Compact Fluorescent Lighting Tips

The use of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) in homes as a direct replacement for incandescent is becoming more and more common. With electricity-to-light efficiency at up to four times that of an incandescent, fluorescent lighting has the capacity to significantly reduce the demand for electricity and therefore the consumption of fossil fuels and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.

Fluorescent lights, however, are much different in their operation than incandescent bulbs and this must be taken into consideration when using them. There are some applications where an incandescent bulb may still be the best answer. Other applications will save tons by switching to a fluorescent.

• CFL "Do's"
• CFL "Dont's"
• Color temperature
• Additional Tips
• Disposal (Mercury)
• Broken Lamp Cleanup
• Government is forcing me to use CFLs!

CFL "Do's"

• Use them in your most-used fixtures, especially those which stay on for long periods of time. These are areas where the fluorescent will save significant costs in electricity and lamp replacement.

CFL "Don'ts"

• ...Replace every bulb in your house with a CFL. Closet lights and other lights which are rarely used probably are not worth using a CFL. The added complexity of the bulb and the fact that CFLs do not like constant off/on cycles with no warm-up time in between makes them unattractive for these areas. Use an incandescent bulb of the lowest wattage practical. An LED bulb may also be an option if available.
• ...In outdoor lights (unless the light remains on for long periods of time). CFLs are more sensitive to cold temperatures, heat, and moisture than incandescents. Some take a few seconds to warm up to full brightness.
• ...In lava lamps, EasyBake ovens, CreepyCrawler machines, heat lamps, and other such devices. These devices use only the heat produced by incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs will not produce enough heat to make them work properly.
• ...In reptile or other pet habitats where heat is needed. The CFL will not radiate enough heat to keep your animal warm.
• ...In "trouble lights" (the hand held lights often used in construction and automotive repair). The bulb is too vulnerable to breakage when used in these lights. You can buy trouble lights which use fluorescent tubes or LEDs encased in a tough housing.
• ...In tightly enclosed light fixtures. While incandescent bulbs produce a lot of heat, they are very tolerant of it. Enclosed fixtures designed for incandescents may not allow for enough air circulation to properly cool the CFLs. Do not mix incandescents and fluorescents in the same enclosed fixture. The heat from the incandescent will likely destroy the CFL.

Color temperature

Color temperature is an enormous issue with fluorescent lamps. The color temperature of the lamp is the source of comments about "harshness", "warmness", or "sterility" of the light. Incandescent lamps have a low color temperature, about 2700 K. This results in what we call a "warm" light, probably because of similarity to candle or fire light. To emulate this, you must buy fluorescent or LED lamps with a similarly low color temperature - 2700K to 3000K. This information is listed on the package, often with descriptors such as "Soft White" or "Warm White".

COLOR TEMPERATURES OF LAMPS: 2700 K INCANDESCENT, 3500 K FLUORESCENT, 5500 K FLUORESCENT.

The higher color temperature lamps, which actually more closely emulate sunlight, are often described as "harsh" or "cold" by people who are expecting the yellowish incandescent-like light and purchase the wrong lamp. 3500K and 4100K are the near-universal standard in commercial buildings, while 5000K-6500K are common in areas where close representation of daylight is desired. The color temperature of noon-time sun is about 5800K.

Some More Tips

In general, install fluorescents in areas where they will not be subject to large amounts of stress or possible breakage. Don't install them where they will be constantly flicked on and off. Turning them on and off rapidly wears out the filaments at the base of the tube due to a "sputtering" effect and they will not last as long. Don't install them in light fixtures which allow for excessive heat buildup.

Don't use the warm-up period and reduction in life due to on/off cycling as an excuse to leave lights on when they aren't needed. If a light is turned on and off without every really staying on for a long time, then don't use a fluorescent in it.

It seems that the cheapest CFLs are the 13-watt and 23/26 watt versions. This is probably because they are the most popular ones. You often can get away with using several smaller ones in place of a single large one. I bought a single 42-watt (the largest available) Edison-base self-ballasted CFL for $8. I could also have bought a pack of three 26-watt ones for the same price. I use the large one in a torchiere with one socket.

The smaller ones (such as the 9-watt and 7-watt) cost just as much as the 13-watt. I had a light with four sockets, and bought two 13-watt ones and just left the other two sockets empty instead of buying four 7-watt ones. It's not exactly pretty, but it's half the cost, half the bulbs, same amount of light.

It is best to shop around and try out different brands. Be aware that the 99 cent specials may not be such a great bargain. Lamps from the well-known lighting companies (GE, Philips, Sylvania, etc.) can usually be counted on to be of high quality. I've had good luck with the in-house brands of the home-improvement warehouses as well.

Disposal

Fluorescent lamps of all types (including the backlight in your computer's LCD screen) contain a small amount of mercury vapor (less than 10 milligrams). This means that the bulbs are considered to be a hazardous waste in many areas and should be treated as such.

Residential users of compact fluorescent lamps can easily dispose of the used lamps at many home-improvement and discount warehouse-style retailers. The collection containers are often located near the return or customer service desk.

Municipalities often hold household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events which will accept the lamps.

Commercial and industrial users of mercury lamps may purchase bulk disposal packaging which allows lamps to be shipped to recylcers in special pre-paid packaging. Many commercial and industrial users have been doing this for years, given the near-universal use of fluorescent lighting in commercial buildings.

Broken Lamp Cleanup

If you break any kind of fluorescent lamp in your home, don't panic. There is no need to seek the services of hazardous materials response companies - they may take advantage of your situation, blow it way out of proportion, and charge you an exorbitant amount of money.

Simple CFL/Fluorescent Cleanup:

1. Get a plastic bag, a broom, and a dustpan.
2. Open the windows in the affected room and isolate it from the rest of the home if possible (a.k.a. close the door).
3. Carefully sweep up the broken lamp. Take care not to kick up and breathe the dust.
4. Put all of it in the bag, seal off the bag, and put it in your outside trash can or some other outdoor location until it can be removed/collected.
5. Leave windows to room open for 15-20 minutes. Use a window fan blowing out if so desired.
6. Rinse the broom and dustpan with water.

Government is forcing me to use CFLs!

You may have heard this rumor on political opinion shows or even the news. The fact is that no one, not even the good old evil government, is forcing you to use any particular lighting technology.

In the United States, Europe, and various other countries, efficiency standards are resulting in changes to the lighting options available to you. Ironicially, these regulations have immensely widened the available lighting choices and lowered the prices on LED and other advanced lighting through mass production. These government standards set only a minimum efficiency for certain size electric lights. In this class are general service lamps, a.k.a. generic 60 W, 75 W, and 100 W incandescent lamps that have no novelty or decorative properties. Those wishing to continue use of such lamps can purchase halogen incandescent equivalents which are around 30% more efficient and have longer life.

The government is choosing lamps for you the same way they choose home appliances and cars for you: by mandating that manufacturers meet a minimum standard of efficiency. You are not being forced to use any particular technology, brand, size, or shape of lamp, despite what radio entertainers and rumor mills may have suggested. The irony in all of these rumors is that many of the same sources which suggest forced use of "poisonous CFLs" tend to express rabid opposition to regulations reducing mercury emissions from coal-fired electricity generation.

CREATED/WRITTEN: 2007-11-14 00:00

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