I Hate Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
Another reason to hate these light bulbs… I just moved into a new home where the previous owner decided to change over all the lights to CFLs.
The color of light is hideous, not to mention the real nasty reason to get rid of these things:
In September, the European Union banned the sale of 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, with lawbreakers facing up to $70,000 in fines. Over the next few years, bans on lower-wattage bulbs kick in. In the United States, similar legislation comes into play in 2012. The idea is to kickstart the market for compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which use less energy than conventional incandescents. Although CFLs present any number of problems (even beyond a much higher initial cost), governments all over the globe are determined to make them the new standard.
Invented in its modern form by Thomas Edison in 1879, the light bulb became synonymous with a brilliant idea. Now, it seems, it’s just one more symbol of a nanny state that increasingly dictates more choices in our public and private lives.
October 7th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
They’ll soon figure out that the Law of Unintended Consequences applies when people begin to balk at paying for disposal of them (mercury content…very bad for the environment) and just start throwing them in the garbage.
October 8th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Oh hell, Fred, people throw these things in the trash all the time. I can’t think of anyone I know who’s ever actually disposed of the things the ‘proper’ way, even when you can do it for free, just too much hassle.
It’s when the first cases of mercury poisoning that can be traced back to these things start going through the courts that the sh*t is really gonna hit the fan.
October 9th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I’m not a greentard, and I oppose outlawing incandescents, but you have to admit that the difference between a 150watt and a 30 watt bulb that’s accidentally left on in your garage/basement/attic for 2 weeks will show up on your electricity bill.
That’s the only reason I use them, aside from appreciating the “cool white” colour which is, in fact, much closer to sunlight than the “warm” CFL or a standard incandescent. I live in a basement so naturalesque light is a good thing. It’s true, they destroy ambience.
Edison said only the rich would be able to afford candles; now it’s only the rich who are able to afford incandescents.
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:16 am
LED lights last longer and are even lower wattage use than CFLs
The light colour issue comes down to what colour tempurature light you buy. Most CFLs are available in 5000k (natural outdoor light), where as most incandecant are 3000k (yellow/orange hued). If you don’t like the colour and think it’s “hidious” then try a different colour tempurature. The higher the colour tempurate the more blue, the lower, the more red. 5000 provides actual white light, so use that as a base value for judgement. Also, the lower wattage of these lights will save you money in the long run.
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:01 am
I, too, HATE the CFLs. I try to be environmentally responsible, so I hopped on the bandwagon and bought a big batch of them when they first became widely available. I replaced all the conventional bulbs in my kitchen and bathrooms as well as my outside porch lights with CFLs. Aside from the fact that they do give off a hideous, dingy, yellowish light, I also found that they just don’t live up to the hype. The higher cost is supposed to be offset by energy savings and the claim that these bulbs will last 5-7 years on average. Baloney! I didn’t see ANY significant change in my electric bill, and many of these bulbs started to burn out within 6 months to a year after I installed them — in other words, no better than a conventional bulb. Of the 15 or so I installed about 3 years ago, only a few are still working. And then there is the mercury issue. I’m sure that 90% of people do just throw them in the trash whenever they burn out, because it’s simply too much trouble to do otherwise. And God forbid you should accidentally break one! Then you feel like you need to call in a HAZ-MAT team just to clean it up. I think I will stock up on as many good old incandescent bulbs as possible before they disappear from the store shelves completely.