On 01/25/2013 12:59 PM, = wrote:
"Joe Mastroianni" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:48:16 -0500, Tomsic wrote:

They're in an "exempt" category which includes decorative,
colored and other types which are not widely used.

Makes sense.

Bulb choices for consumers actually increased in 2012.

Doesn't make sense.

How did removing bulb choices increase bulb choices?


Well in the case of the 100 watt bulb during 2012, the 100 watt was replaced
by the 72 watt. It's more efficient and gives about the same amount of
light, costs about the same and is rated to last for 1,000 hours, so that's
one choice.

Another choice is the so-called "2X" bulb that a company called ADLT
announced. It gives the same light output as the old 100 watt, but draws
only 50 watts and is rated for 1500 hours. That's an additional choice that
we didn't have before.

Then there are the screw-in CFLs, usually rated for about 26 watts. The
prices have come down significantly on those and some are also rated for
more light output than the old 100 watt. But it's a 3rd. choice because the
types shaped like the old standard bulbs just appeared last year.

Finally, about mid-2012, the major lamp companies introduced LED equivalents
to the 100 watt also rated about 26 watts. That's a 4th. choice.

So, what I see on retailer shelves is that the old 100 watt bulb can now be
replaced by 3 or 4 alternatives depending upon what you want -- long life,
low initial cost, efficiency, color, dimability, etc. The "2X" isn't in
wide distribution yet; but the others are.

One bulb disappeared and 3-4 alternatives with various performance options
are now on the shelves with the same thing already happening for the 75 watt
that's being phased out now except that the alternatives are cheaper and
more available.

What doesn't seem to make sense is why some people bought stocks of the old
100 watt bulbs and are hoarding them.

Tomsic






The problem I have with some of the new alternatives (e.g. CFL, LED) is
that they don't respond well to the use of conventional dimmers. A 100
watt bulb might be used full-on a small fraction of the time (i.e.
usually dimmed) and hence use much less than 100 watts on average.
Replacing it with a non-dimmable alternative might actually use a
comparable amount of energy, or even in rare instances more energy, with
less flexibility.

We have a mix of lighting technologies in our house -- old fashioned
incandescent, halogen, fluorescent tube, CFL, LED, and even neon -- each
chosen for its particular attributes of light output, energy
consumption, dimmability, color, configuration and mood.