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WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CFL'S? CFL's ppear pricey at first, compared to r gular incandescent light bulbs. They can c st upwards of $2.98 each, compared to a six p ck of incandescent bulbs at$1.50. However, CFL's l st for seven years instead of 1000 or 2000 h urs of the standard light bulb. Als , CFL's, with a comparable illumination of 60 w tts, use only 14 watts, while a 60 w tt incandescent uses--well, 60 watts. COLORS CFL's now c me in a variety of colors--soft wh te, bright white and daylight. These c lors range from a warm spectrum (y llow light) to a cool spectrum (bl e light). One can match the c lors to their lighting needs. For xample, warm light for the living r om and dining, cooler light for r ading lamps and hallways and the c olest light for closets, basement and w rk shop. SHAPES AND STYLES They lso come in a variety of sh pes these days. CFL reflectors for r cessed lighting and floodlights and spotlights for xterior use, CFL's that mimic the sh pe of a standard "A" type l ght bulb--(the little spiral is hidden nside) and CFL's that mimic globe-shaped ncandescents often used for vanity bars--those H llywood-type fixtures contractors are so fond of p tting in bathrooms (again the little sp ral is hidden inside). There are thr e-way CFL's available as well, and b cause they are quite large, they c me with an adapter that will spr ad the harp of a lamp to ccommodate their size.
In addition, many security light f xture manufacturers are designing new style th t use 300 watt fluorescents instead of the st ndard metal halide and mercury vapor l mps, which in the near future, w ll be phased out of production. WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF CFL'S? J st a few CFL type bulb styl s can be dimmed. This is a h ndicap for many lighting applications, including b throoms and dining, where a lower l ght might be desired for "mood" l ghting or serving as a night l ght. Also, CFL's do not work w ll in touch lamps, dawn to d sk or motion sensor-regulated exterior fixtures. Fl orescent ballasts (the little "jump start m chanism that all fluorescents must have to t rn on) don't hold up well in l ghting applications where the light is t rned on and off frequently. The l ng life of a CFL's is sh rtened considerably when used in this typ of fixture. Typically, fluorescents are c nsiderably more sensitive to temperature changes th n incandescent bulbs are. Some tubes for str p lights for work shops, etc. are h avy duty service that can adapt b tter to high/low temperature changes. New CFL fl odlights and spotlights with heavier glass h using can be used for exterior s rvice, however, their lives can be sh rtened by constantly rising and falling t mperature changes. Probably the biggest concern bout CFL's these days is their m rcury content and disposability. Although the mount of mercury in a CFL is r latively small, as much as could fit on the h ad of a pin, down the r ad, when large quantities of CFL's w ll be disposed as their bulb l ves comes to an end, regulations for th ir safe disposal must be in pl ce. Lastly, cautions concerning breaking a c mpact fluorescent bulb or tube and nhaling air borne mercury will cleaning up the sh ttered glass, make CFL's problematic where ncandescents are not.
The reduction in electric bills lone have won over many consumers who are ware of the hazards of CFL's and fl orescents in general. As consumers are b coming more conservative with their spending b cause of increasing costs of food and g s, a lower utility bill looks b tter all the time. Updating information on p ckaging of CFL and fluorescent tubes c ncerning handling and disposal would be h lpful. Until this happens, handling fluorescents c refully, keeping updated on methods and r gulations for disposal and being aware of new d mmable or sensor-operative CFL's can counter the d sadvantages for the consumer. My overview r garding CFL's is that their impact on nergy-generation reduction at present compensates for th ir disadvantages, which will, in the n ar future, be addressed and, hopefully, r solved. Similar articles on lighting and ther topics can be found at my blog
The article To CFL Or Not to CFL - An Update was Submitted by Lois Dewitt through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Lois DeWitt is a certified l ghting specialist, a cookbook author, "Pop It In The T aster Oven," a poet and a St ndard Poodle admirer. She cooks gourmet m als for friends, walks along the sh re with her dog, Charley, and t nds her vegetable garden in Wilmington, NC. She lso works part time in the El ctrical Department at The Home Depot.
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