I decided to save some money while decreasing my carbon footprint. I
went and picked up an eight pack of GE Energy -Smart bulbs. I thought this way CB could relax when all the lights are left on in every room of the house. The package promised me they would last five years and save me $300 over the life of the bulbs.
The first thing I notice is that two of these 13 watt/60 watt equivalent bulbs are not as bright as the the two 60 watt incandescent bulbs I replaced in the kitchen. There was an eerie glow in the kitchen that was reminiscent of a Coleman lantern . So I go out and buy a three pack of 26 watt/100 watt equivalent bulbs just for the kitchen. I put the other 100 watt equiv. bulb in the living room lamp that seems to burn 24/7 like the eternal flame, and then I spread the other 8 bulbs throughout the house.
It's been about 2 months now and so far two of these 5 year bulbs have blown out. Now disposal of these bulbs is akin to disposal of plutonium. They contain mercury vapor. A person in Maine who broke one of these in her child's bedroom incurred a $5,000 Haz-Mat clean up bill before she could place her child back in the room to sleep. I don't get it! When I was a kid we loved to break fluorescent bulbs. We used to go behind the super-markets and try to get the big 8 foot ones to hurl at our enemies in gang wars. The garbage-men would let the kids toss the tubes in the truck for them. What's the big deal? My Mom once broke a mercury thermometer in my butt. Maybe that's why no Nobel Laureates came from my neighborhood
I'm suppose to go to this web-site. to find out how to dispose of these WMD's. I think I'll just send them back to G.E. What would happen if a semi loaded with these crashed. It would be a catastrophe on the magnitude of Chernobyl.
I suspect most of these cures to energy and environmental problems will be worse than the diseases. I know ethanol (government subsidized food burning) has caused the price of milk to increase to $4.50 a gallon. It also threatens the economy of Mexico, because the bottom is about to fall out of the tortilla market. I read that Sylvania bulbs have a more pleasant light, but till I solve the problem of the plutonium in my garage I'm just saying NO to Green. I'm already doing my part to save the planet. I gave up using deodorant two years ago, honest, just ask CP.
11 comments:
Along with other matters, such as who controls the thermostat, these bulbs have been a constant source of marital tension here on yo-ma-ma drive. "Look, honey, for the $8 price for a bulb, you don't have to change it for 2 years!" Retort? "I can't 'look,' honey...I can't see anything!" I hate those bulbs. When we had the kitchen remodeled, the carpenter promised me I'd never be in the dark again. Then came Kahuna. M-
Yeah, Mom's handyman said that they aren't "any good." Something about when they go out, they really don't go out; then you go months on end with dull light because you think they aren't out...
Oh great, I just bought 2 of them and now I hear how bad they are. I like a really bright light in the kitchen and it sounds like I'm about to enter the dark ages instead.
I had a couple dozen of those long kind sitting by my desk once and they tippd over. I thought I was gonna die for the noise they made!
Last year on summer crew, me and a couple of the guys found a few dozen of the 4 foot long ones...we went up to the second floor of an old hotel and threw them down to watch them explode.
*sigh* good times
LOL!
At M-'s objection, we've had them in the bathroom and in the kitchen "can" lights for quite some time now.
I was noticing the regular bulbs in the kitchen weren't lasting more than six to eight months. Because they’re in a “can” fixture I think the heat was killing them. I switched them out as the bulbs blew out and I haven't had to change one yet.
I wait until Home Depot has them on sale and then I buy them. They're an off brand from GE and much less expensive. They seem to last and give off the same amount of lumens as the regular bulbs do.
As far as dumping them...they go the same way as the bulbs.. in the trash.
E-Gore pumped out a law that had the florescent companies reduce the amount of mercury in the tubes. Now they won't last as long and give off less light than the former models did.
We used to have a tube eater at work. It was a 30 gal cardboard barrel with a injection tube angled out about 18 inches with an inside diameter big enough to accept the blown tube. The top of this container had a motor attached to it which had a heavy chain attached to the motor's shaft. Flip the switch, insert the blown tube and it would literally eat up the tube. No muss...No fuss. Just smashed glass, powder, and tube ends inside the barrel.
The K-
snoring...
How many *men* does it take to discuss a light-bulb?
I got an e-mail from GE. You are not suppose to use them in closed fixtures, cieling fans, garage door openers, outdoor fixtures, with dimmers, with timers etc. I guess it's ok to put them in a table lamp. As long as the lamp has a white shade, a 12 inch base and is not in a multi-family dwelling.
Babba, your Mom broke a mercury thermometer WHERE?
Hmmm...now, that explains a lot.
Hey I got a $10 coupon from GE. Now I can buy some regular light bulbs. Go CB!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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