Compact Fluorescent bulbs

[KatieMae]

I think they're over-rated. If they're supposed to last for such a long time, why am I always running out of bulbs?! I like that they create less heat, but I think the lifespan that you hear is exaggerated. Maybe if you have your lamp on for only two hours each evening, then they'll last for 5 years, but that's never mentioned in the advertising, is it? My kitchen light & the main lamp in our living room are on for 15+ hours a day & it seems like I'm constantly changing those bulbs! Am I the only one who's disappointed in these things?

[Mother of Sons]

I don't like them. I hate the yellow color (Yes I know that they make other kinds but that's what my husband bought) I was pretty bummed thinking I was going to be stuck with them for years but they've been burning out pretty fast. Certainly not what they advertise. I doubt I would make a point of buying them again.

[RealLifeMama]

I really dislike them, too.
Luckily, as you already said, they have burnt out quickly, so we are not stuck with them.
I did not even know we had them, we usually use Reveal Daylight Bulbs. But, those burned out and DH replaced them with CPF's. I had not idea, until I told DH that there was something wrong with the lights in the kitchen. He told me what he had done.
We are changing them back as soon as we get new regular bulbs.

[mysticmomma]

I believe they also contain mercury. So, if one breaks...

[Marielle]

I had the same complaint - then I did a bit of sleuthing. Apparently if you use a higher wattage bulb than indicated for the fixture it will blow. If you have a light that stays on for less than 15 min increments than the energy savings isn't worth it and I remember reading something about there being special bulbs for enclosed fixtures like kitchen lights.

[illinoismommy]

I use them and I like them. :shifty

In electricity costs, fluorescent is 2 cents on the dollar (dollar for regular bulbs).... so long as you don't turn them off and on. Fluorescent is supposed to be left on.

I'm not always fond of the color.... as far as how long they last, the box I have here says 5 years at 4 hours a day

[Nightingale]

I don't have any in my house right now, but the last 2 houses I lived in we put them in and never changed them. The house I live in now I've lived in for a year, and whatever lights were in here when I moved in must be good because I've never had a bulb burn out.

[Mother of Sons]

I'm sure ours are the correct wattage but we've still lost several. I can't stand the sick jaundiced look everyone has and it has changed the color of our walls (visually) I'd have to look it up, but I haven't noticed any savings on our bill either and I'm terrible about shutting lights off.

[AmyDoll]

My biggest issues are 1. the mercury 2. the manufacturing. I hate having "every day" items that can be dangerous. It's bad enough that bulbs break but the poison aspect is highly disturbing.
The bulbs are more costly to buy AND they have a higher Environmental Impact bc of their manufacturing process and disposal. :( I think they are a scam.
We should instead focus on moving away from Fossil Fuels and developing efficient ways to use Solar and Wind power :)

[crunchymum]

we use them for our outside house lights (which are on as long as it'd dark), our common entry, and our laundry room closet. we got the ones that are round and have a warmer glow... i like them much better than the 'cold' feeling ones. ours have actually lasted forever, i'm not sure exactly, but so far well over a year! i saw an immediate difference in our electricity bill. :shrug

the rest of the lights in our house are on dimmer switches (not all, but a lot). i'm not a fan of the cfb's for normal living spaces... but for what we use them for, i love them. :)


We should instead focus on moving away from Fossil Fuels and developing efficient ways to use Solar and Wind power

i agree! :yes

[Punkie]

I highly encourage everyone to check out local recycling options if/when they burn out. I know that our local hardware stores have a special recycling place for them.

[AmyDoll]

I highly encourage everyone to check out local recycling options if/when they burn out. I know that our local hardware stores have a special recycling place for them.


Yes they need to be recycled specially - a special filter and compression device is used bc of the mercury.

[WanderingJuniper]

I'll go against the flow. I like ours. We don't have any regular bulbs. I haven't replaced any bulbs for over a year. Maybe y'all should start opening the curtains. ;)

[Teacher Mom]

we have had them for a few years now and have not replaced any of them except the bathroom. That probably is because of more on/off activity than other rooms. The only room in the house we do not have them is the room with a dimmer switch.

i am pleased with them.

[illinoismommy]

Maybe y'all should start opening the curtains. ;)


Yeah! I love natural light. My trouble is that David complains about how he can't see and tries to turn on the lights anyway.... I keep telling him we want to save money.... sometimes he repeats that but other times he still wants the light on :rolleyes

[Mother of Sons]

Maybe y'all should start opening the curtains.

I don't have any :shrug If I counted right, we have 30 windows in this house (they were window happy in the 1800s) no curtains. We'll start getting light eventually. Maybe when it stops snowing somewhere around August. :giggle

[canadiyank]

I like them. We have them in the vast majority of our fixtures and I'm waiting for my bedside table lamp to burn out so I can put in the new 3-way one I bought. :lol One thing I did learn recently was to only buy ones that say 10,000 hrs. or more...the 7000 ones etc. are low-quality and haven't stood up to their claims but the higher hr. ones have.

[Drew]

We have put in a few to replace regular bulbs that have burnt out. Not one has burn out so far and some of them have been in for over a year.

[Jenjardin]

We put one in our bathroom in our old house back around 2000, and it was still going strong when we moved out of there last year. And it was used a lot!!!

[crunchymum]

Maybe y'all should start opening the curtains.

I don't have any :shrug If I counted right, we have 30 windows in this house (they were window happy in the 1800s) no curtains. We'll start getting light eventually. Maybe when it stops snowing somewhere around August. :giggle


:lol i hear ya... though we're quite a bit south from you, so it's like, july. :giggle

[MarynMunchkins]

I like them in certain places, but the mercury scares the heck outta me. You KNOW that people aren't all going to be disposing of them properly. :no2 We're going to end up with heavy metals in our groundwater from people tossing light bulbs. :nails

[canadiyank]

We're going to end up with heavy metals in our groundwater from people tossing light bulbs. :nails


Well, mercury from CFLs (including usage and that inside) is *half* what is released into the air during the equivalent use of an incandescent. *That* mercury gets into our groundwater, too. :shrug

But yeah, mercury is nothing to get excited about that's for sure, and having it in your house is definitely more scary that out there somewhere from a power plant. You can buy low-mercury (http://eartheasy.com/store/proddetail.php?prod=1100.45) ones, too, to decrease the risk.

[canadiyank]

Interesting blurb (http://residentiallighting.com/OnlineExtras/LetsGetTechnical/tabid/91/Default.aspx?tid=2&cid=11010) about low-mercury CFLs.