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The Argument for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

By
Real Estate Agent with Silicon Valley Real Estate

 Let's forget for the moment about the fact that California has a reputation for green tech.  (If you've been to Yosemite, the Avenue of the Giants, Muir Woods, or other natural wonders in Northern California, you'd understand.)  Or the fact that the spiraled compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) consume "one-fourth the energy and produce 90% less heat."

Let's even forget the fact that they save $30 each over their lifetime according to the government and $62.95 according to Slate

Wouldn't it be great not to have to change the burnt-out light bulb above the stairwell or in that hard-to-reach (and harder-to-light) part of your home for four-and-a-half years instead of every six months?  CFLs are only a few dollars and you can get them for as little as $1.75.  Some electric companies actually subsidize them too.  (PG&E has even given some away here in Silicon Valley.)

CFLs are considered so important that some unnamed legislators in California are considering banning traditional light bulbs.  Why let it get to that point?  Traditional lights have their uses and you can tell the government that it has better things to do by replacing a few more of your regular bulbs yourself, saving money and trouble in the process.

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Don Gockel
NextHome The Gockel Group - Palmdale Lancaster Quartz Hill - - Palmdale, CA
Realtor, Broker, GRI - Antelope Valley Real Estate

I use CFL's in several places in my house, but they're not the best for all places. They take time to come on full strength, which is a blessing at 2AM because they don't blast your eyes, but when you want light like RIGHT NOW, well hold on they'll take a while, and if it's really cold it may be a bit longer.

By the way, does anyone know the answer to created by the advertisement for CFL's when they say that "if we all just replaced 1 incandescent bulb with a CFL that we would some thousand cars off the road," but they never say for how long, a minute/hour/day/forever?

Oct 06, 2007 02:25 PM
Steve Leung
Silicon Valley Real Estate - Cupertino, CA

Yep, I'd hate to see a ban on regular light bulbs when they're useful in a lot of places too.  I read that the newer CFLs are faster, but I keep the regular lights in the entryways where I want it bright instantly.  But (to me at least) the fluorescent ones are indistinguishable almost everywhere else.

Just a guess, I'd imagine given the millions of people in California that the answer to the riddle would be the lifetime of the bulb.

Oct 06, 2007 02:49 PM
Todd Clark - Retired
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon

Once a month Home Depot sells them on a weekend special for .99 cents, so no reason to not go out and stock up! Great post and each person that can do it, it will help a lot.

Dec 01, 2007 06:24 PM