Save money by switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs
I was just about to write a blog post about compact fluorescent bulbs and how I put them all over my house to save energy. I WAS, until I took a look around my house and realized the job was only 1/2 done. Check out all of the incandescent bulbs I found still lurking around the house:
This proves that I did not look everywhere when I changed out the other bulbs. Actually, I would say that I only changed out 1/2 of all the incandescent bulbs in the house. Guess I better get back to work.
Here is an article that will tell you more about using CFLs to save money:
If every household in America switched just one bulb in their home to compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), over $600 million in energy costs would be saved in one year alone. Energy Star certified CFLs use approximately 75 percent less electricity than a standard light bulb. They also last about 10 times longer. Keep reading to learn how these miracle bulbs save energy and you money!
What is a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), and how does it work?
They work like a standard tube-fluorescent lamp, but the tube is smaller and folded around to decrease the amount of space it takes up. This compact design allows CFL bulbs to be used instead of your standard, incandescent light bulb.
How much of an environmental impact do CFLs really have?
A single 20-watt CFL used instead of a standard 75-watt incandescent bulb will save approximately 550 kWh over its lifetime. That savings represents 500 pounds of coal energy and subsequently 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
Is it true that there is mercury inside a CFL bulb?
Compact fluorescent lights do contain an extremely small amount of mercury vapor that’s needed to make light. However, the amount is so minute that it presents no danger for household use, even if the bulb breaks. They can also be safely disposed of in your everyday trash.
Do they come in standard sizes?
You can find compact fluorescent light bulbs in any standard light size. Because they come in so many shapes and sizes, you’ll find a CFL that will fit your lighting needs - whether you’re looking for a large, outdoor globe light or a small bulb for your bedside reading lamp.
They cost more than incandescent bulbs, so how do I save money?
To figure out why CFLs save money over incandescent lights, you have to examine both the purchase and the operating costs. For example, when you buy a 75 cent 100-watt incandescent light bulb, you’ll most likely spend $6-$8 in electricity over the course of that bulb’s 750-hour life span.
Meanwhile, a compact fluorescent light bulb may cost you $2-$10 to buy, but you’ll save a lot in the long term. Most CFLs not only last about 8,000-10,000 hours, but they cost less to run, meaning they’ll draw smaller sums of money from your pocket and last for years.
Finally, compact fluorescent lights don’t throw off as much heat as an incandescent bulb, which actually create more heat than light. This means CFLs will also save you money during the summer months when you’re trying to cool your home.
For information on practical home energy savings ideas, please visit http://www.energysavingsoptions.com, a popular site providing great insights about energy cost cutting measures, such as garage door insulation, the helpful portable furnace, and many more!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Clayton
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© Copyright 2009, John A. Simpson. All Rights Reserved.
I almost forgot that you have to dispose of these bulbs in a certain manner in order to prevent the Mercury inside them from contaminating anything. Here is the information:
Energystar.gov has instructions on what you should do if a CFL bulb breaks.
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag. Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands). Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
3. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag. Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal. Note: some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
4. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet: First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.
[Via Energystar.gov]
I completed the replacement of the remaining incandescent bulbs.
As someone who sells light bulbs for a living, I am less enthusiastic than most about compact fluorescent bulbs. This is due to the fact that the ones currently available contain significant amounts of mercury. If one of these bulbs should break inside of a person’s home, it could cause a challenging disposal situation. It is my belief that the technology should progress to a point at which the mercury levels are low or nonexistent before people changeover their entire homes. Another consideration is that as these bulbs burn out, they will most likely be thrown away as though they are normal rubbish and landfills will have incredibly high levels of mercury in their soil as a result.
[...] order to survive.
I heard from a friend that it takes more energy to make a CFL than you save using it. I have not been able to verify this. Anyone have any comments?
Most CFLs today on the market contain less than 5mgs of mercury and there are CFL options out there that contain as little as 1.5mgs of mercury- which can hardly be called a “significant amounts of mercury” considering that many item in your home contain 100s of times more of mercury including your computer. Mercury levels in CFLs can never be “nonexistent” since mercury is a necessary component of a CFL and there is no other known element that is capable of replacing it. But CFLs actually prevent more mercury from entering the environment. According to the Union of Concerned Scientist, “a coal-fired power plant will emit about four times more mercury to keep an incandescent bulb glowing, compared with a CFL of the same light output”.
[...] made a post a while back about switching from regular light bulbs to CFLs. This is something that we should all do. I finally got all of my bulbs switched over to CFLs. The [...]
[...] while back, I wrote a post about using CFLs to reduce energy consumption in the home. Several of the comments mentioned that improper disposal of these bulbs can be a [...]