# Do you use compact fluorescent lighting?



## drewmo (Dec 6, 2007)

I've recently put a CFL in every light fixture that will take one in our home. While I did so to reduce our carbon footprint, I probably did it more so to save some $$. (I'll know if the latter comes to fruition in a year.) Our local IKEA has a huge selection of CFLs with prices averaging half of what I can find at other DIY stores.   Unfotunately, there are no CFLs that will provide the wattage necessary for our kitchen and living room ceiling lights, 2 stand lights, the two lights in our bathroom vanity (perhaps LEDs would fit?) and our desk lamp. More unfortunately, it seems that the lights we use most often are exactly those without CFLs.

As for the kitchen and living room ceiling lamps, I also bought those at IKEA for about $12 a piece (including bulbs). Regrettably, my budget trumped Mother Earth.

Yes, CFLs take a while to brighten up when first switched on. I can say the same for me when I first awaken. Other than that, I don't have any other complaints.

So, who here lurking these forums uses CFLs? And why? To save money? To save Mother Earth? Both? Or some other reason? How many lights in your home have CFLs?


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## WILDSOURDOUGH (Dec 7, 2007)

New House- Using half and half...
Having GREAT diffuculities getting CF to last more than 6 months...
I read an article a few months ago that all the new ones ( CFs from China) are very poor quality- 
not like the older ones made in Belgium or Germany... much better, but also more expensive- If you can get them at all.
The builder in the article was getting call backs to new houses (3-6 months old), people complaining that there was an 'electrical problem'. No problem with the electric... bad (cheaply constructed) CFs.

So... In the places I can find 'good CFs' for, that's what i'm using.
Some places (Kitchen, Reading Lights...etc) i'm using Halogens and 'Old school' bulbs.

When the prices come down, I will switch to LED Lights.


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## EatenByLimestone (Dec 7, 2007)

I use them where the lights will stay on for any length of time.  Except in the bathroom.  I didn't like the color of the light that they were putting out.  

The closets and pantry still have incandesants.  The lights are rarely on so why should I use more energy starting the CFLs up?

Matt


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## velvetfoot (Dec 7, 2007)

I have cfls everywhere.  Maybe not in the garage door opener unit.
I have the reflector type in the recessed lighting in the kitchen.
I also have a couple of smaller cfl spots one bathroom.
I have them there because they did not fit in the "eyeball" spots over the hearth.
I would up getting some led lights (multiple leds) for that spot-they are pretty dim, but they don't have to be bright there and they use little electricity.

Also, don't forget to break out the LED Christmas lights!  
I got them last year and I like the colors.
I think I see them on houses outside in "icicles", and they have a nice color.


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## ozarkjeep (Dec 7, 2007)

I have lots of them.

can lights in kids rooms, in can lights in kitchen.
in every lamp in the house ( several) , garage door opener lilghts, outside flood lights, shed lights, attic lights, all cieling fan globe lights, bathroom, and shower lights.

I have had the best longevity vs price with the 'bright effects' brand from Lowes.

$7 I think for 4 of them ( 13 watt twistys), and I have a few that have been in service for over 2 years, including outside installations.

I have had some flicker and hum and go out, those were generally installed on circuits with a dimmer switch.
so I changed the switches out to simple on/off switches.

I do it because, 13 watts each is great, I can run 8 of them for the cost of a single 100 watt incandescent.
and they put out MUCH less heat, very nice in the summer time!






			
				velvetfoot said:
			
		

> I have cfls everywhere.  Maybe not in the garage door opener unit.
> I have the reflector type in the recessed lighting in the kitchen.
> I also have a couple of smaller cfl spots one bathroom.
> I have them there because they did not fit in the "eyeball" spots over the hearth.
> ...


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## TMonter (Dec 7, 2007)

I've started to convert a lot of light fixtures to T-8 and T-5 strips.

My biggest complaint with CF lights is the color and second seems to be the longevity/cost. On the other hand the panasonic CF lamps I have seem to be lasting a very long time.


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## ozarkjeep (Dec 7, 2007)

you mean these?

http://www.premiumcommerciallighting.com/lamps.html





			
				TMonter said:
			
		

> I've started to convert a lot of light fixtures to T-8 and T-5 strips.
> 
> My biggest complaint with CF lights is the color and second seems to be the longevity/cost. On the other hand the panasonic CF lamps I have seem to be lasting a very long time.


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## reelwork02 (Dec 7, 2007)

replaced all but a couple of lights with the cfl's and have seen a $10 on average drop in the electric bill.


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## colsmith (Dec 7, 2007)

We have been using them for a LONG time.  We are tree huggers (when not cutting them to pieces.) ;-)  In WI and IL and some nearby states there is a Focus on Energy group which gets local electric companies to chip in (plus perhaps some gov't. money?) for energy conservation measures.  Energy conservation is so much cheaper than building new power plants.  Anyway, they have had deals on and off for the past 10 years or so offering CFLs for very little or even no money.  They give a rebate something like $4 per CFL bulb.  So Menards from time to time has CFLs on sale in multi-packs for less than $4 a bulb, so we can get them free, minus a little postage for sending in the form.  Before the prices got that low we were paying just a couple dollars per bulb with the rebate.   One year I gave a poor friend and my poor niece and cheap mom CFLs for Christmas. 

We had one in an outdoor porch fixture for years at our last house, that one cost more since it was made to endure freezing weather.  We left it behind, need to find another one for up here.  Currently we have them in the living room (floor lamp and table lamp), dining room, kitchen (over stove and over sink), family room, both bathrooms, our bedroom reading lamp, and slightly more than half the basement lights (which turn on and off individually.)  The color of the light is fine with me.  To counter friends who come by and turn a light switch on and then flip it back and forth because there isn't immediate light, we did something clever in 3 different places (dining room, family room, and main floor bathroom) where we have fixtures that take multiple light bulbs.  We left one incandescent in each fixture.  That way light comes on immediately and nobody does the switch flipping thing that is hard on CFLs.  We don't have a CFL in the garage because 1) it is too cold for the regular ones and 2) that light is usually only on briefly.  We don't have them in the guest bedrooms since we don't have a lot of guests.


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## Corey (Dec 7, 2007)

We have a mixed batch throughout the house.  I focused mainly on lights that tend to get left on a long time, but we have done some other lights.  Some things I have found out:

Color varies widely - not only can you get "warm white", "natural", and "daylight" bulbs running the spectrum from candle flame yellow to blue-white, but even between batches some of the same manufacturers bulbs seem to vary in color.

Start-up time seems to vary, some seem to light up fairly quick, some seem to take a second or two.  May not seem like a big issue, but when you hit the switch at the top of the stairs, you expect to be able to see pretty quickly - it can make for a scary first couple of steps if you have a long delay bulb

Cold affects the initial brightness - as expected with any fluorescent, but even being in a cool basement (60F) seems to make some of the bulbs noticeably dimmer than in the 75F main floor.

I've not had too much luck with the dimable ones - for just general lounging around / TV, etc, I prefer to run the lights down low.  I've tried a couple of dimable ones but get noticeable flickering and a weird yellow color - not the warm orange red that I'm used to.

I rarely seem to get 1/2 or less of the manufacturers rated life time.  I suspect this may be because most of my fixtures are pretty close to a 'bulb down' configuration - which means the ballast is on top of the bulb, soaking up all the heat.  Maybe a table lamp which would be a bulb up configuration to keep the ballast cool would help the lifetime.

There used to be a couple of decent web pages that detailed some of the nuances between manufacturers, but I have lost the links.


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## webbie (Dec 8, 2007)

I use them in my office and in the basement - also replaced all the bulbs in the foyer light.

They do seem to last a long while and have come WAY down in price. I notice they are used 100% in some hotels these days.


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## precaud (Dec 8, 2007)

I just had my first CFL failure, a bulb that was installed 5 years ago, it's on 7 hours a day 5 days a week. Not bad.

The only bulbs I haven't changed to CFL are ones that are only on a short time each use - closets, hallways, and the like. Many moons ago I read somewhere that frequent turn-on/ short on-time significantly lessens the lifespan of CFL's.


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## jklingel (Dec 8, 2007)

We have a few, and I anticipate getting more. In my limited experience, they sure don't put out the light that an incandescent does; my wife hates them. I will look into amping up a tad, though. I sure like the concept. j


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## drewmo (Dec 9, 2007)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> They do seem to last a long while and have come WAY down in price. I notice they are used 100% in some hotels these days.



My in-laws run a 32-bed hotel over here and have placed CFLs wherever they could. Mostly in the bathrooms and most nightstands, and any security lighting that's always on. Most of the overhead lights are chandalier style and can't take CFLs. They recently renovated the hallways and have put LEDs over each door. Also, the hallway lighting is connected to a motion detector, so the lights only stay on for a couple of minutes at a time instead of 24/7. Actually, I've noticed most public spaces in apartment and office buildings in Europe to be on a similar set up. More often, when you get off an elevator, you'll step into a dark hallway and you'll have to find the switch to turn the lights on. The switch itself is illuminated, so it's easy to find. They automatically switch off within a couple of minutes.


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## DiscoInferno (Dec 9, 2007)

We've replaced the kitchen lights (8 x 65W track spotlights), front porch, a couple hallway bulbs, my office, one bathroom (150W spot and vanity), and now two torch lamps (50-100-150W 3-way).  Only one has died so far in 9 months, and that was on the outside fixture, which is questionable (ate incandescents also).  Cuts the non-summer electric bill by at least 1/3, and reduces heat in the summer also.  They paid for themselves within 2 months.

I'm not terribly fond of the standard 2700K ("warm white") color; I have a "daylight" bulb on my vanity but that's a little too blue.  I need to try the intermediate "bright white" bulbs.  I just wish they were sold as cheap and in as many form factors as the 2700K ones.


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## PAJerry (Dec 9, 2007)

We've used them for a long time, but they did not work out in the kitchen so we have a 'circlite' 22w flourescent in the hanging fixture over the table and 2 -40w Vita-lite tubes over the sink.  We also found that the compact bulbs don't work well in the garage because of the cold in winter.

  Light 'color' is an issue in some spots, but you get used to it.  I did put a set of LED lights into the breezeway last summer, replacing a double set of rope lights, a total of 150 watts, with 3 watts.  The light is very much like bright moonlight, very adequate for the area and soft and cool looking. They also do not attract mosquitoes. LEDs will have to fix the color issues before they get widespread use indoors.

  As far as why we use these things, we are into energy saving in a pretty big way - ie. drive a Prius, use tankless water heater, grow all of our own vegetables and fruit, use an energy saving washing machine, dry clothes outside when possible, collect rainwater in barrels to water the garden,etc. Yeah, we could say it is to 'save the planet', but it's mostly 'cause we like to save money.


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## mayhem (Dec 9, 2007)

Been using CFL bulbs in most of my house since we put it up (throughout 2002, moved in January 2003).  I use them in the outdoor fixtures, the ceiling fans, bathroom fan/lights, bedrom, floor lamps...just about anywhere without a dimmer switch (yes I know there are dimmable CFL's).  If you find the right brands you will be able to get bulbs that are virtually indistinguishable from standard bulbs for quality of light and color output...but you have to hunt around.  Additionally check with your local electric utility company...I find in many markets that they subsidize some local stores to sell CF bulbs at heavy discounts (think $.99 per bulb) and oddly enough those happen to be the bulbs with the nicest color too...mine are all 2700k-2900k.  The big box stores (Home Depot, Wal Mart, etc) seem to seel alot of cheap CF bulbs that are poorly made, with color temps that are way the hell up in the 4400k range, which is above white, running into blue.



> Unfotunately, there are no CFLs that will provide the wattage necessary for our kitchen and living room ceiling lights



How many watts do you need?  My local hardware store has CF bulbs as high as 32 watts, which are roughly the equivalent of 125w incandescent bulb.  I run two 4 bulb ceiling fan fixtures in my great room with a 26w CFL in each socket and its plenty bright.  That room is 20x28x26.


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## tuolumne (Dec 10, 2007)

We used all CFL's in the house we built six years ago.  When we recently sold that house and moved to VT all but one or two bulbs were original.  That's pretty good longevity in my opinion.  We bought a bunch of CFL's for the new home, and one thing I noticed was that they brighten up quicker.  Maybe they won't last as long.  I believe the brand on the originals was GE and they were purchase very cheaply through CTs energy rebate program. (that's were everyone pays for CFL's on their utility bills ahead of time without knowing it and only gets a a discount if they buy them)


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## Codeman812 (Dec 10, 2007)

I don't think I have any incandescent bulbs in my home except for the stove, refrigerator, microwave and freezer. After I started coming to this site and burning wood I have started to become more "green" conscious. If I could afford a Prius I would drive one in a heartbeat. Part of my home fix-up plan, besides a ton of insulating upgrades, is some sort of off the grid power source that is eco-friendly.


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## eba1225 (Dec 10, 2007)

I use CFL in fixtures where bright light is not needed, up lights or room lights, not for task work, that still requires incad.

I just had an incadescent blow out in a kitchen recessed and replaced it with a CFL.  That lasted for about 2 mins. as the light was not even close to the incadescent.  The rating for the CFL was identical to the incad but the light output was far lower. Needless to say the CFL came out and a incad went in.


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## Corey (Dec 10, 2007)

eba1225 said:
			
		

> I use CFL in fixtures where bright light is not needed, up lights or room lights, not for task work, that still requires incad.
> 
> I just had an incadescent blow out in a kitchen recessed and replaced it with a CFL.  That lasted for about 2 mins. as the light was not even close to the incadescent.  The rating for the CFL was identical to the incad but the light output was far lower. Needless to say the CFL came out and a incad went in.



That's interesting - I have noted that many CFL's seem to have higher brightness than incandescents.  Just curious what 'rating' you were looking at? Lumens, watts something else?  On a watt/watt basis, a CFL would blow away an incandescent, lumens get a little more tricky, because the color temp comes into play.  I run some daylight CFL's in the garage because I like the crisp white light for detail tasks.  There are some tables available - http://www.efi.org/factoids/lumens.html that give basic lumen output of various lights and guidelines for how much is needed per specific task.  I guess color choice is somewhat up to the user.


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## eba1225 (Dec 11, 2007)

Well after reading all of the posts I decided to give it another try.  After 5 mins it did achieve the brightness equivalent to that of the incad. but there is one draw back this one does not dim.

I have at least 6 other CFLs that come on immediately and do dim significantly.


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## TMonter (Dec 11, 2007)

Actually here is a great article discussing the differences between the strip lamps.

http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/lat5/abstract.asp


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## granpajohn (Dec 11, 2007)

After reading this thread, I think I have the longest running twister style CFL, at 7 years. I think it was USA built, and got it in a 4 pack, primarily because the outside doorway light kept burning out so often. I wanted something that I wouldn't have to replace so much, and it seems to have come through on that acount. (Still going; daily use.) However, as noted above, these things rarely live up to their lumen ratings, and I usually install the next higher rating indoors. Outdoors, I recommend the highest rating you can find; usually 100w equivalent. It is very dim in cold weather. I also have a twister-in-flood type bulb outdoors. This one might not be as bad, but in the coldest weather it is as dim as a dinner candle at first power. It's good for long on periods. And of course, it is more power saving because it is replacing a 175w flood light. 

The price has come down considerably since my first purchase in 2000.

If it really matters, there are many flourescent fixtures available that would be somewhat superior. Notice them in institutional buildings that were designed by a lighting engineer. The CFL has probably been over-hyped, but I use them because they are easy to install, and at least the sudden popularity has brought the price down.


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## Czech (Dec 11, 2007)

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but keep your receipts if you purchase CFL's! I've had great results with warrenties on CFL bulbs that don't last their stated life time, many companies will replace at little or no charge. If I recall correctly, and to give credit where it is due, Feit Company was great at this, no questions asked, new bulbs on my steps a week or so later. Becasue of this, I alway make an effort to buy their product.


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## GVA (Dec 12, 2007)

And what does one do with the CFL when it stops working?

Do you throw it in the garbage?????  I bet most do....

I don't know if I should destroy the environment during the life of a bulb of after the life of a CFL, Kinda like the paper or plastic debate.
Who knows what the potential environmental impacts could be in 20 years....


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## pdboilermaker (Dec 12, 2007)

We use cfl's in all of our fixtures except for the sodium vapor outside light and a couple of outside halogens.  Many of the inside and outside lights are also tied to motion sensors.  Places such as the back entry dorr and the utility room have the motion sensors switches rather than the typical on off switch.


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## tinkabranc (Dec 12, 2007)

we use the CFLs in most lights in the house.  The exception is
appliance lights like fridge/freezer and oven.  Some utility 
companies also lease them to their customers and they have a 
lifetime warranty.


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## backpack09 (Dec 12, 2007)

I installed a couple... But they keep buzzing... And giving the wife migraines. So back to incandescents.


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## Corey (Dec 12, 2007)

Backpack09 said:
			
		

> I installed a couple... But they keep buzzing... And giving the wife migraines. So back to incandescents.



That is strange, too.  Are you using any type of dimable switch or bulb? I have not really noticed the standard CFL in a standard socket/switch to make any detectable noise.  I thought the inverter frequency was above 20KHz which should be inaudible for humans.  Seems like I do remember getting a buzz with one particular CFL light in a dimable fixture - IIRC, that same dimmer even gives a little bit of a 'whine' noise with pure incandescent lamps.

The disposal issue - mentioned earlier is somewhat funny.  They've spent all this time trying to get mercury and lead out of the environment only to sell it back to everyone as 'green' technology.


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## BrownianHeatingTech (Dec 13, 2007)

Backpack09 said:
			
		

> I installed a couple... But they keep buzzing... And giving the wife migraines. So back to incandescents.



I've had the same issue, with the "100Watt" bulbs.  The "60Watt" bulbs don't seem to do it.

Of course, I hear TV sets whistling, so I'm probably not typical in terms of hearing range...

About half my lights are CF.  The other half are on dimmers, or are rarely on, or are in enclosed fixtures, so they are standard incandescents.

I also have _two_ street lights (I mean the big ones, not the usual light on a post) on the back of the house.  The previous owners must have really light late-night outdoor parties, or something.  One is on the barn and will probably just stay there, since I do turn it on maybe three times a year.  The other is on a telephone pole in the middle of the yard and will be coming down as soon as I find someone who wants it badly enough to climb the pole and unbolt it.  Then I can take a chainsaw to the pole without trouble...

(anyone want a street light?  )

Joe


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## reaperman (Dec 13, 2007)

About 5 years ago, before they were popular, Sam's club used to have 5 packs of 100 watt (equiv), for a reasonable price (cant remember off hand), I bought 2 packs. I replaced all overhead lights in the dog kennel, (24x40 bldg), where the lights are on almost always. I have only replaced one bulb of 6 so far. 

I put 4, 60 watt equivalent, flood style lights, in the recess lights in my living room. They were way too bright, much brighter than normal 60 watters for sure. So I ended up putting them outside under the 6-foot eve that covers my porch. Those four, recess lights, light up the outside like crazy. Especially with the snow now. They start up a bit slower starting being outside in the winter. They are on their 2nd year. I have a few scattered throughout the house, especially in the areas where the little woman spends time. She has a habit of leaving a trail of lights on where ever she has been. Drives me crazy. but as long as they are only using a bit of juice I dont mind. I find them much brighter overall, compared to a standard bulb.


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## mrmojo (Dec 26, 2007)

Yes, but bring on LED, they are keeping it artificially high and developmentally hamstrung.


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## burnham (Dec 26, 2007)

I use them on all my outside lights.  On my floodlights I have a time clock switch that turns them on at sunset and off at 11PM. I find it easier having stay on rather than rely on the motion sensor.


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## Highbeam (Dec 26, 2007)

With the recent mandate to go to these things it was discussed at our Xmas festivities. Without fail, those of use who have actually been using them for 5-10 years all had the same story. We like the electric consumption, like the light output, like the slow warm up, throw them in the garbage when they go out, and must replace them VERY frequently. Like 6 months to one year with the occasional oddball lasting much longer right beside one that blows out.

I wonder if the gov't is assuming the savings based on that BS 7 year life?


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## Cazimere (Dec 27, 2007)

I just replaced all my regular bulbs with CFL's. The local power co. paid 50% of the price. Bulbs have a 9 year warranty,
with 10,000 life hrs. My cost, for Cool White 2700k, about 75 cents per bulb. Not bad : )


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## velvetfoot (Dec 27, 2007)

The led Christmas lights, while expensive, are quite nice.


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## caretaker (Dec 28, 2007)

My daughter did an energy adit for our home as a school project, we use alot of electricity, changed all my lites to CFL's, I call them scawiggys, and my electic bill went up, I don't know what happen, they must have read the meter wrong


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## backpack09 (Dec 28, 2007)

And the color... for outdoor lights?  I keep seeing them in peoples light posts and ugg... blue light in a out door lamp is very ugly... Cant they get the color temp to something closer to incandescents, they just look so much better.


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## amkazen (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, We have used the CFL lights exclusively for over 5 1/2 years now due to how we power our home: from the sun.   I think I have replaced maybe 1 bulb per year, and I think 3 of those are from one pendant light hanging above the kitchen island.  I am just now starting to suspect something must be wrong with that pendant light but at this point I have no idea how to determine that.  CFL lights work good, and some are better than others in that some takea longer time to warm up & get bright and others just come on bright immediately.


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