On Apr 18, 4:41*pm, ransley wrote:
On Apr 18, 1:06*pm, wrote:





With these new compact florescent bulbs, we may as well all go back to
candle light. *I have lived with these damn CF bulbs in my garage for
several years. *I go in to get a tool, and have to stand for 5 minutes
waiting to be able to see what I'm doing. *I started carrying a
flashlight to use while these damn bulbs got up to full brightness.
That's when I realized I may as well just use the flashlight, or a
candle. *By the time these bulbs are bright enough to see anything I
am shutting them back off and leaving with my tools. *The other night
I finally had enough. *I replaced them with standard light bulbs. *Now
I am no longer living in the dark and wasting my life away waiting to
see. *Those CF bulbs might save energy, and might save me a few cents,
but the aggravation is not worth it. *Except for lights that remain on
for long periods of time, I will not be using CF bulbs any longer.

One other thing, these bulbs are advertised to outlast standard bulbs.
I have not found that to be correct. *None of them last any longer,
and many burn out sooner. *I did find that those that take the longest
to get up to normal brightness seem to last longer than those that get
bright sooner. *Either way, they are not practical except for security
lights that stay on for long periods of time, and their cost savings
are quickly used to replace these bulbs that cost 10 or more times the
cost of a standard bulb.

Old ones were not very good but what you state is completely opposite
of what is true now, I use about 50 of them indoors and out at several
locations up to -15f, the only ones slow to get bright are the flood
lights, this I am told is a heat design issue since they are enclosed.
Get a 25 watt unit, it equals 100w incandescent, but if you only go in
and out for a minute, incandesant may be best. A good review of cfls
is atwww.popularmechanics.com*One of the cheapest cfls is actualy
rated as good and maybe better at color rendition as compared to
incandescents pleasing effect. *My opion is incandescents should be
taxed to $2.00 and cfls rebated to 1$.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If you are in area where it gets hot enough to air condition the use
of CFLs inside a house seems to make sense. Homes here, with very few
exceptions do not install AC. Although some heat pump systems can be
reversed.

In our climate where almost every month of the year requires some
heating, especially cool summer/fall evenings when lights are going to
be on anyway, at least until one goes to bed, the use of CFLs seem
debatable?

Outside where all the heat from a conventional bulb is wasted it also
makes sense to use CFLs; provided they work well!
And also last much longer than conventional bulbs.

But over our front door, which is on every night for 10 to 12 hours,
we are still using the 3rd one of 3 used 'long life' bulbs we took out
of an institutional building (now demolished) some 10 -12 years ago!

These used long life 50 watt 130 volt, conventional lamps seem to be
lasting last about 4 years each (12,000 to 15,000 hours?).

When the last one goes will try one of the newer 'outdoor CFLs';
previous experience with cheap CFLs in cold weather not good.