# Light Bulb ban is on Hold! Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600 "2011-12-18T00:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/41 "2011-12-19T16:20:34Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > We have an outdoor cat house that is heated with incandescent bulbs. What will I do if they’re banned? Wow, when you said “cat house”, I was thinking… Am I the only one who’s had lousy luck with CFL’s? I bought a pack of eight of them a while back, and within a month half of them weren’t functioning–two of them never worked, and another two burned out very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/42 "2011-12-19T16:30:33Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Am I the only one who’s had lousy luck with CFL’s? I bought a pack of eight of them a while back, and within a month half of them weren’t functioning–two of them never worked, and another two burned out very quickly. don’t buy the ones that are $1 or $2 regular price. buy a name brand. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/43 "2011-12-19T18:03:20Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Just don’t be suprised when your heating bill goes up in the winter and wipes out the energy savings from your new pricey light bulbs. As others have said, I’d be willing to bet that this is impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/44 "2011-12-19T18:13:21Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > . . .and your cooling bill goes down in the summer and - oh wait, that’s a good thing. I’ve often advised people to use CF’s in the summer but not to worry so much about it in the winter ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/45 "2011-12-19T18:35:43Z")
Incandescent light bulbs are a very expensive source of heat. Switching to CFL’s will definitely lower your electrical bill more than raise your heating bill. In terms of energy, gas is much cheaper than electricity. I don’t care for CFL’s, but you are giving your customers faulty information. Hopefully the cost of LED’s will come down, but even at their current price, I intend to start switching one at a time. I am very happy with the 450 lumen bulbs I have gotten. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/46 "2011-12-19T18:49:03Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Wow, when you said “cat house”, I was thinking… > > Am I the only one who’s had lousy luck with CFL’s? I bought a pack of eight of them a while back, and within a month half of them weren’t functioning–two of them never worked, and another two burned out very quickly. I’ve had lousy luck too. And I buy the more expensive ones, the ones that are a couple of bucks each. I also have recessed lighting that has a dimmer switch. I can not find a bulb that works well in it. I also can’t put more then one of the CFLs in or all they do is flicker. I have however changed over a lot of my bulbs, I just wonder what’s going to happen when the last of my bulbs burn out and I can’t get anything to work. I know none of the stores around me sell incandescent bulbs now. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/47 "2011-12-19T19:44:35Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I have however changed over a lot of my bulbs, I just wonder what’s going to happen when the last of my bulbs burn out and I can’t get anything to work. I know none of the stores around me sell incandescent bulbs now. You should still be able to get incandescent bulbs like [these](http://www.lowes.com/pd_352481-3-16023_4294801203_4294937087_?productId=3457988&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Halogen%2BLight%2BBulbs_4294801203_4294937087_%3Fpage%3D8%26Ns%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=) that meet the new standards. Although, while they are technically dimmable because they are halogen bulbs I believe the lifetime will be diminished somewhat when running dimmed. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/48 "2011-12-19T19:57:24Z")
> [@Baracus](#): > > You should still be able to get incandescent bulbs like these that meet the new standards. Although, while they are technically dimmable because they are halogen bulbs I believe the lifetime will be diminished somewhat when running dimmed. yes their longer life depends on their being hot. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/49 "2011-12-19T20:30:41Z")
I loved CFL’s when they first came out because I saw an instant drop in my electric bill prices. I’m not sure it helped in the long run (considering they absolutely do NOT last as long as they claim, even good GE brand ones). But in the winter, that pale, sickly yellow light just contributed to my general feeling of malaise and mild seasonal affective disorder. The only acceptable thing I’ve found are the **GE Reveal CFL’s**. DAMN expensive; $9 apiece here. Got a bunch buy-one-get-one in different wattages. Very nice light; takes about a minute to heat up. I was ready to stock up until I heard the ban was postponed. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/50 "2011-12-19T20:33:02Z")
Is it true that CFL can’t be used upside down? I hate the feel of the light anyway, but that would render several of my fixtures obsolete as well. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/51 "2011-12-19T20:33:34Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > We have an outdoor cat house that is heated with incandescent bulbs. What will I do if they’re banned? They sell heated cat mats which may be better for kitty, heat without unneeded (for cats) light. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/52 "2011-12-19T20:33:58Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Is it true that CFL can’t be used upside down? I hate the feel of the light anyway, but that would render several of my fixtures obsolete as well. No. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/53 "2011-12-19T21:23:13Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Is it true that CFL can’t be used upside down? I hate the feel of the light anyway, but that would render several of my fixtures obsolete as well. they need a certain space around the base to get rid of heat. the packaging would give limitations on how to use it. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/54 "2011-12-19T21:56:52Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > they need a certain space around the base to get rid of heat. the packaging would give limitations on how to use it. So, maybe? I did some further reading, and it looks like you would have to buy one that is rated for upside down use. I don’t know if it’s more expensive, but it looks like it takes longer to go on. One of the reasons I’m suspicious of CFL technology is how many wiggle words they use to try to convince incandescent people to switch. In reading a “fact sheet” they said things like “CFLs produce **virtually** no noise!” and “dimmers bulbs are **marginally** more likely to have flicker” (bolding mine) It just sounds a little too rainbows and unicorns for me. And combined with the terrible cold quality of the light, I’m not on board. I will have years of incandescents stored, and I reserve the right to bitch about LEDs if need be. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/55 "2011-12-19T22:36:50Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > One of the reasons I’m suspicious of CFL technology is how many wiggle words they use to try to convince incandescent people to switch. In reading a “fact sheet” they said things like “CFLs produce **virtually** no noise!” and “dimmers bulbs are **marginally** more likely to have flicker” (bolding mine) i have some you can’t hear unless you put your ear to the CFL. ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/56 "2011-12-19T23:14:02Z")
So how is it ‘green’ to make us use mercury laden bulbs that will end up in landfills (they will). Also they are a hazard if they break in your home. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/57 "2011-12-19T23:35:40Z")
> [@Mewl\_Dear](#): > > So how is it ‘green’ to make us use mercury laden bulbs that will end up in landfills (they will). > Also they are a hazard if they break in your home. Are you still on about this? Toxic metals are used _everywhere_. It’s far better to have a minuscule amount of Mercury end up in a landfill, where it can be contained by an impervious liner than it is to have a far greater amount spewed out of a smokestack at a coal-fired power plant. The extra power required to run incandescents results in more Mercury being emitted than the CFL contributes: > [@](#): > > Approximately 0.0234 mg of mercury—plus carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide—releases into the air per 1 kwh of electricity that a coal-fired power plant generates. Over the 7500-hour average range of one CFL, then, a plant will emit 13.16 mg of mercury to sustain a 75-watt incandescent bulb but only 3.51 mg of mercury to sustain a 20-watt CFL (the lightning equivalent of a 75-watt traditional bulb). Even if the mercury contained in a CFL was directly released into the atmosphere, an incandescent would still contribute 4.65 more milligrams of mercury into the environment over its lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/58 "2011-12-20T00:02:45Z")
There’s a 3-way Reader Bulb that most serious book readers use in their bedside lamps. It’s 70-170-240 Watts. Reader bulbs are specially designed not to create harsh glare. For me, it means the difference in a bad headache and a smile on my face after reading three or four hours at night. My mom started using them over 35 years ago. I keep one in my bedside lamp too. I only use the 170Watt position. It’s the only lamp in my house with a Reader bulb because that’s where I do all my recreational reading. Sadly, the bulb ban is making Reader bulbs hard to find locally anymore. They were always pricy. Usually $5 to $6 each. But they last a long, long time. I recently ordered a case of six for $58. Scarcity has driven up the price. [http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-15846-Reader-Light-70-watt/dp/B004BOEBY2](http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-15846-Reader-Light-70-watt/dp/B004BOEBY2) > [@EvilTOJ](#): > > You need 150 watts to read by? Dude relax your inner eyelid, this isn’t planet Vulcan, alright? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/59 "2011-12-20T00:33:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > In other words it CYA time until after the election. They know just how enraged Americans will be when big government declares that we can’t buy a 100 Watt incandescent light bulb. I’ve been wondering why, exactly, people are so up in arms about using a less efficient lightbulb that costs more over time and burns out faster and raises electric bills and… …I just still don’t get it. I little bit of grumbling, maybe. But it seems like such a minor thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600/60 "2011-12-20T00:38:09Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Just don’t be suprised when your heating bill goes up in the winter and wipes out the energy savings from your new pricey light bulbs. > [@lazybratsche](#): > > :dubious: How is that even possible? I suppose that might happen if electricity is cheaper than whatever energy source is used for heat, but I can’t think of such a situation. > > If the cost of heating is the same as the cost of electricity, the heating bill increase will (at most) exactly match the electricity savings. But light bulbs are often inefficient heaters, say in ceiling fixtures where the heat is lost into the attic. So even in these cases, CFLs will give a net energy savings. And that savings will be even greater if heat is cheaper than electricity. > > Plus, there’s the entire rest of the year where there’s the electricity savings, and savings in reduced air conditioning load. > [@beowulff](#): > > As others have said, I’d be willing to bet that this is impossible. Not at all impossible. We keep the thermostat set at about about 62F in the winter. But the room we use the most has 2 computers, 2 people and incandescent lights. That room stays 5-10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house. So I’m heating a whole big house a lot less, and one room I’m lighting (and heating) more. The switch from CRT to LCD monitors made a big difference in how warm that room stays. Changing lightbulbs may mean I have to buy a room heater. As for the summer, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s light outside until after 9pm. There just aren’t that many hours that I need to use lights in the summer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-ban-is-on-hold-whew/606600.md?page=4)