Sad to hear the QC on the modern
el-cheapo CF lamps is so poor that they do not last. I guess the $25.00
Osram Dulux ones I am still using after 20+ years weren't such a big
expense after all. I have had several customers all panicked about the
supposed mercury hazard in CF lamps and appreciate Dan Fink's posting
which mirrors my own feelings.
Todd
Woah, everyone. Slow down.
Snopes is indeed a great resource. However, they, like nearly every
media article cited, completely miss the point. Compact Fluorescent
bulbs contain no more mercury than do regular tube FLs, which have been
in use in homes and offices for decades. The disposal recommendations
are no different. Ask any office building custodian--the mercury
warning is printed on the base of most larger length T8s.
Proper disposal is needed for ANY broken FL or CFL--and has been for
decades.
As far as LEDs -- the reason LED lamps don't make much heat is because
they don't make much light, either. Lumen-per-watt figures for LEDs
still lag far behind FL or CFL. Yes, yes, there have been recent
announcements from LED companies -=- but take these all with a grain of
(metallic, heh heh) salt. Many of these figures take into account only
luminous efficiency, NOT real-world *total*
efficiency. AND, the high-efficiency ones are not generally available
in room lighting products yet -- they are available only as discrete
LEDs.
LED lamps are extremely directional. They work fine for close-up task
lighting. But I have yet to see any LED lamp suitable for area
lighting, like a living room. I have installed and tried many, for
myself (first) and for customers. The usual response, after dark, when
they see the lighting of their living room, is --"You've got to be
kidding me. I paid $300 for THAT awful lighting?"
Give it a few years, and LEDs will be everywhere. But right now, they
are very marginal at best:
T8 FL = up to 95 lumens per watt
f40T12 FL = up to 65 lumens per watt
CFL = up to 60 lumens per watt
White LED = most ranging from 24 to 45 lumens per watt. Some have
reached 90 lumens per watt -- but are so far only available as discrete
components, not massed together in commercial lighting fixtures.
100w Incandescent = up to 17 lumens per watt
*Again, be VERY careful of LED lumen per watt claims. All the above
numbers are actual efficiency, not luminous. Most companies that
manufacture LED home fixtures do not measure light output correctly.
Contact me off-list if you want more info on how to actually measure
efficiency.*
REF:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp
Don Klipstein:
http://members.misty.com/don/light.html
And almost every other page on his website.
Me:
http://otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting.html
DAN FINK
Technical Director, http://www.otherpower.com/
Co-Author, "Homebrew Wind Power"
ISBN 978-0-9819201-0-8
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