FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS

There is a movement by many states and localities to ban incandescent light bulbs and convert to total use of fluorescent bulbs (CFL) to save energy.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to replace ordinary incandescent light bulbs and you will be taking a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gases and overall fossil fuel use. If every household in the United States installed just one 15-watt compact fluorescent light bulb to replace one 60-watt incandescent light bulb, we could save enough energy to provide power to 1.5 million people.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs. Generally, an incandescent bulb lasts less than 1,000 hours (about one year of use at three hours per day), while a compact fluorescent bulb lasts about 10,000 hours.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs save you money. Although they initially cost more than incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs pay for themselves in reduced energy costs after about five months of ordinary use. If you replace a 75-watt incandescent bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent light bulb, you will save $66 over the life of the bulb (based on $0.12 per kilowatt hour). That's just one bulb; imagine if you replaced more than one!

The next time you need to replace a light bulb at home or in the office, reach for a compact fluorescent light bulb. Compact fluorescent light bulbs can be used to replace incandescent and most halogen light bulbs.

If you need to replace a dimmer switch bulb, purchase a compact fluorescent light bulb made specifically for dimmer lights.

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs in hard-to-reach areas, such as high ceilings, hallways, and stairways.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury: about 4 mg, compared with about 500 mg found in conventional mercury thermometers. If you break a compact fluorescent light bulb, they are hazardous waste, and it is suggested that you dispose of them according to your local household hazardous waste collection guidelines.

Most compact fluorescent light bulbs can be used outdoors, but be sure the bulbs you buy have been rated for outdoor use.

It is suggested that fluorescent lights cause headaches, rob the body of Vitamin B and can cause seizures. This perception dates back to when fluorescent lights first came into being in the 1940's. At that time, the phosphors (white coatings on the inside of the glass tubes) were very primitive and gave off an unnatural and unpleasant bluish-green color causing people to look jaundiced or sick.

In the last year the fluorescent bulb market has changed drastically. Several different kinds of bulbs have hit the market. Different colors, sizes and styles are now available. You need to take a look as you might find the bulb you have been looking for.