Quote:
Originally Posted by Draug
I dont like the light either. In fact, the light from those flourescent tubes actually gives me a headache right behind my eyes. You commonly see those long tubes in schools, stores, etc.
Does the light from the small household flourescent bulbs come off differently than the tubes?
I appreciate the environmental concerns, but making the switch wont happen for me if I get headaches from the light.
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Yeah, this isn't completely uncommon, there are others like you. I'm not sure about the science behind it, but I wonder if it's because those tubes are being run on a magnetic ballast, which isn't a great controller of the frequency. As soon as there is any kind of flicker, even if you can't easily see it, it will wreak havoc with some people's eyes. You can get this problem with an electronic ballast as well, but it's not as common. CFLs are all run off of electronic ballasts, as far as I know.
Personally, I don't like the CFLs I've seen, mostly because the only fixture they fit into in my house is the open type, and then they look like little white turds dropping out of the fixture.
To answer photon's question early on, there are immense savings between the life of a CFL compared to the life of an A19 bulb, as well as the energy efficiency of the CFL. I can't completely answer the question, though, because I don't know how much a standard CFL costs. So maybe it evens out in the end.
And opposite to what was stated earlier, A19s are very efficient. If you're looking for a heater.
For what it's worth, I don't think LEDs are too far off. There are some really cool applications out right now where LED lighting has completely taken out the neon lighting industry. The colour rendering out of LEDs are outstanding now, too. They are expensive for a residential application right now, but I'm sure that'll come down in time. I've done some designs with LED lighting, and I'd have to say that the results have been outstanding. I'm really looking forward to being able to use them in my house. Then think of the savings. Incredibly long life, incredibly low wattage, and limitless uses. Hopefully eventually we'll see a half decent price.