Thursday, June 07, 2007

Let There Be Light


Yesterday was absolutely abysmal. It’s over.

And so, — now for something completely different!


Just when I’ve reached the age where good lighting is a must, energy efficient light bulbs are the way to go.

CFL’s. Compact fluorescent light bulbs.

(And if you happen to live in Canada, CFL also stands for the Canadian Football League but I guess I won’t be confusing the two in conversation.)

Anyway, I’m using these CFL’s. But the lighting’s not as good!

I might as well be working at my desk by candlelight.

Maybe I’m buying the wrong kind?

And when it comes to buying, these little suckers are expensive. Yes, I know that over time they’re more cost efficient but I can’t imagine people with little money to spare stocking up on these CFL’s. If you’re on a budget, this purchase would put you right over…

And another thing - because they contain small amounts of mercury, they can’t be recycled in the usual (easy) manner. I believe they’re considered hazardous waste.

I’ll let you know what I do with mine once their 6000 hours are up. (What a mind boggling figure.)

No one ever said conserving energy would be easy or cheap.

(And no one ever said I wasn’t allowed to complain about it, either.)

13 comments:

The Guy Who Writes This said...

Beth, I'm using the 100w bulb that use only 23w of electricity. They take a bit of time to get warmed up to full illumination, but I'm doing well with them. If I really need illumination I turn on the halogens.

Anonymous said...

I've always wondered about those bulbs. They seem ok to me when I see them used in other homes but I've never tried to read by one.

The Author said...

I don't have any of these issues. I eat lots of carrots.

Beth said...

guy:
Just checked - I've got the 60w ones. Next purchase - 100w CFL's.
Thanks!

trish:
Since we're replacing as they burn out, you can really see a difference between "old" and "new" in the pot lights in the family room and kitchen. (I feel like putting an old one in the area by my computer.)

Beth said...

john:
And you're young!
(I eat carrots, too.)

Tim Frederick said...

I've been using these in my home for a while. I've found that mine are brighter than my old bulbs if I use the same wattage, but the light is weird. Like a supermarket. I have never had to replace one yet.

Mike Minzes said...

I just bought a 7-year bulb for my front porch. The bugs love it!!

They come in every time I open the door and my cats go crazy.

At least I get to see the thousands of different kinds of moths in this world each night, right?

Beth said...

dj:
I'm going to have to up the wattage I'm using - and you're right, they do give off a different glow.

mike:
What a bonus - moth mayhem!

Attila the Mom said...

Our regular lightbulbs have an extremely short life due to the altitude, so we were excited about the CFLs.

Not much better, damn it. And you're right. The light is sucky.

Princess Pointful said...

Really? Mine are super-duper bright, actually!

Beth said...

attila:
See the above comments. You and I must be using the wrong wattage.

princess pointful:
Glad I posted this and got tips as to wattage. My next ones will be brighter!

oreneta said...

We have some of those too, and sometimes it is nice and bright, and others....strangely dim. Why I wonder.

Beth said...

oreneta:
Well, that's disheartening. I was hoping if I bought a different wattage I'd get better light. Maybe it's something else?