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Don Klipstein Don Klipstein is offline
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Default Going back to candlelight

In ,
terry wrote:

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?


A heat pump costs half as much to produce heat as a resistive heater
(such as an incandescent lamp).

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!


Those are even less efficient than "standard" incandescents.

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.


Chances are you can outperform those with a 9 watt N:Vision ceiling fan
CFL! (Available at Home Depot.) Those have outer bulbs and have warmup
characteristics typical of outdoor CFLs that have outer bulbs, so I give
those fairly good prospects - just give them a few minutes to warm up!

Ones marketed for outdoor use and with wattage around 15 watts should
produce 2-3 times as much light as those superlonglife 130V 50 watt
incandescents.

- Don Klipstein )