Saving the planet one CFL at a time
The other day the light in my entry way went out. I went to go replace it, and realizing it had been quite some time since I had last replaced it, I was surprised to remove the cover and find a CFL. I had completely forgotten I put one there. For the longest time, I had thought that it was far too small for a CFL, and thought I had an incandescent bulb in there. Turns out the bulbs had gotten to the point where they were small enough to fit in there. One time when it went out, I tried a newer CFL bulb, and it fit. I promptly forgot about it until it went out a couple years later.
What was perhaps the most remarkable was the fact that I didn't even realize it was a CFL until I actually looked at the bulb. While my entryway is obviously not the space I spend a lot of time, the light was warm, and it comes on almost instantaneously. (It could be a slight pause, but perhaps either in the hustle of first coming in the door from wherever I'm coming from, I don't even notice it, or because I heavily use CFLs, that very short wait is now the norm for me.) I had realized that I used CFLs in almost everywhere in the house. The only places I don't are with good reason. The bathroom, so I can dim and also for aesthetics, and such. Other low-usage places like over the stove or in the fridge. More on that later.
So which brings me to a story yesterday in the SF Chronicle about low-energy lighting, including CFLs and LED lighting. Not much in it was news to me (although GE and others are planning a low-energy incandescent for release between 2010 and 2012). But I did read people's comments. I was surprised in the eco-friendly Bay Area how many negative comments there were about CFLs. In fact the vast majority were negative, and the few were slightly positive, most of those had caveats.
Am I the only success story?
I did realize I did not switch all to CFLs overnight. In fact, I did have some fits and starts along the way. Given the fact that many CFLs can be quite pricey, especially compared to normal incandescents. Many utility companies subsidized more common bulbs, but often not more specialized ones. (Run, don't walk, down to Costco and pick up an 8-pack of Phillips 60-watt equivalent CFLs. They're often $1 each or less.) Even so, they usually pay for themselves in electrical savings and then some. (One reader noted his electric bill didn't go down. Lighting is not the only thing you use electricity on.)
So here I am to impart my wisdom about CFLs.
1. Baby steps. Don't switch all at once. Start with the most common bulbs, and if you can, start with only one. Try it out, and see if it's okay.
2. Then if you like it, go all in. Go in on a bulk pack. As mentioned, Costco's awesome for that. If you need a large number of specialized ones, try one from a local dealer, then ship a bulk pack to you if you like them. If you don't use them all, go in on it with a friend or perhaps a neighbor who uses the same. Maybe you can even just give them one to try it out and convince them to switch. And ask around to see if there's ones you like, and impart your wisdom on others.
3. Use them in the most common places you use lighting. They might not work well in that task lamp on your desk, but they might be great for hallways. Think of places that are on much of the time, like kitchens. Use them in places you light more often, and the more savings you'll get out of them.
4. Forget everything you've ever experienced with CFLs. The ones today are light years ahead of their predecessors. Granted, a cheap, poorly-made one today can be just as bad, but most standard regular-quality ones today are way better than the most expensive of yesterday. The light is of infinitely better quality. They come on almost instantly (if not instantly) and don't take long to warm up, if they take any time at all. They do not hum. They do not flicker. (The ballasts are now electronic instead of magnetic. They cycle 10,000 times a second instead of the old 60, and I'd be damned to find anyone who can perceive it.) If they start to flicker or hum, replace them, but probably will do so only after you've gotten a couple year's worth of use out of them.
5. The light is different, but you have a choice. Almost too much of one. Today, light comes in a variety of options from cold to warm. That can almost be the problem. If you buy one that's completely different from what you like, you may assume none of them are to your liking. Go ahead, try a bunch. And if it doesn't go well in your living room, it might work just fine for your laundry room.
6. It's not an incandescent. Don't expect it to be. But you completely get used to it. Yes it may take a fraction of a second to come on, but most are pretty instant on. No you can't dim it. (For the most part. but you can with some.) I had one light that I had one a dimmer, and eventually I realized, I never ever ever actually dim it. I replaced that 150 watt bulb with a 40 watt CFL, and swapped the dimmer for a switch. (I think the only reason I had a dimmer for it due to guilt of using a 150 watt bulb.) After getting a little used to a slightly different light (there might be one closer to my liking, I'll try that next, but this one is just slightly off), it makes up for that fact that I've been much happier knowing that the brightest bulb in my house has a fraction of the former's carbon footprint. As I mentioned above, I barely notice it anymore.
7. Realize their limitations. I heard one report of someone using one in a refrigerator. For one thing, they don't work in cold. Secondly, the few seconds they're on is not going to save a whole lot. And if they don't work in 100% of your lights, be proud of the ones you can successfully replace.
8. Realize that you're changing your lighting. You didn't pick the lighting in your home overnight. You're not going to change it all overnight either.
9. Mix things up. Perhaps you bought a light for the living room. You didn't like the light. Demote it to the hallway. Or perhaps that light you bought for the laundry room worked out better than you thought. Promote it to the kitchen. Eventually I did use all the CFLs I bought, so money was not lost, and so can you.
10. Surprise yourself. After you're more comfortable, try new ones. The technology is constantly progressing. Some now even work in ceiling fans. (Make sure they're rated for it, or use one before finding out if you should replace them all. See rule #1.) I had one I used in a yard light in Minneapolis. They don't work as well in the cold, but they're just fine in an enclosure. They might just take a second to come on in the cold and a few seconds to get warm and steady, but for lighting the outside, it's completely fine. (See Rule #5!) And I didn't have to run out in the cold to keep replacing it. Trust me, if it can work in Minnesota winters, it'll work just fine wherever you're at.
After all this, you'll find yourself a new joy. Not only smaller electric bills, but when you do have to replace one, you'll realize, do you even remember the last time you had to replace one? It used to feel like keeping the spinning plates moving. And you have better things to do than run around the house replacing light bulbs.
What was perhaps the most remarkable was the fact that I didn't even realize it was a CFL until I actually looked at the bulb. While my entryway is obviously not the space I spend a lot of time, the light was warm, and it comes on almost instantaneously. (It could be a slight pause, but perhaps either in the hustle of first coming in the door from wherever I'm coming from, I don't even notice it, or because I heavily use CFLs, that very short wait is now the norm for me.) I had realized that I used CFLs in almost everywhere in the house. The only places I don't are with good reason. The bathroom, so I can dim and also for aesthetics, and such. Other low-usage places like over the stove or in the fridge. More on that later.
So which brings me to a story yesterday in the SF Chronicle about low-energy lighting, including CFLs and LED lighting. Not much in it was news to me (although GE and others are planning a low-energy incandescent for release between 2010 and 2012). But I did read people's comments. I was surprised in the eco-friendly Bay Area how many negative comments there were about CFLs. In fact the vast majority were negative, and the few were slightly positive, most of those had caveats.
Am I the only success story?
I did realize I did not switch all to CFLs overnight. In fact, I did have some fits and starts along the way. Given the fact that many CFLs can be quite pricey, especially compared to normal incandescents. Many utility companies subsidized more common bulbs, but often not more specialized ones. (Run, don't walk, down to Costco and pick up an 8-pack of Phillips 60-watt equivalent CFLs. They're often $1 each or less.) Even so, they usually pay for themselves in electrical savings and then some. (One reader noted his electric bill didn't go down. Lighting is not the only thing you use electricity on.)
So here I am to impart my wisdom about CFLs.
1. Baby steps. Don't switch all at once. Start with the most common bulbs, and if you can, start with only one. Try it out, and see if it's okay.
2. Then if you like it, go all in. Go in on a bulk pack. As mentioned, Costco's awesome for that. If you need a large number of specialized ones, try one from a local dealer, then ship a bulk pack to you if you like them. If you don't use them all, go in on it with a friend or perhaps a neighbor who uses the same. Maybe you can even just give them one to try it out and convince them to switch. And ask around to see if there's ones you like, and impart your wisdom on others.
3. Use them in the most common places you use lighting. They might not work well in that task lamp on your desk, but they might be great for hallways. Think of places that are on much of the time, like kitchens. Use them in places you light more often, and the more savings you'll get out of them.
4. Forget everything you've ever experienced with CFLs. The ones today are light years ahead of their predecessors. Granted, a cheap, poorly-made one today can be just as bad, but most standard regular-quality ones today are way better than the most expensive of yesterday. The light is of infinitely better quality. They come on almost instantly (if not instantly) and don't take long to warm up, if they take any time at all. They do not hum. They do not flicker. (The ballasts are now electronic instead of magnetic. They cycle 10,000 times a second instead of the old 60, and I'd be damned to find anyone who can perceive it.) If they start to flicker or hum, replace them, but probably will do so only after you've gotten a couple year's worth of use out of them.
5. The light is different, but you have a choice. Almost too much of one. Today, light comes in a variety of options from cold to warm. That can almost be the problem. If you buy one that's completely different from what you like, you may assume none of them are to your liking. Go ahead, try a bunch. And if it doesn't go well in your living room, it might work just fine for your laundry room.
6. It's not an incandescent. Don't expect it to be. But you completely get used to it. Yes it may take a fraction of a second to come on, but most are pretty instant on. No you can't dim it. (For the most part. but you can with some.) I had one light that I had one a dimmer, and eventually I realized, I never ever ever actually dim it. I replaced that 150 watt bulb with a 40 watt CFL, and swapped the dimmer for a switch. (I think the only reason I had a dimmer for it due to guilt of using a 150 watt bulb.) After getting a little used to a slightly different light (there might be one closer to my liking, I'll try that next, but this one is just slightly off), it makes up for that fact that I've been much happier knowing that the brightest bulb in my house has a fraction of the former's carbon footprint. As I mentioned above, I barely notice it anymore.
7. Realize their limitations. I heard one report of someone using one in a refrigerator. For one thing, they don't work in cold. Secondly, the few seconds they're on is not going to save a whole lot. And if they don't work in 100% of your lights, be proud of the ones you can successfully replace.
8. Realize that you're changing your lighting. You didn't pick the lighting in your home overnight. You're not going to change it all overnight either.
9. Mix things up. Perhaps you bought a light for the living room. You didn't like the light. Demote it to the hallway. Or perhaps that light you bought for the laundry room worked out better than you thought. Promote it to the kitchen. Eventually I did use all the CFLs I bought, so money was not lost, and so can you.
10. Surprise yourself. After you're more comfortable, try new ones. The technology is constantly progressing. Some now even work in ceiling fans. (Make sure they're rated for it, or use one before finding out if you should replace them all. See rule #1.) I had one I used in a yard light in Minneapolis. They don't work as well in the cold, but they're just fine in an enclosure. They might just take a second to come on in the cold and a few seconds to get warm and steady, but for lighting the outside, it's completely fine. (See Rule #5!) And I didn't have to run out in the cold to keep replacing it. Trust me, if it can work in Minnesota winters, it'll work just fine wherever you're at.
After all this, you'll find yourself a new joy. Not only smaller electric bills, but when you do have to replace one, you'll realize, do you even remember the last time you had to replace one? It used to feel like keeping the spinning plates moving. And you have better things to do than run around the house replacing light bulbs.
posted by Joe Carlin at 9:27 PM
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