lauraliscious 0 #26 January 24, 2008 Quote as fore the cfls being more enviromentally safe.. I'm not too sure about that. Each one has mercury in it, and though, some states consider the amount a 'safe' amount, it is still mercury, and when combined with hundreds of them lights in broken, and in the trash.. that is alot of mercury. My grandfather (who is well qualified to speak on the matter) said that because of the mercury in the CFL bulbs, they actually CAN'T (or at least shouldn't) be thrown in the regular trash. I think it might even be illegal, not that most people will even be aware of this. He said they're going to have to develop some way to dispose of all these "environmentally friendly" light bulbs. Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LisaM 0 #27 January 24, 2008 I agree on the brightness. I can't bring myself to buy them just because they aren't as bright. ~ Lisa ~ Do you Rigminder? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #28 January 24, 2008 It depends on the orentiation of the bulb. Some of the older bulbs do not like being on their side/hanging unside down that well and take a while to warm up. Other models are designed to be hung that way and don't seem to have near the issue warming up. The thing that is annoying me right now is I put one in a hall and its taking about a full half second from fliping the switch until it powers up. I can hit the switch and take a full 2 steps into the room before it flicks on. That is annoying. Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowwhite 0 #29 January 24, 2008 QuoteWhen you figure out how long they last, let me know. I just never can get around to changing lightbulbs until a whole room is dark. Who cares if it's a little yellow-tinted...lol. If it lasts a little longer, that's a little longer I'll go without stumping my little toe. The main reading lamp in Streakers apartment, which is on every night has been working for 3 years on Feb 1. It's just now starting to do that weird incandescant dance where it flickers every now and then. I'm thinking it's about time to change it. I've put one on my front porch, but in the cold there is so little output from it, it's worthless.skydiveTaylorville.org freefallbeth@yahoo.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #30 January 24, 2008 You did wait for those bulbs to brighten to full glare? Those bulbs take a few minutes... I have them."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #31 January 24, 2008 There are proper recycling sites to take these to where they handle the mercury - at least in my area. I've not had to deal with that yet though, because the bulbs last so long! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shermanator 4 #32 January 24, 2008 In some states, certain flourescents are now legal to throw away in the regular trash.. Not reccomended, but legal. If it is the longer tubes, (if I remember correctly) the tubes with the silver ends are not allowed to be thrown away, but the ones with green ends, are allowed to be thrown away, because they have a lower mercury level.CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08 CSA #720 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #33 January 24, 2008 Quote they're going to have to develop some way to dispose of all these "environmentally friendly" light bulbs. Another term in the energy balance equation. Do you think any additional energy will be expended in special disposal processes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lauraliscious 0 #34 January 24, 2008 Quote There are proper recycling sites to take these to where they handle the mercury - at least in my area. But how many people will actually bother to find out this information?? I bet most people will just throw them away in the garbage. So yeah, these bulbs may be more energy efficient but not necessarily more environmentally friendly. Unless people actually do recycle them. Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #35 January 24, 2008 QuoteThere are four common color temperatures: 3000K warm white (very yellowish or reddish) 3500K 4100K cool white (i.e. your standard fluorescent tube) 5000K daylight (very 'bluish') I prefer the 3500K, which is a bit 'bluer' than an incandescent, but I think looks better overall. There is also the CRI, or color rendering index, which indicates how full the spectrum is. Tricolor phosphors (which CFs and some tubes use) give you in the high 80's. Cheap fluorescents give you in the 60's and 70's and make things look odd. OK I just looked all over the package & couldn't find this info anywhere. But you may be right about the 3X wattage thing. The package I bought claimed that the bulbs were the equivalent of a 60W incandecent and were actually only 15W (1/4th as much). So maybe I should have gone with a 20W or 25W bulb. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #36 January 24, 2008 Quote Quote There are proper recycling sites to take these to where they handle the mercury - at least in my area. But how many people will actually bother to find out this information?? I bet most people will just throw them away in the garbage. So yeah, these bulbs may be more energy efficient but not necessarily more environmentally friendly. Unless people actually do recycle them. Yup. Also, they are made in China. The production plants handle LARGE quantities of mercury. They are shipped to us by boats that burn DIRTY fuel oil from China. "envirnmentally friendly" ?? ... whatever ... Incandescent bulbs are made in the midwest and contain ZERO mercury. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Katzeye 0 #37 January 24, 2008 Now that's complete bullshit! The type of light flourescents emit are BAD for your HEALTH! The flicker at a rate we can't readily detect but cause eye strain. WTF! AND the light they emit is downright UGLY. Guess I"ll have to move to oil lanterns. Or buy "black market" incandescent bulbs on ebay. Is a chicken omelette redundant? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #38 January 24, 2008 something else to consider re. mercury Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #39 January 24, 2008 Quote but the twisty bulbs are not all that they claim. These bulbs will eventually be able to do almost everything that current bulbs do."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #40 January 24, 2008 Quote something else to consider re. mercury Nice graph. Makes everything look nice and simple doesn't it? Yes I've considered that. ALL of the power lighting up those twisty little bulbs is not generated by coal plants. Only about 50% of the US electricity production comes from coal plants. Also ... the entire life cycle of those bulbs needs to be taken into account. Who knows how much mercury is released into the air and water in China during the production of those bulbs??Edit: Just a scary thought ... ... would you be surprised if, one of these days, a bunch of those twisty little bulbs have to be recalled because high levels of mercury contamination is found on the outside the bulbs in some batches coming off the boat from China? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #41 January 24, 2008 Quote Quote but the twisty bulbs are not all that they claim. These bulbs will eventually be able to do almost everything that current bulbs do. I don't think so. Haven't you heard? L.E.D's Yup. The future is with L.E.D.'s So, you'll really be able to save energy. Of course the light that they put out will be so goddamned depressing that I'll bet the suicide rate wordwide will increase dramatically as a result Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodyflight.Net 0 #42 January 24, 2008 I hate the twisty bulbs too.. they give off an awful light... perhaps I've been getting the wrong ones, but I prefer my GE Reveal anyday. Plus in the winter, they help warm the rooms of our house so we leave a couple of small lamps on... in Chicago, we used lightbulbs all the time to keep our cars warm overnight... you can't do that with a twisty bulb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #43 January 24, 2008 Quote I hate the twisty bulbs too.. they give off an awful light... perhaps I've been getting the wrong ones, but I prefer my GE Reveal anyday. Plus in the winter, they help warm the rooms of our house so we leave a couple of small lamps on... in Chicago, we used lightbulbs all the time to keep our cars warm overnight... you can't do that with a twisty bulb Also, in Chicago, you're getting virtually all of your electric from nukes. It's probably cheaper than natural gas for heating in terms of $/kWh. Oh yes, ZERO mercury release too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ypelchat 0 #44 January 24, 2008 Quote...and less harmfull to envirement. On the contrary. They are more harmful to the environment, as they contain mercury, which is a highly toxic metal. Once their useful life is over, you throw them in the garbage. These fluorescent bulbs are not recycled everywhere. And even at the place where they collect them for recycling, they, too, throw them in a recycle bin, and, guess what.... the glass bulb breaks, and the mercury is spilled... When you throw them in the garbage, the glass bulb breaks, and the mercury is spilled...... Whatever you do with them, recycle or garbage, the mercury get spilled. Yes you will save on your utility bill, but these fluorescent bulbs are definitely ''not so environmentally friendly'' Yves. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shermanator 4 #45 January 24, 2008 I saw a tv special on recycling of the flourescent tubes, quite interesting. they do break them, but they do it in a closed machine, crushing the glass, and collecting the mercury.CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08 CSA #720 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,063 #46 January 24, 2008 >They are more harmful to the environment, as they contain mercury, >which is a highly toxic metal. The bulbs contain ~4 milligrams of mercury and last about 5 years on average. This ends up either in a recycling center or in a landfill. Over the course of its life, a 26 watter will save about 890 kilowatt-hours. That saves 5.3 milligrams of mercury from ending up in the air, assuming that 50% of our power comes from coal. (It's actually around 52%.) This metal is emitted directly into the air and ends up in your water, food etc. So the question becomes - is it better to have 4 milligrams of mercury in a recycling center or landfill, or 5.3 milligrams of mercury in the air? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,063 #47 January 24, 2008 >The type of light flourescents emit are BAD for your HEALTH! The flicker >at a rate we can't readily detect but cause eye strain. WTF! No, they don't. CFL's are electronically ballasted, and do not have the sort of 120Hz flicker that older magnetically ballasted tubes do. >AND the light they emit is downright UGLY. I once came across an article lamenting how these new lights were ugly, glare-y, didn't provide good light, were more dangerous and made things look funny. It was written in the 1900's, comparing gas light to the new, dangerous incandescent lights. It's all in what you are used to. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 226 #48 January 24, 2008 QuoteQuote...and less harmfull to envirement. On the contrary. They are more harmful to the environment, as they contain mercury, which is a highly toxic metal. Once their useful life is over, you throw them in the garbage. These fluorescent bulbs are not recycled everywhere. And even at the place where they collect them for recycling, they, too, throw them in a recycle bin, and, guess what.... the glass bulb breaks, and the mercury is spilled... When you throw them in the garbage, the glass bulb breaks, and the mercury is spilled...... Whatever you do with them, recycle or garbage, the mercury get spilled. Yes you will save on your utility bill, but these fluorescent bulbs are definitely ''not so environmentally friendly'' Yves. Where do they get the mercury from? Doesn't it come from the environment?I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lauraliscious 0 #49 January 24, 2008 How can someone who is a duck be so smart?!?!?!?!!! Thanks for clearing all that up, Billvon. Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #50 January 24, 2008 Quote Where do they get the mercury from? Doesn't it come from the environment? I think it comes mostly from South America and is processed in China. Perfectly safe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
