# Unintended consequence of incandecent bulb ban?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 29, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196 "2010-05-29T16:19:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/1 "2010-05-29T16:19:56Z")
I was listening to a comic on Comedy Central last night who mentioned the easybake oven which sparked a thought. When incandecent bulbs are banned in 2014, will that be the end of an era of fond memories and horrible baked goods?
---
### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/2 "2010-05-29T16:42:29Z")
For some reason, CFBs like to be either straight up or straight down. They don’t like to be an at angle. I replaced all of the bulbs in my house with CFBs and they kept burning out in the fixture in the guest bathroom. I have to use regular bulbs in there.
What about the low wattage light in the oven? Are CFBs safe at 500F degrees? I am also concerned about the little lights in the flow hood above my cooktop.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/3 "2010-05-29T16:53:25Z")
Much darkness and gnashing of teeth.
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/4 "2010-05-29T17:33:01Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> For some reason, CFBs like to be either straight up or straight down. They don’t like to be an at angle. I replaced all of the bulbs in my house with CFBs and they kept burning out in the fixture in the guest bathroom. I have to use regular bulbs in there. .
That is a problem with the cheaper CFLs. However, you can buy and find LED bulbs which for all intents and purposes burn forever and use even less power. Mind you, unless you need a 25W or less equivilent, they are pretty pricey, running at least $20.
Nor will be bulbs be “banned”, juts not manufactured. I also believe Halogen bulbs will be allowed as well as special purpose bulbs.
---
### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/5 "2010-05-29T17:45:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> That is a problem with the cheaper CFLs. However, you can buy and find LED bulbs which for all intents and purposes burn forever and use even less power. Mind you, unless you need a 25W or less equivilent, they are pretty pricey, running at least $20.
Good point. Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/6 "2010-05-29T17:47:06Z")
My teens still love their Easybake oven. I’ve explained to them many times that they can just bake the little pans in the toaster oven, but they refuse to use anything but that awful pink plastic toy.
Somehow I think Hasbro will be able to figure out some way to produce heat by some other means.
---
### Author:  [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/7 "2010-05-29T17:47:54Z")
Nobody’s comprehending the seriousness of this–NO MORE EASY BAKE OVENS!!!
---
### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/8 "2010-05-29T18:08:54Z")
You’ll take my incandecents when you pry them from my burnt out lamps! (Sorry, I hate flourecents!)
---
### Author:  [@JoeH2O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeH2O)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/9 "2010-05-29T18:56:02Z")
You’re going to have people on street corners.
“What do you want? an eighth, a quarter, a gram?”
“120 watt, opaque, bayonet.”
---
### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/10 "2010-05-29T19:14:28Z")
They recently banned incandescents in Tajikistan as a way to deal with the country’s chronic electricity shortage. Since a single fluorescent light bulb costs nearly as much as the average Tajikistani’s monthly income, I don’t think the ban is going that well.
Based on that… a black market for incandescents?
---
### Author:  [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/11 "2010-05-29T20:26:39Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> For some reason, CFBs like to be either straight up or straight down. They don’t like to be an at angle. I replaced all of the bulbs in my house with CFBs and they kept burning out in the fixture in the guest bathroom. I have to use regular bulbs in there.
I have a bunch of CFBs mounted sideways in fixtures in both of my bathrooms, and they have been working fine for a couple of years now.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/12 "2010-05-29T20:31:50Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> They recently banned incandescents in Tajikistan as a way to deal with the country’s chronic electricity shortage. Since a single fluorescent light bulb costs nearly as much as the average Tajikistani’s monthly income, I don’t think the ban is going that well.
>
> **Based on that… a black market for incandescents?**
It would be a light market. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/13 "2010-05-31T04:35:05Z")
Shouldn’t there be an exception for “heat” lamps, which would work fine for [del]our[/del] your EZBake?
---
### Author:  [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/14 "2010-05-31T07:30:15Z")
I find that a lot of CFBs require time to “warm up” to full brightness. This makes them particularly annoying in applications like closets or basement stairs, where you’d really prefer bright light the moment you want it, and probably aren’t going to be leaving it on for more than a few minutes, such that the energy savings of a a CFB over incandescent are negligible anyway.
Anyone have particular recommendations for 60-100+W equivalent output CFBs that light up rapidly?
---
### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/15 "2010-05-31T07:49:58Z")
_Won’t someone think of the renters?_
Won’t this suck for renters? CFBs pay for themselves in the long run, but what if you don’t plan on being somewhere for more than five years? Take them with you? Will bulb replacement become a landlord issue now?
---
### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/16 "2010-05-31T09:45:46Z")
I’ve yet to see a single person replace all of their bulbs. There are just too many applications where regular bulbs are better. And why the heck do they still not have one that shoots off the same spectrum of light?
And what other devices have been outlawed not due to inherent danger, but for energy conservation? Hasn’t every other improvement happened due to market forces and/or taxation?
---
### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/17 "2010-05-31T09:59:06Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> And what other devices have been outlawed not due to inherent danger, but for energy conservation? Hasn’t every other improvement happened due to market forces and/or taxation?
_[Won’t someone think of the toilets?!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_flow_toilet#US_standards_for_low-flow_and_high-efficiency_toilets)_
---
### Author:  [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/18 "2010-05-31T10:45:37Z")
I’m sold. The flourescents are brighter and seem to be lasting longer.
---
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/19 "2010-05-31T10:50:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> That is a problem with the cheaper CFLs. However, you can buy and find LED bulbs which for all intents and purposes burn forever and use even less power. Mind you, unless you need a 25W or less equivilent, they are pretty pricey, running at least $20.
>
> Nor will be bulbs be “banned”, juts not manufactured. I also believe Halogen bulbs will be allowed as well as special purpose bulbs.
I’ve heard LED bulbs described as next to useless.
T/F?
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196/20 "2010-05-31T11:27:38Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> I’ve yet to see a single person replace all of their bulbs. There are just too many applications where regular bulbs are better. And why the heck do they still not have one that shoots off the same spectrum of light?
My wife and I have switched all of our bulbs. And there’s been a noticeable change in our electricity bill. Viva la CFLs!
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unintended-consequence-of-incandecent-bulb-ban/541196.md?page=2)