• HOME
• WEBLOG
• VIA CABLE
• ABOUT
• PHOTOS
• ARTICLES
• LINKS
• MISC
• ARCHIVE
• CONTACT

Compact Fluorescent Lighting Tips

Rating: 3.1
Total Votes: 21

Some Tips based on my experience with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Fluorescent lights, when properly used, can save you (and the rest of the world) on the expenses of electricity.

The use of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) in homes as a direct replacement for incandescent bulbs is becoming more and more common. With electricity-to-light efficiency at up to four times that of an incandescent, fluorescent lighting has the capacity to significantly reduce the demand for electricity and therefore the consumption of fossil fuels and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.

Fluorescent lights, however, are much different in their operation than incandescent bulbs and this must be taken into consideration when using them. There are some applications where an incandescent bulb may still be the best answer. Other applications will save tons by switching to a fluorescent.

CFL "Do's"

• Use them in your most-used fixtures, especially those which stay on for long periods of time. These are areas where the fluorescent bulb will save a whole lot of electricity.

CFL "Don'ts"

• ...Replace every bulb in your house with a CFL. Closet lights and other lights which are rarely used probably are not worth using a CFL. The added complexity of the bulb and the fact that CFLs do not like constant off/on cycles with no warm-up time in between makes them unattractive for these areas. Use an incandescent bulb of the lowest wattage practical. An LED bulb may also be an option if available.
• ...In outdoor lights (unless the light remains on for long periods of time). CFLs are more sensitive to cold temperatures, heat, and moisture than incandescents. Some take a few seconds to warm up to full brightness.
• ...In lava lamps, EasyBake ovens, CreepyCrawler machines, heat lamps, and other such devices. These devices use only the heat produced by incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs will not produce enough heat to make them work properly.
• ...In "trouble lights" (the hand held lights often used in construction and automotive repair). The bulb is too vulnerable to breakage when used in these lights. You can buy trouble lights which use fluorescent tubes or LEDs encased in a tough housing.
• ...In tightly enclosed light fixtures. While incandescent bulbs produce a lot of heat, they are very tolerant of it. Enclosed fixtures designed for incandescents may not allow for enough air circulation to properly cool the CFLs. Do not mix incandescents and fluorescents in the same enclosed fixture. The heat from the incandescent will likely destroy the CFL.

Some More Tips

In general, install fluorescents in areas where they will not be subject to large amounts of stress or possible breakage. Don't install them where they will be constantly flicked on and off. Turning them on and off rapidly wears out the filaments at the base of the tube due to a "sputtering" effect and they will not last as long. Don't install them in light fixtures which allow for excessive heat buildup.

Don't use the warm-up period and reduction in life due to on/off cycling as an excuse to leave lights on when they aren't needed. If a light is turned on and off without every really staying on for a long time, then don't use a fluorescent in it.

It seems that the cheapest CFLs are the 13-watt and 23/26 watt versions. This is probably because they are the most popular ones. You often can get away with using several smaller ones in place of a single large one. I bought a single 42-watt (the largest available) Edison-base self-ballasted CFL for $8. I could also have bought a pack of three 26-watt ones for the same price. I use the large one in a torchiere with one socket.

The smaller ones (such as the 9-watt and 7-watt) cost just as much as the 13-watt. I had a light with four sockets, and bought two 13-watt ones and just left the other two sockets empty instead of buying four 7-watt ones. It's not exactly pretty, but it's half the cost, half the bulbs, same amount of light.

It is best to shop around and try out different brands. I have bought mostly GE CFLs although I have found that they are not the greatest. I have had several fail far too early (in part due to too much flipping on and off) and I find that they take a while to warm up. They do produce a very nice light, however - the "soft white" is almost the same as incandescent light.

Go to your local electrical supply store or hardware store and look for commercial-grade CFLs. They are more expensive but I find that they come to full brightness almost instantly and seem to be built better. You get what you pay for. You can also find a much wider array of colors than what can be found at WalMart and similar stores.

Disposal

Fluorescent lamps of all types (including the backlight in your computer's LCD screen) contain a small amount of mercury vapor (less than 10 milligrams). This means that the bulbs are considered to be a hazardous waste in many areas and should be treated as such. Commercial and industrial users of mercury lamps should see lamprecycle.org for resources on recycling their lamps. In the U.S., unfortunately options are more limited for casual residential users. If your community has a household hazardous waste (HHW) collection event, they will collect the lamps and send them for proper treatment. Check at your local landfill, waste-to-energy plant, or solid waste authority for information about HHW collection.

You may also be able to find a disposal site at earth911.org

If no disposal site is available you can either: a) hold on to the CFLs until one does become available - many rural communities and cities alike are introducing HHW programs or only have them at a specific day in the year. This is what I am doing. Or, b) wrap the CFL in some newspaper and put it into a plastic bag and dispose of in your garbage.

Recycling is best, but even without recycling CFLs are net reducers of mercury emissions.

Last Modified: 05/25/2008
Created On: 11/14/2007