Comments on: Five Minute Finances #8: Replace All Of Your Light Bulbs http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:21:53 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: mike http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-34206 mike Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:33:17 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-34206 Don't forget to check w/ your power company. Some offer rebates on CFL's Don’t forget to check w/ your power company. Some offer rebates on CFL’s

]]> By: Ryan Byrne http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-19363 Ryan Byrne Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:44:30 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-19363 You know, it really surprises me that the only way to convince people is by stressing the financial benefits. Yes, you will save money by switching to CFL's. And while that is all good, what about our environment??? Shouldn't that be the real reason to compel us to make a change in our lighting? If creating less CO2 isn't enough of a selling point for you, then I guess you won't be interested at all in changing your light bulbs anyway. Just so everyone that reads this post knows… Australia and the EU have already announced plans to ban incandescent light bulbs. I changed my entire house for around $28. Yes, the CFL's do take a minute to warm up. A minute is not that long people! And it is not that they don't light up at all, they are just dimmer at first, and gradually warm up. I got the 8 pack of the GE 13watt (60 equivalent), and I actually think they are a little brighter then the old 60 watt incandescent. However, I have had CFL's in the past that seemed to be dimmer than the incandescent bulbs, but the newer ones seem great. I don't know if there is an actual difference between older and newer CFLs. Anyway, go by the lumen output as the comparison, as that the only accurate measurement for the brightness of the bulb. You know, it really surprises me that the only way to convince people is by stressing the financial benefits. Yes, you will save money by switching to CFL’s. And while that is all good, what about our environment??? Shouldn’t that be the real reason to compel us to make a change in our lighting? If creating less CO2 isn’t enough of a selling point for you, then I guess you won’t be interested at all in changing your light bulbs anyway. Just so everyone that reads this post knows… Australia and the EU have already announced plans to ban incandescent light bulbs.

I changed my entire house for around $28. Yes, the CFL’s do take a minute to warm up. A minute is not that long people! And it is not that they don’t light up at all, they are just dimmer at first, and gradually warm up. I got the 8 pack of the GE 13watt (60 equivalent), and I actually think they are a little brighter then the old 60 watt incandescent. However, I have had CFL’s in the past that seemed to be dimmer than the incandescent bulbs, but the newer ones seem great. I don’t know if there is an actual difference between older and newer CFLs.

Anyway, go by the lumen output as the comparison, as that the only accurate measurement for the brightness of the bulb.

]]> By: Nishant http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-10898 Nishant Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:28:18 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-10898 Every time a bulb goes out in our house, we are replacing it with the energy efficient kind. Little by little, we can make a difference. Every time a bulb goes out in our house, we are replacing it with the energy efficient kind. Little by little, we can make a difference.

]]> By: Jodi http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-10207 Jodi Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:18:09 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-10207 We live in a old house and our regular bulbs tend to burn out really quickly. I'm not sure if it is the bulbs that we are buying or something with out electrical system. Would CFL's have a similair burning out problem? Or not? We live in a old house and our regular bulbs tend to burn out really quickly. I’m not sure if it is the bulbs that we are buying or something with out electrical system. Would CFL’s have a similair burning out problem? Or not?

]]> By: Trent http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9836 Trent Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:13:47 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9836 We bought GEs (the ones I link to above) and they have been fantastic... great color, plenty bright, and not a single failure out of 20+ bulbs. We bought GEs (the ones I link to above) and they have been fantastic… great color, plenty bright, and not a single failure out of 20+ bulbs.

]]> By: samerwriter http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9805 samerwriter Fri, 09 Mar 2007 06:53:42 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9805 I wish I could agree with you, but in my opinion CFLs are a bust. Here are my primary gripes: * Energy savings: It's true that CFLs use less energy. On the other hand, I have to heat my house anyway. The heat you save by switching to CFLs just has to be replaced with other heat (it's certainly true that in hotter climates, you may be cooling your house. In those climates, I agree that CFLs may show some benefit). * Lifetime: A good quality incandescent will last a very long time. And when they do go out, you don't have to worry about hazardous waste disposal. * Color: I've tried cheap CFLs and I've tried expensive CFLs. And I've never found a CFL that doesn't look terrible, at least for a couple minutes before it warms up. I wish I could agree with you, but in my opinion CFLs are a bust.

Here are my primary gripes:

* Energy savings: It’s true that CFLs use less energy. On the other hand, I have to heat my house anyway. The heat you save by switching to CFLs just has to be replaced with other heat (it’s certainly true that in hotter climates, you may be cooling your house. In those climates, I agree that CFLs may show some benefit).

* Lifetime: A good quality incandescent will last a very long time. And when they do go out, you don’t have to worry about hazardous waste disposal.

* Color: I’ve tried cheap CFLs and I’ve tried expensive CFLs. And I’ve never found a CFL that doesn’t look terrible, at least for a couple minutes before it warms up.

]]> By: Nancy http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9729 Nancy Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:35:36 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9729 CFL's, I tried them and was very disappointed. I tried the various light colors, but all of them gave off an unnatural color. Saving the money, but being depressed in my own house just doesn't make sense. Also, a couple of points on the failure rate of these bulbs, they quickly fail in enclosed fixtures and also don't light correctly in cold areas. If you like having a death pallor, you can laugh all the way to the bank with these babies.... CFL’s, I tried them and was very disappointed. I tried the various light colors, but all of them gave off an unnatural color. Saving the money, but being depressed in my own house just doesn’t make sense.
Also, a couple of points on the failure rate of these bulbs, they quickly fail in enclosed fixtures and also don’t light correctly in cold areas.
If you like having a death pallor, you can laugh all the way to the bank with these babies….

]]> By: Dave Olson http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9727 Dave Olson Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:29:40 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9727 I just purchased about $40 worth of CFL. One set of floodlignts are instant on. They are made by Luminux (I think). One question I have is: we have used CFLs quite a bit but there seems to be a large number of them that are either faulty from the factory or fail within the first couple of days. Any one else experience this? I just purchased about $40 worth of CFL. One set of floodlignts are instant on. They are made by Luminux (I think). One question I have is: we have used CFLs quite a bit but there seems to be a large number of them that are either faulty from the factory or fail within the first couple of days. Any one else experience this?

]]> By: Dave http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9726 Dave Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:23:58 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9726 I've got a general question about CFL's. Have they improved how quick they turn on? My wife prefers the instant on. Which is why the one I have is used for the porch light, because it's hard to convince the wife that waiting for 1 second to turn on is acceptable. I’ve got a general question about CFL’s. Have they improved how quick they turn on? My wife prefers the instant on. Which is why the one I have is used for the porch light, because it’s hard to convince the wife that waiting for 1 second to turn on is acceptable.

]]> By: RazzBari http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9723 RazzBari Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:14:28 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9723 Does anyone make a 3-way CFL that fits in a regular table lamp or wall-mounted swing-arm lamp? I've had to return those because the base of the bulb was way too wide to fit inside the lamp harp. Does anyone make a 3-way CFL that fits in a regular table lamp or wall-mounted swing-arm lamp? I’ve had to return those because the base of the bulb was way too wide to fit inside the lamp harp.

]]> By: morydd http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9717 morydd Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:49:25 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9717 One thing to remember is that you cannot use CFL's on a dimmer. My problem is I live in a rental and have the Worlds Ugliest Light above my dining table. It uses flame-tip candelabra base bulbs. No CFL's for that guy. One thing to remember is that you cannot use CFL’s on a dimmer. My problem is I live in a rental and have the Worlds Ugliest Light above my dining table. It uses flame-tip candelabra base bulbs. No CFL’s for that guy.

]]> By: Tight Fisted Miser http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/comment-page-1/#comment-9705 Tight Fisted Miser Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:08:59 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/07/five-minute-finances-8-replace-all-of-your-light-bulbs/#comment-9705 My electric bill is only about $10 a month so it would take a long time for switching to pay off. I don't plan on switching any of my bulbs unless there is a special deal on CFLs. My electric bill is only about $10 a month so it would take a long time for switching to pay off. I don’t plan on switching any of my bulbs unless there is a special deal on CFLs.

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