparison.

So for now, I have four of these little toxic disposal nightmares that I keep shuffling around in my closet, waiting for the day I have more closets or garages to light.