Why lightbulbs? Well, as you likely know, the traditional light bulb is being phased out due to government regulations. 100-watt bulbs were phased out last year, 75-watt bulbs are being phased out this year, and come January 2014, 40 and 60 watt incandescents will also be phased out.
I personally do not like the compact fluorescents. I realize there is an energy savings over traditional bulbs, but disposing of them is problematic as they contain mercury and can’t be thrown away. For me, they never seem to last as long as the package says they’re supposed to. I’ve bought a few when they were free with coupons (remember those GE deals?) but I’ve yet to get more than two years out of any bulb. I know this because I’ve dated the ballasts with a Sharpie when I put the bulbs in.
As it turns out, if you use the bulb in an enclosed fixture or install it so that the base of the bulb is above the glass part of the bulb, with the bulb part hanging down, it severely limits their life. Turning the bulb off and on also reduces its lifespan. (So, anything other than a bulb-up, vertical installation with no fixture, no shade and no ‘off’ switch, will result in lowered performance. How many light fixtures do you have at home which position the bulbs in that “optimal” setting, and stay on all the time?)
So, I’m done with CFLs. Over the past few months I began stockpiling lightbulbs too – 4-packs of store brand bulbs can be picked up for $1 at Walmart or Dollar Tree. Or this week, at Jewel, for .88!
Now, after I share my aunt’s story, you may also want to begin stocking up on them too.
My aunt sews for a living, and recently her employer switched the bulbs in the lamps over her workstation and her co-workers stations with CFLs. As the days led to weeks, she and her co-workers noticed their hands and arms were turning red, rashy and itchy. She suspected that the lights hanging over their sewing machines were in close enough proximity to their hands and arms to burn them.
Her doctor confirmed that she was getting a sunburn from the bulbs. The Health Protection Agency notes that “Open CFLs emit high levels of UV-C radiation, which is more damaging than UV-A or UV-B radiation. Continual exposure to open CFLs as a result of close-range tasks or desk lighting conditions may cause reddening of the skin, similar to a sunburn. The Health Protection Agency recommends no more than one hour of direct exposure daily if other options for close-range lighting are not available.”
As more research and studies come out, it turns out that these bulbs are not nearly as safe as we may have been led to believe. A New York study notes that every bulb tested in the study emitted ultraviolet rays “so strong they can actually burn your skin and skin cells.”
You’re free to buy and use any light bulbs you want. But as my readers know, I sometimes get on my soapbox about things I feel strongly about..! I feel strongly enough about this to share it with you, and my aunt’s experience was the tipping point for me. I’m done buying CFL bulbs.
But I will be buying some more incandescents at Jewel this week in my effort to expand my bulb stockpile before the end of the year.
Let’s see… I plan to live at least another 60 years. How many bulbs will I need in this lifetime? :)
Susiem68 says
There are certain autoimmune diseases that are aggrevated by the light from these bulbs. Exposure causes skin lesions, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, headaches, neurological changes, and in extreme cases organ damage like kidney failure. This is not due to exposure to the toxins in the bulb but the uv rays from the bulbs. Lupus is one such disease notorius for these reactions.
GB777 says
We have had a bulb explode 6 inches above a worker’s hand at work also.
She had shattered glass and ‘dust particles’ all over her hands and arm.
Beware in a baby or childs room!
theresa1740 says
Went to the local community conservation day and got a CFL recycling box that once it is full(8 or 10 bulbs??) can be mailed back free to I think it is Waste Management??? We have had CFL’s and had none burn out. So our recycling box is just sitting there. They do recommend a 2 foot distance from the person and what about the flourescent lights in my basement and garage which we have had for years and not gotten sun burnt. Something is not right.
dargert says
Thank you for this. Once I read the package and was amazed at the cleanup procedure if one is ever broken. I will be going to Jewel today..
J.R. says
I too hate CFLs, and am not happy at the government forcing us into an unsafe solution, like they did years ago with artificial sweeteners.
Also not as well known is that CFLS actually use more power than they claim, in some cases twice as much when first turned on. It can take them up to an hour to fully come up to power, and for the power consumption to drop to their rating. And of course they don’t work in dimmers, in extreem cold, and in rough service applications.
Menards regularly has sales on old fashioned bulbs. I’ve picked up a LOT of 100w bulbs recently, that I thought weren’t supposed to be available any more.
But what I’m gradually switching all my CFLs to are LED bulbs. None of the problems with CFLs, but they are expensive. Watch for sales. They use less energy than even the CFLs, turn on instantly, and almost all of them are dimmable. According to my NASA friend, the best out there today are the Phillips bulbs. You can recognize them because they are YELLOW instead of white when off. When on, the yellow changes to a white. Home Depot has them, and they can be ordered online.
Do NOT get the cheap ones that look like a hundred white LEDs lumped together. Got a couple of them years ago at Sams, and they were awful. Look for the ones that use the little flat yellowish chip LEDs, with the massive metal heat sinks.
I got some floods (Toshiba?) on close-out a while back at Menards, and never saw them again, but LOVE them. Great for the can lights in the kitchen & bathrooms. Best light in the house for sorting those almost identical socks! $11 each after rebate!