Comments on: Upgraded to (Almost) All CFL (Fluorescent Light)

By: Krunk

Krunk — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:13:04 +0000

Fixed 🙂

By: martin

martin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:34:38 +0000

i made a typo in my last post. I got them at walgreens DRUG store, not dru store.. haha

By: martin

martin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:33:26 +0000

I like what you wrote about how CFL bulbs are a good idea. I switched all mine out with CFL bulbs I bought at WALGREENS drug store. I also noticed that there are the small chandelier bulbs you mentioned in your blog, but they are not CFLs. I think they are LEDs instead which use less energy that CFLs, but they are for decoration and not really for really lighting up a room or anything. Good luck!

By: Krunk

Krunk — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:03:05 +0000

The bulbs I got from Costco were soft yellowish. Not sure exactly how to describe the color, but definitely not white. They reminded me the yellowish color of regular light bulbs.

As for wattage, given that it’s pulling in a lot less than a standard incandescent light bulb, I’m pretty sure you can use higher wattage if you prefer. I personally never really look at wattage compliance. Usually, I’m more concern about how bright it’ll be.

Also, a lot of wattage concerns is that they don’t want the bulb to get too hot and cause a fire, which CFLs also don’t have a problem with.

By: Jeff T.

Jeff T. — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:38:41 +0000

Glad to hear that you made the switch to CFLs! I am curious, what did you think of the color? I have tried a few different ones, but they still seem to produce this almost “sterile white” characteristic. I found an article over at http://www.modernmom.org that states the new ones come in different colors, but the prices have been hiked. What temperature (color) were your bulbs? Have you tried any different colors?

Also, regarding the wattage, if you light socket is rated for 60watt, can you put a “stronger” CFL (say, rated for 100watts) because the actual wattage is less? Or should you limit yourself to the max wattage?

By: Krunk

Krunk — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:01:51 +0000

They represent the incandescent equivalents. I believe the real wattage is like 11 or something small like that.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:08:41 +0000

The local Asian supermarket near my parents’ house sells cheapy CFLs for either 3 or 4 for a buck.

Sure, they’re not going to last anywhere close to the ~ 10 years that good quality CFLs are spec’d to last, but for a quarter a pop, I’m not complaining.

Re: warm-up period: that has never bothered me before, but I can see how it would be annoying in a really dark room (hallway closet, bathroom, etc.).

BTW, when you say “40W” or “65W” bulbs, is that the actual power consumption, or do those numbers refer to their incandescent equivalents (example: a “100W” equivalent CFL really uses something like 20-25W)?

By: Krunk

Krunk — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:02:21 +0000

Ah… I didn’t realize there were instant-on ones. The previous ones sold at Costco as I mentioned was Philips Marathon and those are instant on, but I don’t recall them selling them not in the swirly tube form.

By: ångel

ångel — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:46:35 +0000

My biggest problem with switching over to CFLs is that I have a hard time finding ones that are instant-on and also cheap. I think the very first time I bought a pack at Costco, I was really happy with the bulbs. Unfortunately, I neglected to write down the manufacturer, and the bulbs I’ve picked up since had the warm-up period and took a few seconds to even turn on at all.

Sylvania makes CFLs that are marked “instant-on” on the box; they even make mini CFLs (mini compact?) that are even shorter so they stay hidden in upward-facing fixtures. The problem with those is that I can’t find them at Costco, and they cost a bit more than I’d like to spend regularly. Of course, if they last as long as they claim they will, I suppose that won’t be a problem.