Crush -> RE: incadescentr lightbulb- to be phazed out (12/19/2007 8:51:40 AM)
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I've replaced some lights with the compact fluorescent lights, but only in places that I expect as long term, pain in the ass, places. My complaints with the fluorescent bulbs are: A) Take too long to start up when you turn on the light. Incandescent bulbs take a short time and the LED bulbs are near instantaneous. (Next time, check out the tail lights of a newer car that has both...usually incandescent in the tail lights and LEDs in the top "brake light" strip. LEDs are on noticably quicker than the incandescents.) B) Eventual disposal They have nasty things inside 'em, from mercury to low level radioactive material. And the ballast has to be made and disposed of as well. They are going to end up being hazardous material in disposal situations. C) Incandescents could last much longer It would mean retooling and rebuilding them, with fatter elements for example, but no reason to believe that an incandescent couldn't be built to last as long as a fluorescent. I've run incandescent bulbs at lower voltages and they definitely still give off light and, after 10 years, still work. D) LEDs are better at color. And in an array, can vary the color for you, something that neither fluorescents nor incandescents can do easily or as energy efficiently. We won't even talk about neon.... E) They flicker Fluorescents flicker. 120 times a second, in the US power grid. Or, if high frequency bulbs are used, they make that electronic "hum." Flicker and hum affect some people very much, especially if they are using CRTs that have their own "flicker rate" as well. Just a few thoughts on it, after having researched these things for the past 5 years.
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