Seriousness 100W incandescent lightbulbs banned in the EU from 1st Sep - Page 5

Xenophon · 08-30-2009, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volwrath

[SNIP]

Also no one has mentioned power quality. The switching of the power supply in the CFL may cause harmonic issues and wreck havoc on the power grid due to poor power factors

That can indeed be a problem. And that's one reason I refuse to purchase CFLs with power factors below 95%. And why I buy from a vendor that provides the numbers, so I can make choices like that. 'Course, I don't think they ship outside the US, and the bulbs they sell won't work for you unless you use compatible fixtures (and voltage, and frequency, and safety standards, and...). So, as usual, your mileage may vary.

Xenophon

SolRaven · 08-31-2009, 12:40 AM

If they are banning incandescent bulbs then it'll force CFL manufacturer to make better & more competitive bulbs. Bulbs that are small, instant on and with warm homey lighting. Personally I prefer CFL for several reasons. They use less energy and they emit less heat.

I have a CFL in my closet that has the illumination of a 100W bulb, but uses 20W. I love the fact that I can use a paper shade on it and not worry about the bulb getting too hot, but still be able to have bright closet lighting. I love that I can touch a bulb or lamp that was just on because they don't get that hot. I replaced the desk light in the hutch after it melted the plastic casing on the top of my monitor.

It took a little bit of trial and error, but all the lights in my home have cfl bulbs except for my chandelier an a couple of other ambient lights that have specialty bulbs that I haven't been able to find in a CFL. All but my utility room has warm lighting. I accidentally bought a pack of cool cfl bulbs that are fine for task lighting, but not warm for home lighting, so I use those in my untility room. Just last week, I gave away all of my incandescent bulbs to Good Will. I realized I'm never going to use them and that they were just taking up space in my home.

doreenjoy · 08-31-2009, 03:41 AM

My only real complaint about CFL is that you can't use a dimmer switch with them. I get light-induced migraines and the default wattage is often too bright.

Sweetpea · 08-31-2009, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Yes, that's been my experience. When I leave a room I turn the light off. That's how my parents raised me. I've used a number of CFLs, and all but one have quit working in a very short time.

Mine too. There's only one location in our house where a light will be burning for a long time each day (especially in winter), and that is our hallway. It doesn't have direct daylight and is very dark when the light outside is dieing. So, we put LED lights there so it can stay on for longer periods without asking too much electricity. Right now, we only have 4 incandescent bulbs that are on for a longer period of time. One in the kitchen (especially in the morning at breakfast) and 3 in the livingroom (we were looking for dimable CFL but couldn't find them). The other two lights in the livingroom are LED (one bulb and one philips thingie)

I think more money can be saved by just turning off the lights when you don't need them.

Kostas · 08-31-2009, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

My only real complaint about CFL is that you can't use a dimmer switch with them. I get light-induced migraines and the default wattage is often too bright.

That's what I thought too. But other members pointed out that "dimmable" CFLs are now available (see previous posts). I indeed found several with a little net search. An example here.

Sparrow · 08-31-2009, 07:53 AM

This thread has got me thinking that maybe not all CFLs are as rubbish as the ones I've encountered so far.

So, today I've ordered some Full Spectrum Daylight bulbs to see what they're like - who knows, maybe they'll be even better than incandecsents.

to everyone who has contributed to an interesting discussion.

igorsk · 08-31-2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kostas

To shock a little more those that dislike this EU decision, I've read in newspapers that EU is considering to forbid stand-by mode in future electronic devices (including battery powered and ebook readers?) in an effort to reduce energy consumption as studies have established that energy spoiled this way is quite significant in total.
I realised then that I have several electronic devices in stb-by mode that I use only once or twice a year.
But what about our tv set??? Having to leave the couch to turn on????

Actually they're using various means to entice manufacturers to reduce standnby consumption.
http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/energyeff...initiative.htm
I didn't hear anything about outright banning, and doubt it will happen.

HarryT · 08-31-2009, 12:44 PM

Standby power consumption does seem to be improving in modern devices. My Sony TV, for example, uses 0.2W in standby (presumably it's just powering the IR sensor!).

kaan · 08-31-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

I think it's a bad idea - LEDs would be a much better replacement. A lot less energy, and sod all heat from them. And a nice, bright white light.

Until bayonet-fit LED bulbs become easily available, and until LED replacements for flouro tubes don't cost an arm and a leg and don't require you to rewire the fitting, we'll be sticking with CFL bulbs.

Try this place:
http://www.leds.de/c19/LED_spots.html

The price is gigantic though.

doreenjoy · 08-31-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

This thread has got me thinking that maybe not all CFLs are as rubbish as the ones I've encountered so far.

So, today I've ordered some Full Spectrum Daylight bulbs to see what they're like - who knows, maybe they'll be even better than incandecsents.

to everyone who has contributed to an interesting discussion.

I hope you like the Full Spectrum bulbs. I love them -- all the colors in my house look more natural, and I think it helps improve my Vitamin D uptake.

Who are you? · 08-31-2009, 11:23 PM

.....

pholy · 08-31-2009, 11:40 PM

I love my full spectrum lights. Last winter was the first one in ages when I didn't suffer from the winter blahs.

DawnFalcon · 09-01-2009, 03:32 AM

In the past I've used full spectrum incandescent bulbs, they have been seriously useful in stablising my sleep cycle. This house only has halogen lights, however, which are not only shorter lived and more expensive than even full spectrum incandescent bulbs, their light tends to give me headaches and the expensive LED bulbs are so dim as to be effectively useless. I've ended up getting a desk lamp and having full spectrum bulbs for it shipped from Asia, and it's still not ideal.

Hopefully the next place I live will have normal light fittings, but I'm not looking foward to having to buy the expensive full spectrum CFL's, which in my experience die just as quickly, if not more quickly, as normal incandescents. And the level of light they provide is an issue, too many houses using CFL's are badly lit... (Supposedly the 20W ones provide as much light as a 100W bulb, a photometer* quickly shows that's a bad joke - a 30W one is still less powerful)

(*Do they think people can't easily check? It's not like making a photometer is remotely hard)

HarryT · 09-01-2009, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

This thread has got me thinking that maybe not all CFLs are as rubbish as the ones I've encountered so far.

So, today I've ordered some Full Spectrum Daylight bulbs to see what they're like - who knows, maybe they'll be even better than incandecsents.

to everyone who has contributed to an interesting discussion.

Could I ask where you bought them from, Sparrow? I'd be interested in trying them myself.

Sparrow · 09-01-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Could I ask where you bought them from, Sparrow? I'd be interested in trying them myself.

I've ordered them from Androv Medical:
http://www.androv-medical.com/sectio...068fc0649af79d

but they've not arrived yet (only ordered yesterday

).

08-31-2009, 12:40 AM	#62
SolRaven Wizard Posts: 2,214 Karma: 12796976 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Sunshine State Device: Clara, Voyage, Oasis, Paperwhite & PRS-650	If they are banning incandescent bulbs then it'll force CFL manufacturer to make better & more competitive bulbs. Bulbs that are small, instant on and with warm homey lighting. Personally I prefer CFL for several reasons. They use less energy and they emit less heat. I have a CFL in my closet that has the illumination of a 100W bulb, but uses 20W. I love the fact that I can use a paper shade on it and not worry about the bulb getting too hot, but still be able to have bright closet lighting. I love that I can touch a bulb or lamp that was just on because they don't get that hot. I replaced the desk light in the hutch after it melted the plastic casing on the top of my monitor. It took a little bit of trial and error, but all the lights in my home have cfl bulbs except for my chandelier an a couple of other ambient lights that have specialty bulbs that I haven't been able to find in a CFL. All but my utility room has warm lighting. I accidentally bought a pack of cool cfl bulbs that are fine for task lighting, but not warm for home lighting, so I use those in my untility room. Just last week, I gave away all of my incandescent bulbs to Good Will. I realized I'm never going to use them and that they were just taking up space in my home. Last edited by SolRaven; 08-31-2009 at 12:43 AM.

08-31-2009, 11:23 PM	#71
Who are you? Groupie Posts: 184 Karma: 300001 Join Date: May 2009 Device: 505	..... Last edited by Who are you?; 09-01-2009 at 12:33 AM. Reason: What I said wasn't correct

09-01-2009, 03:32 AM	#73
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	In the past I've used full spectrum incandescent bulbs, they have been seriously useful in stablising my sleep cycle. This house only has halogen lights, however, which are not only shorter lived and more expensive than even full spectrum incandescent bulbs, their light tends to give me headaches and the expensive LED bulbs are so dim as to be effectively useless. I've ended up getting a desk lamp and having full spectrum bulbs for it shipped from Asia, and it's still not ideal. Hopefully the next place I live will have normal light fittings, but I'm not looking foward to having to buy the expensive full spectrum CFL's, which in my experience die just as quickly, if not more quickly, as normal incandescents. And the level of light they provide is an issue, too many houses using CFL's are badly lit... (Supposedly the 20W ones provide as much light as a 100W bulb, a photometer* quickly shows that's a bad joke - a 30W one is still less powerful) (Do they think people can't easily check? It's not like making a photometer is remotely hard) Last edited by DawnFalcon; 09-01-2009 at 03:43 AM.*

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08-31-2009, 03:41 AM	#63
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	My only real complaint about CFL is that you can't use a dimmer switch with them. I get light-induced migraines and the default wattage is often too bright.

08-31-2009, 07:53 AM	#66
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	This thread has got me thinking that maybe not all CFLs are as rubbish as the ones I've encountered so far. So, today I've ordered some Full Spectrum Daylight bulbs to see what they're like - who knows, maybe they'll be even better than incandecsents. to everyone who has contributed to an interesting discussion.

08-31-2009, 12:44 PM	#68
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Standby power consumption does seem to be improving in modern devices. My Sony TV, for example, uses 0.2W in standby (presumably it's just powering the IR sensor!).

08-31-2009, 11:40 PM	#72
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I love my full spectrum lights. Last winter was the first one in ages when I didn't suffer from the winter blahs.