<font color= “SkyBlue2“>What a great idea. The Australian government is to ban light bulbs by 2010 to save the enviroment.

from the ABC </font>
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...2/s1851776.htm

"Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull is announcing today that conventional, incandescent light bulbs are to be phased out over the next three years and replaced with energy-saving globes.

He says this will save up to two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in Australia over the next few years.

Mr Turnbull has told AM that new energy standards will be introduced.

"It'll be illegal to sell a product that doesn't meet the energy standard so that'll happen by 2009, 2010, and so by that stage you simply won't be able to buy incandescent light bulbs because they won't meet the energy standard," he said."


<font color= “SkyBlue2“> Our house already uses nothing but energy-saving globes but I guess not many other people use them. What about Ironworkers, have you the old bulbs or new ones in your house? </font>

[ 02-19-2007, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: wellard ]

I try to use as much e-saving halogens as possible. That's a really good idea, there.

<font color= “SkyBlue2“> I agree Bozos, in fact its so simple you wonder if there is a catch. </font>

Do you mean fluorescent?

Halogen bulbs are only slightly more efficient then incandescent. A good compact flourescent on the otherhand can be over three times as efficient as an incandescent.

[ 02-19-2007, 08:04 PM: Message edited by: Seraph ]

Brain fart, yeah, fluorescent.

A mix. Fluorescent doesn't give off the same light, though... and if something goes wrong with the ballast, you're pretty much screwed.

The fact that I know there's a thing called a ballast in association with fluorescent lights is directly related to the slightly non-functioning ceiling light I have available in the garage for the highest offer... ;)

I absolutely detest fluorescent lighting. I loathe it with a passion of such severity that I cannot convey it to you enough. Fluorescent light eats my soul on a daily basis. So here I am torn between concern for the environment and a desire for an alternative... Is there no third choice, other than switching back to candles and oil lamps?

Those are the bulbs that are like a spiral? If so as the bulbs burn out in the new house we are going to switch over. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-19-2007, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: Mack_Attack ]

Yep most of our house has that type Mack.

"replacing a 75-watt incandescent light bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent would result in the same amount of light but would save 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide and save customers $55 over the life of the bulb."

Now I dont care what experts tell, me a 20 watt bulb is NOT quite as bright as a 75 watt incandescent bulb, but when you change the whole house or at least a large area you do not notice the change.

Illumina Drathiran'ar I feel your pain. I can not abide being in offices with no or little natural light just flickering flouro's. There are other alternates like LED (which finaly can be made to display 'white' light) maybe some Ironworkers can tell us about other alternate lights?

Felix did some research on that...

Yep most of our house has that type Mack.

"replacing a 75-watt incandescent light bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent would result in the same amount of light but would save 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide and save customers $55 over the life of the bulb."

Now I dont care what experts tell, me a 20 watt bulb is NOT quite as bright as a 75 watt incandescent bulb, but when you change the whole house or at least a large area you do not notice the change. </font>[/QUOTE]I would imagine that we will get the same laws here too. Since we have been trying to get the green law in the works for a while now(2years).

I like those savings as well. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=skyblue>Yeah, most of the lights in our house are the new, and more expensive spiral kind though the ones in the overhead fan lights are those little tubes that are straight and at the top they curve...they're the same thing but just a tad bit narrower for tight spots than the spirals are.

However, they are not nearly as bright and so I have to use a normal old-fashioned light bulb in one room because otherwise it would be way too dark with the lighting options we have in place.

The reason I bought them? I had no idea that they actually did anything for the enviroment and bought them only because they promised longer burning time...though I tend to doubt they go as long as they say they do...but they do seem to go somewhat longer.</font>

Illumina Drathiran'ar I feel your pain. I can not abide being in offices with no or little natural light just flickering flouro's. There are other alternates like LED (which finaly can be made to display 'white' light) maybe some Ironworkers can tell us about other alternate lights? </font>[/QUOTE]Actually I think candles and oil lamps might in fact produce more carbon dioxide than normal light bulbs. But you could try fluorescent fungi. Or darkness, it was quite popular among the lower classes a few hundred years ago.

Don't be so quick to demonise Flourescent lighting. New designs use much higher frequencies to eliminate the flickering effect that some folks are sensitive to. Also, there are now mulitple color options for flourescent for those who hate the weird "bright white" of the old long tube designs.

New compact flourescent designs for direct incandescent replacement are really something you should look into if you have avoided them for fear of a "factory flourescent" type atmosphere. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

We use them throughout our large house, the spirl type where the bulb is hidden and the enclosed type (that looks just like a frosted incandescent) where the bulb is visible.

IMO it is nearly time for them to became the standard product for home lighting... but that is predecated on the existance of a proper recycling stream for them. While they save energy, they are more complicated to produce and create increased waste (ballast) that NEEDS to be addressed to really create a win/win scenario for consumers and the environment.

It is good that you know the skinny on them. I confess I haven't seen one in a home in years so don't know what changes have been made.

Hmmm, maybe I got a bad bulb. I tried a 2-pack of those spiral ones last summer at work. After about a month the one I put in the bathroom started to flicker constantly until I finally tossed it out before it drove me insane. Now the other one that I put in a banker's lamp at my desk didn't flicker, much, but it was so heavy it actually weighed down the part you screw the bulb in, so the bulb leaned and made crackly sounds.

So I thought they were crap, but perhaps I'll give them a shot again. However, again, they are kinda heavy for certain lamps (banker's lamps you put the bulb in sideways).

[ 02-20-2007, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: ladyzekke ]

they're definitely heavier than incandescents... that would be a problem for something flexible that's counting on low weight.

Don't forget that with the fluorescents you can't just throw them out. They have to be taken to a hazardous waste site. Mercury you know. CA says they have to be handled as hazardous waste. Can you say more money?

Like pornstars! :D Sorry, just had to!

Like pornstars! :D Sorry, just had to! </font>[/QUOTE]From light bulbs and lamps to pornstars????? WTF???

Maybe you should stick to your Nazi/white supremacists websites Bithron and stop derailing my Ironwork threads?

Thx in advance

Hey, come now. If you gotta yell at the man, do it over PM, no reason for us to get all aggressive here.

As for LED lights, they seem to beat incandescents at power efficiency, but they are even more expensive than fluorescents, plus they require optimal situations or high production values to have that high efficiency.

As far as I can tell, they're also less efficient for room lighting since their light is more directed.

They're also worse than both incandescents and fluorescents when it comes to producing broad-spectrum light, according to what I'm reading, which means an increased chance of SAD-like symptoms for people who spend a lot of their time exposed to them rather than sunlight.

Is CA really stupid enough to charge people to dispose of compact flourescent bulbs? I find that a little hard to believe.
Generally goverments have discovered that charging people to do something that is already inconvienent is a good way to get them to put a lot of effort into not doing them.
Compact flourectent bulbs can be recycled, so there is no good reason to charge someone for trying to dispose of one.

If there's one thing worse than fluorescent light it's flickering fluorescent light. Tzz Tzz Tzz.

<font color=8fbc8f>Well thanks to "B" I conducted very little research on alternative lighting sources.

I might be able to shed a ray or two on this beaming subject:

1. The newer high frequency bulbs are very stable and produce near "Daylight". My 13W desk lamp runs at a 6400K (Kelvin) temperature producing a CRI (Color Rendering Index) rating of 92. It is truly amazing. The first link below makes for a good critical analysis read.

2. My reading lamp, is the 18W "Ott-Light". It has had some minor issues, but the company was *VERY* user friendly, prompt and actually seemed concerned with customer relations. This lamp does need a few moments to warm, but once it's hot, it lights my study area as if it were the mid-morning natural light peering through the window shades. I will never go back.

3. A final cheaper alternative, but not low wattage is the "GE Reveal" bulb. These produce a smooth, non-glaring usable white light.

4. I have tried different brands of the replacement low wattage bulbs. The "GE" seems to respond slower, but produces more light once it responds. They also seem to create a harsh glare, or 'hot spots' if you will. The "Sylvania" responds quickly, and slowly builds to full capacity. It seems to radiate more efficiently, and does not have 'hot-spots'. I prefer the "Sylvania" and the spousal unit prefers the "GE".</font>

http://www.apollolight.com/new_conte...ntroversy.html

Kelvin chart
http://www.3drender.com/glossary/colortemp.htm

CRI chart
http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/page/001/CTGY/CRI

You couldn't resist could ya :D

You couldn't resist could ya :D </font>[/QUOTE]I was going to slap him for that too [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]


Great post felix, thanks for shedding some light on the subject [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#009999">We already have most of our bulbs replaced. But we didn't do it all at once. We did it as they burnt out. I think we may have two or three left that still need to be replaced.</font>

[ 02-21-2007, 05:12 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]