[Boatanchors] Replacing 866s with 3B28s thread drift to CFLs

[Sheldon Daitch]

Bob,

interesting information on the pricing.

CFLs generally run about $3.15 for the smaller
8 watt to 14 watt sizes, and about $5 for the
larger sizes, 23 watts or so, Philips brand, at the
local Wal-Mart equal (Carrefour).  I think Osram
brand CFLs run about the same price and the
discount CFLs are even cheaper.

Unfortunately, they are all 240VAC versions, as
that is the local standard.

I use the CFLs for our exterior lighting at the house,,
where they tend to last about a year, averaging about
12 hours per  night.  I'd never get that kind of life out
of incandescent lamps.    Typical incandescent bulbs,
GE, Sylvania, Philips, Osram, they run about 35 cents
for 60 to 100 watt bulbs.

Changing some of the exterior lamps is a pain and
requires dragging out a ladder, and while the use of
CFLs may not be cost efficient, strictly from an
accounting basis, but when the inconvenience factor
is in the equation, CFLs can make sense.

We don't use the CFLs inside, as few CFLs fit the
lamp bases and globe sizes, and a number of the
ceiling lamps are on dimmers.

As for the mercury issue, you are correct, no more
mercury in the home, but the CFL supporters claim
with the reduce energy consumption of CFLs, less
mercury is released in the atmosphere from the
reduced fuels burned generating electricity.  I suppose
if the US were 100% nuclear power for electricity,
the mercury concerns in fuel would go away, but
the US is a long way from being 100% nuclear.

I don't think I've ever changed out any of the CFLs
twice in eight months.  I know my change rate for
incandescent lamps is probably worse than that.

73
Sheldon





On 12/30/2010 8:29 AM, WA5CAB at cs.com wrote:
> There are no recycling programs for the new mercury containing fluorescent
> lamps around here.  The super short lived very expensive pieces of crap just
> go into the Friday trash.  In eight months I went through two of them in
> one open lamp holder in the top of my shop..  Each went into the trash.  After
> the second failure I gave them up as a waste of money and went back to a
> standard 100 watt incandescent.  That was around 18 months ago.  The two lamps
> also cost me (including sales tax) around $25.  If the incandescents each
> fail at 18 months, $25 will supply lamps for 25 years.  Not 8 months.
> Actually, the total is probably around 40 years versus 8 months.  And no mercury
> to worry about, either.
>    
>