CFLs

[wilheldp_PE]

Have you guys seen the new LED streetlights?

Yeah. When I worked for an A/E firm, we had lighting vendors in all the time talking about LED streetlights. The have little modules that incorporate a 1 watt LED driver and a highly researched reflector. Most of the streetlights have about 13 of those modules, and they are really bright (especially when viewed in a darkened conference room).

 

[willsee]

We just designed a high school here with LED 2x4's and LED parking lot lights.

Guess the first thing that got VE'd.

 

[Guest]

Did anyone see Dale Bryk on Stephen Colbert espousing the benefits of CFLs?!

Dale Bryk Supports CFLs

JR

 

[Flyer_PE]

LED taxi/landing lights are starting to come on the market. They're still a little expensive but I may try one out the next time I burn out a light since they're supposed to last a LOT longer than the 40 or so hours I get out of the stock incandescent.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

OK, I'm one of those rare anal people that DOES track when I replace the CFLs, since they cost so much.

My first one, always on in the basement, cost 20 bucks, was two peice, and lasted five years. The one I replaced it with lasted three. The current one has been down there almost a year.

The ones that get cut on and off daily, last less than a year, but start to dim appreciably after 3-6 months.

It died earlier this month.

From my experience, despite what they claim, CFLs will last less than 3 years, even when constantly on.

My stash of 100W incandescents is running low.

 

[Master slacker]

Don't worry about your "science" or your so-called calculations. You're saving the world, man! Don't worry about that mercury, it'll work itself out.

 

[csb]

I never asked this, but why is the light always on?

 

[wilheldp_PE]

He's running an illicit Motel 6.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I never asked this, but why is the light always on?

The so-and-so who wired the house put the basement light on the same circuit as an outlet in the living room and some outside motion detectors. So if you cut the basement light off, you lose those.

Also, there are no windows, so it would be pitch black in there without the lights. It is worth the elctricity to save stumbling around with a flashlight. So we have two CFLs down there 24/7.

 

[csb]

Ah! Makes sense.

My parents have recently installed a bunch of those motion activated, battery operated LED lights on their stairs to the basement. They are obsessed with energy savings. This way, they don't have to turn on the hall light to get to the rooms in the basement. The stairs have also always been a little dark.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The motion detectors don't workk anymore (I hate the dang things anyway), but we do use that outlet. Eventually, I could see a switch to LED for those basement bulbs, but that's a long way off, methinks.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

You could get a screw in adapter with a wireless switch for the basement. The light would theoretically be switched twice, but it should work.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^Hmmm...might look into that? Any links?

 

[mudpuppy]

Good idea, wil. . .I use X10 on several lights in my house but they are the plug-in type modules. I forgot about the screw-in kind.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

^Hmmm...might look into that? Any links?

This was the first thing that the Google search turned up...

http://www.amazon.com/Heath-Zenith-BL-6138-LA-Solutions-Wireless/dp/B000INZBTE

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Thanks!

 

[Supe]

So that doesn't have to be hardwired, just 9v battery for the switch? If so, that's pretty ****, and I need to order a few that have the outlet that plugs in. I've been wanting to backlight the tops of the kitchen cabinets and have an outlet there (from the microwave), but no way of wiring an on/off switch without a lot of drywall damage. I can use this for some movie theater sconces on the projector wall, too!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The latest GE energy saver 100W equivalent CFLs seem to put out truly equivalent light to a 100W incandescent, start up a lot quicker, and seem to be 1 1/2 spirals shorter than the previous CFLs.

With greater performance, I've finally been able to put them in areas where truly equivalent 100W performance was needed, and the smaller size may fit some fixtures that were too small for the older CFLs. Which is good, because my stash of pre-ban 100W incandescents is dwindling.

 

[Boomer01 PE]

The newer CFL's definitely work better than the older ones. The light output is much better and there isn't the warming up time.

I'm thinking about going all LED in the next house we build (around 3 years) if the prices get a little better.

 

[envirotex]

I'm going to start hoarding incandescent-bulb Christmas lights...