Comments on: Wal-Mart Backs Energy Saving Fluorescents

By: Jim S

Jim S — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 02:58:40 +0000

The big problem in our house is that many of the lighting fixtures that are used a great deal are placed in ceiling fan fixtures. While using the fan the bulbs flicker like the worst of the older fluorescents and are just too annoying to use and even cause at least one person in our house to get headaches. So we have them in other places but they doesn’t do as much good as they could. There is also a decorative chandelier that lights the entry hall that still has to have decorative incandescents.

By: sleipner

sleipner — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:48:54 +0000

I’ve been using fluorescents in pretty much all my light fixtures since the mid 90’s…never had any problems with them, except with dimmer switches (fluorescents are on or off, no sliding scale).

What I’m really waiting on is when they get white LED lightbulbs to the marketable stage – they last a LOT longer than fluorescents, and use even less energy. I’m not sure how their components and manufacturing stack up re. environmental cleanliness.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:54:51 +0000

You can actually get compact fluorescent bulbs in the same shape as incandescent lights, which would solve the problem with clamped lamp shades. For the tight receptacle, you can also get a socket extendor (look under "what if my new bulb is too big to fit in my lamp?"). We've had our staff review a bunch of CFLs and put together a guide of energy efficient lights, complete with side by side photos comparing each CFL with a standard incandescent. If you think there's a bulb that should be there, let us know!

By: DougL

DougL — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:24:35 +0000

One obvious reason (such as it is) to stay with incandescent:
if your existing (primarily floor and table) lamps are of the design where the lamp shade is supported by a clip that hooks around the bulb.

I suppose it depends on the lamp shade clip in terms of how spread it already is. My wife’s nightstand light has a lamp shade that’s clipped onto the bulb and it wasn’t a problem converting that lamp to a fluorescent.

There’s two bulbs that are going to be a bit of a problem converting to fluorescent: 1) The garage door opener light – the receptacle and the fluorescent bulb base prevent a fluorescent bulb from screwing completely into the receptacle and making full contact; 2) we have one lamp that my wife insists on having a three-way bulb in and three-way fluorescents are considerably more expensive than single wattage fluorescents. (I question whether that lamp really needs a three-way bulb since I never recall my wife ever using any but one of the three wattages.)

By: wj

wj — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 16:50:31 +0000

One obvious reason (such as it is) to stay with incandescent:
if your existing (primarily floor and table) lamps are of the design where the lamp shade is supported by a clip that hooks around the bulb. If that’s the case, you’d need new lamps — which increases the start-up cost for converting.

I hasten to add that that hasn’t kept me from converting my own everywhere else as they need replacing. And (more slowly) getting different designs for lamps as they get replaced. But it could be a factor for some people.