# Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Questions?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-questions/391417>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 8, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-questions/391417 "2007-02-08T21:34:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-questions/391417/21 "2007-02-12T18:58:02Z")

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I bought two GE CFLBs to install outdoors. One seems happy above my garage door in recent 0° F weather. The fine print inside the package, though, says it’s _not designed for use on a photo-electric switch_, so I can’t use one in my yard light.

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-questions/391417/22 "2007-02-12T23:33:54Z")

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[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor]  
BTW–I recently located 3-way Fl. bulbs.

Didn’t know they made em.  
[/QUOTE]

Neither did I, until I followed **gazpacho’s** link in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=406507) thread. I was at a lamp shop this weekend for something else, and asked if they carried 3-way fluorescents, and the fellow looked at me like I was from Mars.

I was hoping to purchase from the local shop, but I guess I’ll order a couple from the linked site then go by and show them to the folks at the lamp shop.

And the same question I posed in the other thread but didn’t really get an answer - does anyone know which “flavor” of bulb will seem more like an incandescent? There are “warm white” as well as “full spectrum hi-definition”. I hate the bluish light I get from the CFLs we currently us in our bedroom.

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-questions/391417/23 "2007-02-12T23:50:30Z")

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[QUOTE=Mama Zappa]  
I was at a lamp shop this weekend for something else, and asked if they carried 3-way fluorescents, and the fellow looked at me like I was from Mars.  
[/quote]

That’s rather surprising. I just bought one at Target. Rather expensive though, I think it was close to $10.

> [@](#):
>
> There are “warm white” as well as “full spectrum hi-definition”. I hate the bluish light I get from the CFLs we currently us in our bedroom.

I believe “warm white” is designed to look like incandescent bulbs. “Full spectrum” should be more bluish.

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