Honest opinions about how to buy Appliances and Lighting.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Fluoresecent FAQs

There are still many misconceptions with compact fluorescent bulbs. Let me see if I can address some concerns

1. They do not work well in the cold

A: True, they do take some time before warm up


2. They are not dimmable

A. Probably not, most CFLs are not dimmable. You can buy them with a integral dimmable ballast for $10-15 per bulb


3. They are dangerously poisonous

A. False, They do contain trace levels of mercury...A few months back, a blog reader sent a well balanced article on the subject

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

4. They cast a ghastly blue glow

A. Maybe, You need to buy 2800 Kelvin fluorescent bulbs for a better color of light...We have this comparason in Yale. Although it has its flaws, from an energy efficiency, longevity and cost savings perspective, fluorescent is far superior than an incandescent. Try a few and watch your electricity bills


Green Light Display

3 comments:

  1. Steve,

    Last month we replaced 8 regular bulbs with CFLs and replaced our 3 year old malfunctioning GE S/S with a Bosch S/S. Our electric bill went down $40!!

    Jo

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  2. Steve, there is a great article in the Wall St Journal today, "A Consumer's Guide to Going Green." I thought you would like to check it out. Here is the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119463269049588171.html?mod=hpp_us_personal_journal

    ReplyDelete
  3. I will definitely look at it....

    ReplyDelete