Fluorescent Lighting

Chris Vogel · Post by **Chris Vogel** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:41 pm

I just bought some fluorescent bulbs to replace my incandescent ones. They use less energy, produce less heat, have warm colour, and supposedly last much longer! They are more expensive, but the price should be made up in the long run. I’m really liking them! I’m so tempted to start evangelising, but I guess I should wait a bit first.

Here’s a word of caution: Don’t look at the wattage. If you get a 60-watt fluorescent bulb, it will be much brighter than a 60-watt incandescent bulb! Look at the light output, which is in lumens. You probably won’t find your exact incandescent equivalent, but you’ll find something close enough where it won’t matter. (I wouldn’t listen to the “this is equal to a 60-watt incandescent” on the package. The light output seemed a bit too low on some of them to be equivalent. Just look at lumens.)

What are your experiences with fluorescent lighting? How long do the bulbs really last?

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:05 pm

Yeah all wattage means is how much power they use, so lower is actually better. This is actually a scary way of thinking, if you have 10 regular 100 watt light bulbs on in the house, your using as much power as something like a vacuum cleaner that would draw 8 or so amps.

In my room I have one of those energy efficient bulbs, think it costed me like 6 bucks for 2, but it only uses like 12 watts and is equivalent to a 100 watt lightbulb.

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minime · Post by **minime** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 10:01 pm

sounds to me if tak is tryin to grow somthing

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:20 am

Actually I prefer regular light bulbs for growing stuff since the heat also aids in the process. lot of money in that, so the extra hydro costs arn't a problem.

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minime · Post by **minime** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:38 am

Red Squirrel wrote: Actually I prefer regular light bulbs for growing stuff since the heat also aids in the process. lot of money in that, so the extra hydro costs arn't a problem.

regular light bulb's will burn or bake your hydro , u dont want that ,been there done that

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:31 pm

i had to grow grass in 3rd grade

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Chris Vogel · Post by **Chris Vogel** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:23 pm

Okay, I went to buy more today since I was happy with the other ones. My room is now completely converted to fluorescent lighting! I’m only using 30 watts instead of 120, so that should mean less heat during the summer. (Of course, that doesn’t matter. I only did it for the environment.

)

A lot of people talk about the horrible quality of fluorescent lighting. I know some fluorescent lights do produce horrible lighting, but I don’t see any with my GE bulbs. (My skin looks just as bad under these as it does under incandescent bulbs.)

However, I did notice that fluorescent bulbs aren’t as responsive as incandescent ones. It takes a split second for the light to turn on after I turn the switch. I can’t imagine that being an issue though.

Red, how long have you had the bulb? I really want to know if the advertised life span (12,000 hours) is realistic.

(Yes, I have no life.)

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:29 am

Bought it at least a year ago. they do seem to last quite a while given that light is always on.

The thing with fluorescent as long as you have a good balast (transformer thingy) you should be ok as far as quality/noise level.

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:59 pm

ok now this is getting really sad. we've resorted to talking about light bulbs to keep this forum going. im ashamed of you all... lol

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:07 pm

lol haha

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:13 pm

lightbulbs are sooo cool.

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Roger Waters · Post by **Roger Waters** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:04 am

Throw one of those bulbs on the ground they will shatter and explode is so crazy

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:43 am

That's always fun.

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VictorEM83 · Post by **VictorEM83** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:51 am

So quick to jump on the bandwagon, yet the environmental impact of the chemicals used to make fluorescent bulbs are 1000's of time worse that a normal light bulb due to the chemicals inside and the extra waste to make each AC->DC ballest inverter. Not to mention some bulbs list the watts DC required to power the bulb not the AC draw to be converted to DC.

Its like many "green" technologies its great on paper but in the end the impact is just shifted to another source.

Now on the other hand L.E.D. lightbulbs are looking to be a very green trechnology but costly to start off with.

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:42 am

Yeah true and flurescents have chemicals in them such as mercury, so when it breaks.... Lot of stuff like that to consider.

I'd love to see LED go mainstream for lighting, it's the best thing right there, and i'm sure it would go down in price.

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VictorEM83 · Post by **VictorEM83** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 5:27 am

I just think its funny, becuase so many "green" groups push the use of far more deadly products becuase they save a few watts. Also Its funny that they oppsoe nuclear technology when 1lb of uranium provides as much power as burning one ton of coal or 3 barrels of oil.

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ShadowFlood · Post by **ShadowFlood** » Mon May 01, 2006 10:22 am

dont care, whatever helps me not bump into stuff at night.

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Roger Waters · Post by **Roger Waters** » Mon May 01, 2006 10:29 am

my lights are depleated Uranium rods they give of a nice glow

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Mon May 01, 2006 4:07 pm

i like glow in the dark stars, i wanna cover my room with them. then ill have pleanty of light! for about 20 minutes.. lol

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Red Squirrel · Post by **Red Squirrel** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:41 pm

I remember my cousin's cottage had those, when we turned off the generator it was pitch black all that's all you'd see if you look up, there was like 8 of them in a pattern on a few ceiling tiles. Was so fun scaring the crap out of each other in that cottage.

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Tue May 02, 2006 4:14 pm

ive got ones that look like planets and shooting stars

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Roger Waters · Post by **Roger Waters** » Wed May 03, 2006 9:50 am

The rods glow for hours then you start to glow it is all very strange

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Wed May 03, 2006 4:11 pm

ive got some glow in the dark cream for putting on your face, its pretty cool

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Roger Waters · Post by **Roger Waters** » Thu May 04, 2006 9:46 am

the uranium i have makes yoru face all tingly and radioactive

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Clueless · Post by **Clueless** » Thu May 04, 2006 4:47 pm

oh yeah? well i bet mine tastes better

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