Australia to Ban Incadescent Bulbs

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Consumer groups? "Family friendly" stores that would not carry products made from unsafe materials?

I dont have statistics, but isnt the majority of banned materials banned because consumer organizations pointed their finger at them? Speaking strictly from what I can recall right now, but when a product has been deemed unsafe it was usualy because a consumer group raised a storm and then the official gov authority banned the thing.

So what's the consumer group's recourse when a company's products kill someone? Send them a nasty letter? Give their product a 0/5 rating on Amazon?

Do consumer groups have the authority to force companies to recall products? How about refunds? Where are the consumer groups getting this money?

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

Thats cool. I have a few bulbs, but my wife HATES the light they give off. I think she is just picky, but she does have pretty bad eyes.

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.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Mm, love those yummy little spikes. Hasbro made a few million off this toy.

That hurts my eye just looking at it. Yessh!

[DuffMan]

they can have my incandescent bulbs when they pry them from my cold dead hands.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

they can have my incandescent bulbs when they pry them from my cold dead hands.

Considering incandescent blubs product 95% heat, chances are that your hands, although dead, won't be cold.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Burninator

That hurts my eye just looking at it. Yessh!

Think that's bad? The parts are also made out of metal.

[SteveToms]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Considering incandescent blubs product 95% heat, chances are that your hands, although dead, won't be cold.

[V]

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.

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.

[photon]

Originally Posted by V

YTo 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.

No doubt about that, but to make a CFL bulb looks like a more complicated process than a ILB, so there's going to be more energy and waste.. just wondering if anyone's seen any info on that side of things.

Kind of like a plastic bottle for a 1L bottle of bottled water supposedly uses 23L of water in the manufacturing process, uses however much oil, etc...

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by V

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.

flourescent tubes are gas plasma lights, which means you get spikes of energy at certain frequencies.

In sunlight or incandecent bulbs, you get a more even spectral density of lights.

[Flame On]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Considering incandescent blubs product 95% heat, chances are that your hands, although dead, won't be cold.

That's two gold posts in one thread Burniator!

[PowerPlayoffs06]

At the risk of resurrecting the debate about government controlling every aspect of our lives...


http://www.newstarget.com/022293.html

The Energy Committee of the U.S. Senate is drafting a bill that would phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs in the United States. Incandescent bulbs, the same type of light bulb first developed by Thomas Edison, produce light by forcing an electric current through a thin filament. This filament is heated up and, as a consequence, emits light. These bulbs are incredibly inefficient, however, and up to 90 percent of the energy put into them gets released in the form of heat rather than light.

...

Australia has already announced that it will phase out the sale of incandescent light bulbs by 2010, and Canada plans to meet that goal by 2012. Thirteen U.S. states are also considering proposals to at least partially ban incandescent bulbs.

On a light-related note... Why does Calgary have so many street lights? We could remove every second one and be no worse for ware, and cut out half the cities bill for lighting streets.

[llama64]

Does anyone know of any CFL replacements for 40watt lamps that don't give off that awful florescent "feel"? You know the kinda icky bluish light that just doesn't look right?

I replaced all five of my chandelier's lights with CFL's and it resulted in a feeling that we were eating in a workshop.

[ken0042]

I found the right mix of light spectrum is to combine the "daylight" CFLs with regular CFLs.

Except every so often somebody will ask me why I have different coloured bulbs.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by llama64

Does anyone know of any CFL replacements for 40watt lamps that don't give off that awful florescent "feel"? You know the kinda icky bluish light that just doesn't look right?

I replaced all five of my chandelier's lights with CFL's and it resulted in a feeling that we were eating in a workshop.

I got some of the smaller Phillips Marathon bulbs, and they looked exactly like incadescent lighting. I then bought some of the bigger Phillips Marathon bulbs, and they gave the nice cozy feeling of being in the doctor's office.

[Dan02]

I absolutely hate CFLs with a passion, when we first installed some i took a bail down the stairs because when i flicked the switch it took a couple seconds for the light to warm up and come on, as a result i missed the first step. I guarentee its going to happen again too.

Further more we've had issues with them not working properly in all sorts of things, from bulbs in lamps so dim you might as well light a candle, to bulbs which just don't fit right cause they're a different shape/size then the incandesent the fixture was designed for.

I predict as we get close to the deadline we're gonna see some people stocking up/hoarding the incandesants. I know i will be.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Dan02

I absolutely hate CFLs with a passion, when we first installed some i took a bail down the stairs because when i flicked the switch it took a couple seconds for the light to warm up and come on, as a result i missed the first step. I guarentee its going to happen again too.

Further more we've had issues with them not working properly in all sorts of things, from bulbs in lamps so dim you might as well light a candle, to bulbs which just don't fit right cause they're a different shape/size then the incandesent the fixture was designed for.

I predict as we get close to the deadline we're gonna see some people stocking up/hoarding the incandesants. I know i will be.

I saw an article in some home/renovation type magazine and they were showing all sorts of different shapes and sizes of CFL's, even some that worked with dimmer switches some how. I've never seen any of them in stores here though.

I have noticed some brands take a second to turn on, while others I have are instant on, which is really nice.

[stang]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Hopefully it works that way. Just saying it's not as easy of a switch as it seems...

I thought you couldnt put the CFLS in enclosed fixtures.. so there would be a problem.

Originally Posted by Shazam

You'd be absolutely wrong then. Here's the original Mr. Potato Head:

Mm, love those yummy little spikes. Hasbro made a few million off this toy.

Originally Posted by Dan02

I absolutely hate CFLs with a passion, when we first installed some i took a bail down the stairs because when i flicked the switch it took a couple seconds for the light to warm up and come on, as a result i missed the first step. I guarentee its going to happen again too.

Seriously? You couldnt wait a second for it to flick on? That one second is so important that you will try again and probally fall down the stairs again?

[ken0042]

The last batch of CFLs I bought give me about 80% brightness as quickly as regular bulbs. Forget the brand, but they were in a 6 pack from Home Depot and were called "Daylights."

Should help the Homer Simpsons of the world to not fall down the stairs.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by stang

Seriously? You couldnt wait a second for it to flick on? That one second is so important that you will try again and probally fall down the stairs again?

Nothing really, but why would i have to deal with the minor annoyance of having to stop a the top and wait a second or 2 when i can just use a bulb that actually turns on when you hit the switch?

Sometimes you're just in a hurry, like a friends waiting out front and you forgot something downstairs so you hit the switch as you head down the stairs not remembering that the silly light won't come on right away. Not to say you won't make it down safely 99.9% of the time but theres that one in a thousand times you trip for whatever reason.

And my guarentee was more of a hyperbole then gods honest truth, guess it wasn't as obvious to some as i thought.

Originally Posted by ken0042

Should help the Homer Simpsons of the world to not fall down the stairs.

well thanks