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There Was Light, And It Was Good

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

One problem with growing older is that my eyes are less and less able to process light.

So, I need more and more of it inside the house.

We built our house almost 12 years ago now.  And we have done lots of remodeling over the years.  One thing I have always done is replace light fixtures we don't like.

So when the bulb in the light over the kitchen sink burned out, I took the opportunity to put in a new one.

That's it, the $2 builder's special you have probably seen before.  It's a beaut, much like Charlie's Wordless Wednesday boat (see my comments on the, um, boat in his photo...).  Here you can see my new light's reflection just over this builder's special.

The bulb was a 60 watt incandescent.  It lasted 11.5 years.  I wanted to replace the fixture with a new, chic mini pendant light.  I see them all the time on inspections and like them a lot.

But I needed one that gives light (see the original senescence plight above...).

My problem:  my doctor tells me not to use CFL's for any reason.  They exacerbate migraines.  Not just for me, but for tens of thousands of people.  We sufferers all know this.  There is no need to wait for some bloated, wasteful, 20-year-long government "study" to tell us we are right.  Or some website...

In fact, the doctor tells me, the light waves produced by these little wonders make other auto-immune problems worse, as well as neural conditions like Parkinson's, MS and Alzheimer's.

So, I have a 200 year supply of incandescents in my house.  Why shouldn't I?

Well, none of the pendant lights I could find use more than 40 watts.  And most have the small screw thread contact at the bottom, requiring those little bulbs you see in dining room chandeliers.

That is not enough light.  Not enough for me.  I needed a big boy light.  But I can't find them in my country.

No problem!  There are other countries out there.  So I went to ELK Lighting.  I found some great mini pendant  lights that take 60 watt incandescents!  Wow, what do you know.  There is still some freedom in the world!

It took some time for the light to arrive.

I selected one that is hand-blown glass.  It is a piece of artwork.  I had to wait 10 weeks for the artisan (in Australia) to make it!  And ship it!

It casts a beautiful yellow light into our kitchen. 

More importantly it sends a lot of bright light downward onto our sink.  I can see!

My recommendation:  One thing I learned in the Boy Scouts, and teach to my Scouts now, is to leave a campsite cleaner than when I found it.  I have done that every place I have ever lived.  This beautiful addition will be left for someone else to enjoy too.

There is a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night:  and it is good!

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments (16)

Mandy Buchholz
Benchmark Realty, LLC - Murfreesboro, TN

Love it you made me laugh and I also learned a little. Eleven and half years ok I will use that knowledge where!!!

Jan 08, 2010 08:59 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Mandy.  The CFL "craze" is not all it's cracked up to be...  I have had people tell me their CFL's are going to last 4 or 5 years!  Wow...

Jan 08, 2010 09:03 AM
David Tapper
Coldwell Banker - Burlingame, CA

Nice Jay, nice. Sometime we take things for granted. On a real estate note, having better light makes the home show better too. No one likes a dark dreary home.

 

Tap

Jan 08, 2010 09:04 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

True Tap, true.  And nicer looking light too.  How long has Tap been your nickname?  Since childhood?

Jan 08, 2010 09:11 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Looks dang nice Jay----now just spend $54.00 and put an LED in it:)

Jan 08, 2010 09:53 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Charlie - I have a boatload of very nice, low E, low heat GE incandescents @ about $1 a pop!

Jan 08, 2010 09:55 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

The "Strobing" of florescent bulbs was a common problem with old ballast type fixtures.  It is the nature of alternating current that bulbs flicker.  With electronic type ballasts of the CFL's the flicker rate should be about the same as with incandescents----and not any more perceivable.

Jan 08, 2010 10:08 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

According to my doctor it is the light waves produced, not the strobing.  I remember the strobing on those long ones that were out about 20 years ago though.  Still, I am staying with incandescent heaven!

Jan 08, 2010 10:32 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Interesting point on the strobing.  I had never heard that.

We have started to migrate over to CFL's and can't report any headaches.

Don't know about the autoimmune, though.

Jan 08, 2010 10:34 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

That's the tip of the iceberg Mike!

Jan 08, 2010 10:37 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Jay,

So many of us inspectors are over fifty, so we get into the field about the time the eyes need more help than they did years before. We have to work harder than the young bucks but, on the other hand, there are not many younger guys to compete with in the field usually.

Jan 08, 2010 12:01 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

I'm curious where LEDs are going.  I'm not a fan of CFLs either... the light sucks.  LEDs might be able to do the trick... but it will take some time.

Jan 08, 2010 12:23 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Hence the super-duper flashlights Steve!  I don't usually carry a flashlight with me in the house though.

I have a Streamlight incandescent flashlight and an LED flashlight Lane.  The LED was advertised as superior and it simply is not.  And it's the same manufacturer.  Very expensive!  There are LED bulbs which would fit the kitchen light I installed, but they are very expensive too!  I am not sure about longevity though.  The original incandescent bulb for the kitchen lasted over 11 years!

Jan 08, 2010 07:09 PM
Steve Hoffacker
Steve Hoffacker LLC - West Palm Beach, FL
Certified Aging In Place Specialist-Instructor

Jay,

From one Scout to another, great post and well developed argument. Thanks. :)

Steve

Jan 09, 2010 03:07 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Jay,

The LED light that I have, same one as Charlie, really is good. I used to charge and carry about four million candle power lights. I have since retired them. This is just about as bright. Charlie will know the name. Mine is out in the truck tonight.

Jan 09, 2010 03:42 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Steve H. - freedom is freedom.  Once gone it is gone.  Forcing people to use one product over another, for the silly reason of "saving the planet" is, well, people simply aren't thinking.

Scouting is probably the best program for boys ever begun, despite it's being called a "hate group" by Clinton. You know the goodness of the tree by its fruit.

Steve S. - Streamlight makes great flashlights.  I have the bright incandescent and the Stinger LED.  They are very much the same, though different prices.  And the bulbs for the incandescent are cheap.  But neither is anywhere close to my 2 mil candle rechargeable!  That thing can char an attic space!

Jan 09, 2010 09:38 PM