Compact fluorescent
In recent years, the cost of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) has fallen significantly, and the dependability of bulbs has improved dramatically. Some early CFL bulbs did not live up to the manufacturers' claims, but that's not the case today.
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Unlike incandescent bulbs, CFL bulbs require a ballast to produce light. The size ballast used determines the bulbs light output. Consequently, the ballast is specific to the bulb wattage. A 13-watt bulb uses a different ballast than a 19-watt bulb. While CFL bulbs do not have a filament like incandescent bulbs, there are some similarities between the two bulb types. |
First, just like an incandescent bulb, higher wattage CFL bulbs give off more light. However, because CFL's are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, the wattage will be lower than you are accustomed to looking for in an incandescent bulb. Compact fluorescents use about one-quarter as much wattage to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb.
Compact fluorescent bulbs come in different color temperatures, which produce different color-tone light. Lower color temperature bulbs give off a reddish-orange light while higher color temperature bulbs give off a more bluish-white light.
As an example, if you are replacing a standard 60-watt incandescent light bulb from a table lamp in your living room, you will want to replace it with a 13-watt to 18-watt CFL (60-watt incandescent equivalent) with a color temperature of around 2,700 degrees. If you use this table lamp for reading, you might want to buy a 23-watt to 26-watt CFL (equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent) with a color temperature of 4,000.
- An 18-watt compact fluorescent lamp operating 6 hours a day costs
23 cents a month in electricity.
- A 100-watt incandescent bulb operating for the same time costs $1.38 a month.
Keep in mind that
different color temperature bulbs may clash with each other when used
in the same room, just like soft-white and standard incandescent bulbs
look different when used in the same room.
If you have dimmers on your lights you will want to make sure you select a CFL bulb designed to be dimmed. Placing a standard CFL bulb on a circuit with a dimmer will damage the electronic circuitry of the bulb and lead to light pulsing and premature failure of the bulb.
Look for bulbs with the Energy Star symbol for assurance that you're getting a quality product. You'll find them in many types of retail outlets, including hardware, home improvement, lighting and grocery stores. A good way to monitor how long a bulb lasts is to use a permanent marker and write the installation date on the ballast part of the bulb.
Questions about the benefits of compact fluorescents? Call our energy counselors at (360) 992-3355 or e-mail us.
Related Links:
Flyer about compact
fluorescent lights
How to recycle fluorescent bulbs
