Say “NO” to Fluorescent Bulbs
This is it, I’ve had it with the CFL bulbs. We’re switching back to the regular incandescents. Here are my reasons for it:
- CFL’s NEVER last as long as advertised
5 to 7 years you say? It’s such a scam! More like 5 to 7 months, if that. We tried Noma, Philips and Globe brands. Noma was the worst (about 2 months), Globe – the best (about 18 months). Frankly, if the bulbs lasted as long as they advertise, those companies would probably go bankrupt pretty quickly.True story: there was a Canadian company that made the best photo strobes that lasted 30-40 years. They guaranteed it and it was in fact true. That company is now out of business, not unlike the Maytag repair guy
Since these bulbs are at least 6 times more expensive than regular ones and they don’t last much longer, the financial benefit is a myth. We switched half our bulbs 2 months ago to regular ones and our electricity bill was about 2% lower for some reason. The point is the bill did not go up.
And if you don’t buy these bulbs in bulk, which of course is silly for all of us frugal people, you could be paying up to 15 times the cost of a regular bulb for one CFL.
- The split second of darkness
With the ones that don’t start up right away you’re always wondering “Did I turn it on?” Though it only lasts for a brief moment, it’s very annoying - The dim ages
With the ones that do come on instantly, I have to rub my eyes for a few minutes and adjust my focus. While they’re warming up the light is very dim – and also, very annoying. - Color temperature
Yes, color temp has definitely improved in the past couple of years but it’s still nowhere near the variety and comfort I can get with incandescent bulbs. After awhile things start shifting and / or glowing in my eyes. More re-focusing. - Health reason #1: EMF
This should really be at the top of the list. Electro-magnetic frequencies travelling through and accumulating in our bodies. The first CFL bulb to go was the one on my night table. Another true story: I noticed I got headaches when sitting near it, 15 minutes of reading was enough.EMF’s are quite a bit more harmful than that. In addition to the headaches they cause other side-effects such as sleep problems, neurological disorders, and more. Sick people should limit their EMF exposure as they’re even more prone to their effects.
- Health reason #2: Mercury
CFL bulbs contain mercury. I say if it’s there, it’ll evaporate, even if only a little bit. Mercury is harmful at very low doses and I don’t want to risk getting a depression in the name of supposedly helping the environment (oooh, so evil and selfish). Here’s some info from Energy Star Canada on the matter:If CFLs contain mercury, how can they be better for the environment than incandescent lights?
Despite the presence of small amounts of mercury, CFLs provide significant environmental benefits compared to incandescent products. Here’s why:
– CFLs use far less energy than incandescent bulbs, so they reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electrical generating stations powered by fossil fuels
– CFLs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, so fewer bulbs and less packaging ends up in landfills
– the amount of mercury in a CFL is so small – less than one-fifth of the mercury found in a wristwatch battery – that it does not pose a significant threat to human health or the environment (nevertheless, CFLs should be handled with care and disposed of properly)
– by decreasing the demand for electricity from coal-fired generation plants – one of the largest sources of mercury emissions in Canada – CFLs can actually reduce mercury levels in the environmentTo me this sounds that the relatively small health damage is worth it in the big picture. How about coming up with a better way? A way that doesn’t damage health and helps the environment? Is this too much to ask? I don’t know but that’s what I’d prefer.
I’m happy to get this off my chest, though I am breaking my New Year’s resolution to complain less. I’ll consider it a contructive criticism, not a complaint. Thanks for reading and let me know if you agree or disagree.
I agree… I hate fluorescent lighting! Unfortunately it looks like Ontario (where I am) wants to ban incandescent lighting by 2012 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/04/18/ontario-lightbulb-ban.html).
Maybe the solution is household LED lights? Haven’t really looked into them…. I imagine they’d be quite expensive though.
Thomas,
I didn’t hear about the ban in Ontario, it’s very disappointing.
This very much reminds me of Ethanol crops and Water fluoridation. Something evil and/or poisonous is being “sold” as good for the humanity and being pushed down our throats, without checking for consequences.
I’ve seen LED lamps that are temperature-balanced, but only in designer shops so far. They’re pretty expensive and not easy to find. With time, that’ll probably improve.
These diabolical bulbs are being pushed on the unsuspecting public the world over, not just in Ontario, as are the 2012 bans on “bad” incandescent bulbs. There’s a bigger agenda behind all this than I care to speculate about, and I don’t think it’s just about the money (though it would be interesting to see who holds the patent, here and abroad, for those hideous poison-pods). Fascinating stories abound about the things going on by themselves when exposed to certain electromagnetic conditions. (Brings to mind Uncle Fester’s lightbulb trick, only much more goulish!) My advice would be to stockpile incandescent bulbs NOW — I have a feeling they’ll stop being produced long before the 2012 deadline. I’ve always hated fluorescence, and no amount of eco-babble will ever make me change my mind.
I agree with you. The most frustrating news about the CFL’s is the short time that they last. I have had some last as little as 2 months. The longest one lasted about 14 months. They are so expensive to have to keep replacing them, I do not see how we are saving money. The second strong dislike I have about the bulbs are the problem with broken ones and having no place to dispose of all of the bulbs that have stopped working at our home.