[allybeau]

I am trying to make my house more energy efficient.. I heard that floruescent light bulbs make an impact, is that true?

[tkrussell]

Absolutely... here is an excerpt from http://www.energystar.gov



If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road. CFLs provide high-quality light, smart technology, and design, requiring less energy while lasting longer than typical incandescent bulbs.

Earning the ENERGY STAR

• ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
• ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs operate at less than 100F, they are also safer than typical halogen bulbs, which are frequently used in floor lamps or torchieres and burn at 1,000F. Due to their high heat output, halogens can cause burns and fires. CFLs are cool to the touch.

And nowadays the light output is much greater along with a pleasant color rendeirng. To imitate incandescent lamps, try to find lamps rated 2700 Deg Kelvin, which is a method of quantifing the color of a lamp's light output. 27K will be on the warm side, other colors are 41 K, which is cool or blueish in color, and 35 K which is middle of the road, or neutral.

Try different colors in the various areas of your home to see which you like best.

And the choice of light fixtures available are numerous.

I can imagine someday in the future, household incandescent lamps will be discontinued due to their inefficiencies.

Get back to me should you have any other questions regarding this subject.

[labman]

I don't know if compact fluorescent lights live up to that hype, but they are an easy fix. As far as I can tell, the 13 watt ones that claim to replace a 60 watt incandescent do work, and use 78% less power. They are getting down where they will fit in most light fixtures and some of them come on almost instantly. If you have a fixture that is a pain to change bulbs, they last forever compared to the regular ones. We have a fixture in our kitchen that takes three 60 watt bulbs. It seemed that one of them was always out. I picked up a pack of 5 compact fluorescents for about $10, and put 3 of them about a year ago, and haven't had to replace one yet. I am not sure my wife noticed it. There are ones that produce more light than a 60 watt bulb. They don't save as much energy, but don't burn your house down because you put a 100 watt bulb in a fixture that said 60 watts maximum. I have a lamp with a 13 watt bulb plugged into my 650 VA UPS.

Fluorescents don't get as hot. I have used them for years in the drop light I use in my garage. Who needs a hot bulb next to them working in a tight place? They are more rugged too. I am not sure what happened, but the bulb in an exit light at church burned a hole in the plastic cover. I replaced it with fluorescent. Save energy and a bunch of other hassles.

For serious lighting needs, including outdoor flood lights, look at metal halide lights. I think they produce even more light per watt, and it is a pleasing white light. The fixtures and bulbs are expensive, but the bulbs last forever.

[allybeau]

Thanks for all the advice! I ordered Ozonelite bulbs; they have the energy star approval. Have you heard of them before? If not, I'll be sure to let you know how they turn out...

[Flickit]

Thanks for all the advice! I ordered Ozonelite bulbs; they have the energy star approval. Have you heard of them before? If not, I'll be sure to let you know how they turn out...

... life, make certain to use a lamp (if available) with heated cathodes (2 terminals on each end of the lamp for straight bulbs). Lamps with cold cathodes fail sooner because of the massive discharge of cathode material during ignition. Older television sets suffered from the same problem until manufacturer designed in a circuit that kept the cathode partially on even when the set was off. This also meant less time 'to live'.

[allybeau]

FYI, if anyone experiences a problem similar to mine, definitely check out ozonelite bulbs, www.ozonelite.com. I ordered them nearly 2 months ago and they have made such a difference. My electric bill is lower and my allergies aren't as bad anymore. Thanks for you tips...