Truth about new light bulb law

[kieefer]

Oh, I know about it. I just don't remember it. Just trying to be funny.

darn, I thought I knew something that you didn't. :-\

[Guest lostpass]

I've actually invested some time and, heh, energy, into the CFL bulbs longevity. When I put one in I write the date on that bit of ceramic around the bottom. I had done some calculation about payback times and wanted to discover if the bulbs really lasted long enough to justify the extra expense. It turns out, if you do the arithmetic, that they are cheaper for you after a period of time.

That noted, I've found a huge amount of variability in CFL bulbs. When the incandescents burnt out in the house (new construction seven years ago) I replaced the burnt out lights with CFL bulbs.

Now here's the thing. There are some incandescents that run all the time that I have yet to replace. There are some that have only been replaced once after around a year. But there are probably 10 or 12 fixtures where I've had to replace the CFL's yearly.

I should've kept more data but from what I can tell I have some problematic sockets. Some lights burn out all the time for no apparent reason and some sockets just keep everything going just right. I have no theory to explain this. I secretly suspect some of my sockets are pure evil or that light bulb manufacturing quality is widely variable but I don't know for sure. I've been told by a fluorescent light master that the manufacture is tightly controlled so the second hypothesis is suspect. Still, I wonder...

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've actually invested some time and, heh, energy, into the CFL bulbs longevity. When I put one in I write the date on that bit of ceramic around the bottom. I had done some calculation about payback times and wanted to discover if the bulbs really lasted long enough to justify the extra expense. It turns out, if you do the arithmetic, that they are cheaper for you after a period of time.

That noted, I've found a huge amount of variability in CFL bulbs. When the incandescents burnt out in the house (new construction seven years ago) I replaced the burnt out lights with CFL bulbs.

Now here's the thing. There are some incandescents that run all the time that I have yet to replace. There are some that have only been replaced once after around a year. But there are probably 10 or 12 fixtures where I've had to replace the CFL's yearly.

I should've kept more data but from what I can tell I have some problematic sockets. Some lights burn out all the time for no apparent reason and some sockets just keep everything going just right. I have no theory to explain this. I secretly suspect some of my sockets are pure evil or that light bulb manufacturing quality is widely variable but I don't know for sure. I've been told by a fluorescent light master that the manufacture is tightly controlled so the second hypothesis is suspect. Still, I wonder...

Vacuum tubes and incandescent light bulbs have always had their "outliers" that have much longer than typical lifespan. There was a news story in the 1960's or 1970's where an old house was being torn down, which had an attic that had been sealed and walled-over many decades earlier. The light in the old sealed off attic was still turned on and apparently it had been left on when the attic was sealed up. It was estimated that the "lucky" ancient incandescent bulb had run continuously for some outlandish time. Can't recall, but at least many decades.

Dunno if this is an entirely valid theory, but a reasonable-sounding common theory is that inrush current and thermal shock contributes to wearing out incandescent bulbs and vacuum tubes. So if you leave the thangs on near-continuously then it minimizes the repetitive thermal shocks and contributes to long life.

Unfortunately, because incandescent bulbs suck power like a wino sucks thunderbird, that is a very expensive way to optimize the lifespan of the bulb. I recall an ad campaign sometime around the 1970's or earlier, of a power company advising commercial customers to run the lights 24/7 to minimize the expense of changing bulbs. Of course the money lost running the lights when the office was empty, happened to be vastly greater than the money saved replacing light bulbs. But the electric company was in the biz of selling power, not light bulbs!

For the last few years I do most of my work in the living room, which has a 5 bulb ceiling fixture. I have bad eyes and a diagnosis of hyper-somnia, unexplained daytime sleepiness. Bright light helps both. When I was feeding the overhead fixture on five 40 or 60 watt incandescents, I was replacing at least one bulb monthly. But since changing to 13 watt CFL's (which are just as bright and not near as hot) I don't recall the last time I changed a CFL. Maybe one or two CFL's per year max. Maybe power is still cheap enough that a steady diet of cheap incandescents would be overall cheaper than occasionally replacing a more expensive CFL, but one would also have to factor the extra air conditioning cost in the summer, fighting against a 200 watt or 300 watt heater continuously running in the living room (when using incandescents).

When first adopting CFL's I bought no-name bargain brands which did not work great and had a fairly short lifespan (though longer than incandescents). Lately I usually buy GE or Phillips CFL's and they seem better and more durable. I don't have special fondness for either company, but the bulbs do seem more durable. Or perhaps quality control has just overall improved.

The new LED household lights advertise crazy lifetimes like 20 or 30 years. Dunno if they will last that long. Tme will tell. I would expect more-likely failure from the rectifiers or other electronic gadgets in the bulbs, rather than the LED's themselves. Whichever part in the bulb fails first, kills the entire gadget of course.

[redfsr]

Didn't overturn law, from your article:

"The spending bill doesn’t actually amend the 2007 law, but does prohibit the administration from spending any money to carry out the light bulb standards — which amounts to at least a temporary reprieve."

Today's standards for incandescent bulbs are still on phase-out. New performance standards must be met. Really more of a semantic debate.

Topic was moved to:

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/national-politics-legislation/67097-truth-about-new-light-bulb-law.html

- OS

I spoke to the Secretary of Energy of Colorado a couple of weeks ago and he informed me of the repeal after I complained about the ban. He told me the standards for most of the incandescent bulbs made in this country already meet the "new" standards therefore there really won't be any real phase out except for some of the cheap imported stuff. The manufacturers are actually upset over this because they have already spent millions retooling their factories.

Edited January 9, 2012 by redfsr

[Oh Shoot]

I spoke to the Secretary of Energy of Colorado a couple of weeks ago and he informed me of the repeal after I complained about the ban. He told me the standards for most of the incandescent bulbs made in this country already meet the "new" standards therefore there really won't be any real phase out except for some of the cheap imported stuff. The manufacturers are actually upset over this because they have already spent millions retooling their factories.

What light bulbs are made in USA? I guess he meant the US "manufacturers" like GE, Slyvania, et all, whose factories are in China and Mexico? Of course, it costs money to retool those plants too, so I get that part of the point, but I don't know of any "incandescent bulbs made in this country" as per your comment. Or any other kind of light bulb. Do you?

Who is this guy btw; I don't see a Dept. of Energy under Colorado's departments on their site?

- OS

Edited January 9, 2012 by OhShoot

[mav]

These are made in the US. American Made Incandescent Bulbs: Light Bulbs Etc, Inc.

[Oh Shoot]

These are made in the US. American Made Incandescent Bulbs: Light Bulbs Etc, Inc.

Well, I guess there's one source. Maybe.

Very odd they don't mention the company name, seems to me.

- OS

[mav]

I only knew about it because I Googled it. There is still a manufacturer in IL.

http://www.aerolights.com/index.html

DaveTN should appreciate this information.

I was surprised to find one.

Edited January 9, 2012 by mav

[Oh Shoot]

I only knew about it because I Googled it. There is still a manufacturer in IL.

Manufacturer of Incandescent & Fluorescent Lighting-Schaumburg, Illinois-Aero-Tech Light Bulb Co.

DaveTN should appreciate this information.

I was surprised to find one.

Probably have to get some kind of permit to own them there.

- OS

[redfsr]

What light bulbs are made in USA? I guess he meant the US "manufacturers" like GE, Slyvania, et all, whose factories are in China and Mexico? Of course, it costs money to retool those plants too, so I get that part of the point, but I don't know of any "incandescent bulbs made in this country" as per your comment. Or any other kind of light bulb. Do you?

Who is this guy btw; I don't see a Dept. of Energy under Colorado's departments on their site?

- OS

I could have misinterpreted what he meant by where the bulbs were made but what I'm pretty sure he said was the new standard isn't something new to the manufacturers. However, there was a reference to the cheap incandescent bulbs coming out of China.

The Colorado energy department is called the Governor's Energy Office: Governor's Energy Office - About Us I also said secretary but his title is technically the director.