Lights out for the incandescent light bulb

[h=1]Lights out for the incandescent light bulb as of Jan. 1, 2014[/h] Published December 31, 2013
FoxNews.com

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  A 100-watt incandescent light bulb seen at Royal Lighting in Los Angeles on Jan. 21, 2011 -- before the bulbs were banned by a 2007 law. (AP Photo)
  

When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, the year ends -- and so does the ordinary lightbulb.
Jan. 1. marks the end of a seven-year effort to outlaw the ordinary lightbulb, thanks to a 2007 law that raised minimum efficiency standards for traditional incandescent bulbs far beyond what the technology can manage.
It’s lights out for the traditional light bulb, in other words, which was essentially killed by that bill.
“The government started phasing out incandescents in 2010, starting with the 100-watt bulb, and then followed by the 75-watt,†explained Melissa Andresko, communications director for lighting-automation company Lutron.
“Come January 1, both the 60- and the 40-watt bulbs are going away. And that’s really going to have the most impact on consumers because those are the most popular incandescent bulb types right now,†she told FoxNews.com earlier this month.


The demise of the incandescent bulb might come as a surprise to most Americans, however. A recent study by Lutron pointed out that fewer than 1 in 3 adults (just 28 percent) were aware of the planned phase out. A similar Socket Survey by Sylvania showed slightly more awareness -- 4 in 10 were aware of the phase out, it revealed.

Contrary to some reports, the 2007 law doesn’t mandate that manufacturers discontinue their bulbs, just that they improve them: 40W bulbs must draw just 10.5W, and 60W bulbs 11W. TWhe result is the same: Incandescents simply can’t keep up with those twisty compact fluorescent (CFL) and newer LED bulbs, and even retailers are buying in bulk as the calendar winds down.
Home Depot has a six-month stockpile, according to Mark Voykovic, the store’s national light bulb merchant.
“Home Depot anticipates running out of their stock of 40W to 60W bulbs six months into 2014,†he told FoxNews.com in early December. Conservative policy group The Heritage Foundation recently posted a lament for the lightbulb, noting that folks should stock up before they miss out.
“The federal government is taking decisions out of the hands of families and businesses, destroying jobs, and restricting consumer choice in the market. We all have a wide variety of preferences regarding light bulbs. It is not the role of the federal government to override those preferences with what it believes is in our best interest,†wrote Nicholas Loris.
While consumers might not appreciate the drop in choices, they should like their plunging energy bills, said the National Electrical Manufacturers Association -- the main trade association for bulb builders.
“NEMA’s members are in the energy efficiency business,†Phallan Davis, a spokeswoman for NEMA, told FoxNews.com. “Electroindustry products are becoming more and more energy efficient and the systems that often manage their use add to energy and cost savings. NEMA believes that energy efficiency policies, for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, should be a central component to any national energy policy,†she said.
Many nonetheless lament the confusing terminology of color temperatures that dictates whether CFLs emit a pale blue (5,000-6,500 Kelvin) or whiter (3,500-4,100K) light, neither of which quite matches the familiar light of an incandescent light bulb (2,700-3,000K). Savvy interior decorators were hoarding as early as two years ago.
“Every time I go to Costco, I buy more wattage,†decorator Bunny Williams told The New York Times in 2011. She said she couldn’t abide the sickly hue of a twisty compact fluorescent, the paper reported.
CFLs, one of the most common energy-efficient replacements for incandescents, have grown in popularity at the same time that colors have improved. LED-based bulbs, including newer models by manufacturers Cree and Philips, are at the forefront of bulb technology’s future.
They’re also a pricey replacement, consumers are finding, despite dramatic price cuts over the past year. Home Depot sells a six pack of 60-Watt incandescents from GE for $4.67, or 78 cents apiece. A six-pack of 60-Watt LEDs from Cree sells for an eye-watering $77.82 -- $12.97 each. The tradeoff is the dramatic drop in power consumption and the much longer lifespan of the newer technologies, which can last up to 15 times longer.

 

Stern related cause Beth is 'one dim bulb' ?

 

I hate the light that the CFLs produce, and that they take a little bit to come to full brightness, but what can ya do?

 

Skip the CFL.....and go LED!



CFL suck a bowl of dicks!

 

i hate the new lights those dummies have forced on us. i have enough 100 and 60 watt bulbs to last many years.




remember, politicians always know better than you and me.
always.

 

Read the packaging blurbs on the bulbs. Most CFLs cannot be used in a place with high humidity - the bathroom where you shower, for example. Some you cannot use inverted with the base up and bulb down because the heat will damage the circuit boards. But properly used, the LEDs do last a very long time and use little power. With the high prices of LEDs there are some people that cannot afford them and most likely will either sit in the dark, or use candles. Fire departments, get ready for more work.

Also, CFLs use Mercury, a toxic substance. At one time breaking a fluorescent bulb required calling a HasMat team. Nobody in their right mind did that.

 

I love the fluorescents....whenever I turn them on, people still can't grasp that it takes a minute or so for them to brighten

They're all "That's too dim!"

I'm all "They're fucking fluorescents, RETARD- do you really need instant fucking satisfaction?"

 

CREE LED will come down in price.
HomeDepot had them $5-7 cheaper this summer thanks to an instant rebate from the local electric utility.
No name brand LED bulbs are cheaper. I haven't tried them yet.



One thing is true about both CFL and LED bulbs.
they get better and cheaper....so do not buy them in bulk.



CFL dimmable.....suck a massive bowl of dicks!




CFL bulbs contain mercury BTW.....

 

Right?? I want it bright NOW!!! Like a bunch of whiny babies. It takes a second. Doesn't bother me. Beats rubbing sticks together.

 

Mommy, please hold me. I'm scared.

 

Time for me to hit up the local dollar store for a shit load of incandescent bulbs.

 

This. They're a 1000x better.
I've been switching to these.
I HATE fluorescents!

 

i got 2 cases from home depot last week

 

In Europe, they did away with 100 watt and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs a few years ago. I hate it. For a few years, the bulbs were expensive and the cfl are for shit, they do take about a second or two to start to light- I'm not about instant gratification, but no matter how many times I hit the switch it is unnerving that it doesn't light up instantly.
The good news. Actually over the last few years the price has come down, the newer lights are about $5 for 125 watt and the lighting is finally on par in terms of brightness. But yeah for people that like soft white, there will be some adjustment.

 

Thanks nanny-staters!

 

If you don't have to dim them, LEDs have come a long way, especially the "warm white" ones. My wife couldn't stand LED lights until they came out with ones in the 2700K color range. I don't buy CFLs anymore, it's pretty pointless especially with the aforementioned warm-up time (exterior lights in winter seemed to take a couple of minutes).

For dimmables the only real option is halogen if you don't want flicker.

 

The other crappy thing about CFLs is that they're designed to be switched on and stay on. If you turn them on and off a lot they last a very short time; I've had ones go bad in a year.

 

i do not allow fluorescent lights in my house.

i began to stock up on light bulbs over a year ago so i'm OK until a better alternative to compact fluorescents and LEDs are found. i hate the greenish tint CFLs give off.
this is definitely bush's fault.

 

I have replaced all of my dimmable lights with LED's. I don't get even the slightest amount of flicker.

 

She's the CFL modoe to a real model's incandescent light. Artificial light, cold, takes time to come to full brightness, doesn't last as long as advertised and replaced by something newer and better (oops. Not yet, but soon).