Greener to use up old bulbs or go CFL? [Archive]

fidgiegirl

1-11-11, 9:12pm

We have a bunch of light bulbs that my in-laws gave us when they moved. Initially we were going to try to use them all up, the thought being:

1. They were free
2. They were already manufactured, so it seems like a waste to throw them unused.

But, now that I think of it, maybe we should just skip it and go CFL.

1. We would (theoretically) recoup the cost of buying them in savings on our bills
2. They would create fewer emissions.
3. We could get rid of our stash and free up shelf space :~)

Whaddayathink?

redfox

1-11-11, 9:15pm

WHAT a great question!! I'd say, give them to a shelter program and get CF's. Tossing something useable seems unconscionable to me...

Hattie

1-11-11, 9:31pm

Float On

1-12-11, 9:54am

I keep an old bulb in the hen house to keep them laying and give a little heat.
Personally, ever since the majority of the CF bulbs went to china for production they don't last near as long as they should. If you buy them, get American made. We went thru just as many CFs as we would of with old bulbs at a much greater cost. The two we first bought that were American made are still going (used daily), all the others that were made in China have been replaced several times. My husband got so mad he went out and bought old style bulbs again and it's just not something I'm going to fight him on right now.

Rosemary

1-12-11, 9:59am

FYI, Ikea has a recycling bin for incandescent light bulbs.

Gina

1-12-11, 10:58pm

I've had a great range in how long the CF bulbs have been lasting. Some of the very first ones I purchased (many years ago) that were very expensive seemed the worst of all - perhaps because they were so new on the market. At that time I stopped using them, but when the price really came down the past few years, I changed just about all bulbs in the house.

In general however, I've been very pleased with them, esp since our electric company subsidizes them and the cost is less than 35 cents each. Costco was selling cards of 7 for just over $2 a few years ago. I bought lots of them. :)

One thing I did read a few years ago was that CFL's do give off less light when the temperatures are low. Not too much of a problem here where it rarely freezes.

I am saving all my old incandescents. I'm currently using one in a box beneath some germinating seeds to keep them warm overnight.

ApatheticNoMore

1-14-11, 4:29pm

Anyone use LEDs? I've always found the idea tempting, even if they do cost $80 a lightbulb or something >8)

fidgiegirl

1-14-11, 6:34pm

Now that I think about it, we will probably hang onto some more of the incandescent bulbs because they are oddballs shapes and sizes that would go in places we don't have on all that much - the bedside table, or in nightlights. But as we replace the more everyday bulbs, we will be using CFLs.

I also never knew incandescent bulbs could be recycled. Thanks for that tip!

Bronxboy

1-14-11, 7:23pm

Use the incandescent bulbs in fixtures that don't stay on a lot, and put compact fluorescents in high-use fixtures. Like Gina, We've had a tremendous range in how long CF bulbs last.

Most of our three-bulb ceiling fixtures have one fluorescent and two incandescent bulbs, or vice versa. Can't bring myself to deal with all-fluorescent lighting in a family room or bedroom. On the other hand, the laundry room is all fluorescents.

fidgiegirl

1-14-11, 7:46pm

I find that the longer we hold out on CFLs, the less we mind the color of the light. Seems they are making a bigger range of colors of light.

danna

1-14-11, 9:38pm

We were loving them years ago when first bought them, but in the last couple of years we have had really bad luck with them lasting. Then they need to be taken to the hazard waste depot and they are more expensive to replace. We are now using up incandescent bulbs we had.
We have also had an issue in this house with lights that on a dimmer flickering which is annoying and hard on the eyes. (even if we are not using the dimmer)
Would like to know if others are using LED

loosechickens

1-14-11, 10:47pm

There are CFLs especially for outlets with dimmer switches, and CFLs with much warmer color are available now, which is nice. we have switched our few "high use" reading lights to LEDs, which use a vanishingly small amount of power. Although the LEDs are prohibitively expensive and I have to say that while the light is really bright and nice for reading, it's a bit "glary" for ordinary use.

Greg44

1-20-11, 6:57pm

I would say use them up and then switch to CFL.s I like the newer CFL's that don't take as long to warm up. I use a Sharpie and write the date on the bulb base when I install them. I am amazed how long they last - years and years.

I did hear on the Clarke Howard Radio Show that there has been some issues that some bulbs aren't quite as low wattage as they claim on the packaging >:( So we may think we are doing good when we aren't doing quite a good as we thought!

Just make sure you get the color of bulb you want. Most bulbs are "soft white" if you get one of their daylight bulbs it is brighter -- and I think more unnatural -- despite the name.

Rogar

1-21-11, 2:41pm

I have 20 or incandescents that I'm saving in a box. I use them in low use areas like closets, garage, work light for the crawl space, back porch, etc. I suppose a person could wrestle the issue around a lot, but eventually I'll probably throw most of mine out.

Tiam

1-23-11, 12:22am

Oh, I hate the light of CFL's. They are just horrid. As for choices I guess I don't see them. Plus, I'm a klutz. I drop light bulbs and then I'm being exposed to mercury!

kally

1-25-11, 12:46pm

hang on to them. Here in Canada they will be banned soon, they can become a hot black-market item. Seriously, they might become harder to get and you might want them some day.

Gingerella72

2-1-11, 10:50am

I have a few old bulbs that I would love to replace with CFLs but they just refuse to burn out! Our dining room ceiling fan lights are the same ones that came with the house when we bought it 7 years ago (and we use these lights all the time). I'm getting impatient waiting for them to blow so I can replace them. I don't like the idea of replacing them before they're done.

creaker

2-1-11, 11:27am

I say don't throw them out...Use them in the winter because they actually give off some heat (the new bulbs don't). They might use a bit more energy, but since they give off heat (that you need in the winter), it kind of balances out. :idea: For anyone in a rural setting, the old lightbulbs give off just enough heat to keep a pumphouse from freezing. Locals here use them for that purpose all the time.

I never thought of that - that would definitely be an offset. I would think for someone with electric heat, it could actually be more expensive (cost of lights + cost of running them) using CFLs.

CathyA

2-1-11, 12:05pm

What I'm afraid of, which nobody else seems to be concerned about (even Al Gore), is the tiny bit of mercury in the new bulbs. Sure, a little mercury probably isn't a problem, but millions of people will be throwing these out. Then we'll all be saying "OH! Why didn't we think of all this mercury!"

danna

2-1-11, 10:32pm

Hattie

2-1-11, 10:43pm

I know we are told not to garbage them but take them to hazardous waste depot...I am very sure most people just dump them in the garbage.
Also, I have heard there is no really good way for even these places to recylce them..not totally sure about this information but have not seen anything different.

...and many people (like us) don't have access to a hazardous waste depot so we don't have any choice but to throw them out with the regular garbage at the dump. I always feel very guilty when I throw out something in the dump that I KNOW I shouldn't be, but have no other choice. *sigh*

kevinw1

2-4-11, 2:19pm

If your source of electricity is coal (and even here in hydro-powered BC, some of our top-up power comes from coal) then the mercury emitted in producing the extra power to run incandescent bulbs is the same as or slightly more than the mercury in the CFL's - which is all in one place and can be dealt with properly, instead of expelled into the air.

http://www.energyrace.com/commentary/more_on_mercury_coal_and_cfls_updated/