Fellows, if you need some of these, you better grab them now.

[Ben]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/12/13/final-phase-out-incandescent-light-bulbs-jan-1/

[Garyshome]

I bought a bunch a while back. I'm in pretty good shape.

[DRNurse1]

Drats! I use these to heat my loob in my Star. It puts a lot of light at the work site, too. Just when I figured I had this reloading thing cinched up, gub'mint shows up and gives my horse diarrhea.

[Sweetpea]

While I believe folks should have a choice with what to buy, I have very few incandescant bulbs in my house.

[jcwit]

I've got a small stockpile to use, however I tried an LED 10 watt when Menards had them on sale. Great light, full brightness right away, no waiting and they claim a life of 22.8 years. I'm 70, I think those bulbs pretty well cover my lifetime.

[bhn22]

Florescent bulbs royally suck in the cold.

[Sweetpea]

Florescent bulbs royally suck in the cold.

LEDs work fine...

[btroj]

Will this lead to a new dark age?
We have gone to mostly fluorescent bulbs already. They take a bit of time to come to full brightness but we have grown accustomed.

[jcwit]

Florescent bulbs royally suck in the cold.

I agree, tried one once, took it out and threw it in the trash, but the LED, well that's another story. They are higher in price, but I'll bet that will come down in time.

[square butte]

Heck I use em to heat the house in winter. Better get another truck load in the barn

[Blammer]

my question is, since they are filled with Mercury, how are you suppose to properly dispose of them?

[btroj]

That will be next. We will be paying for disposal as hazardous waste. I wonder who gets to dig thru my trash?

Will they be like car batteries or tires where the recycling fee is built into the cost of the bulb via a state fee?

[dbosman]

There is mercury in compact fluorescents and the correct disposal solution is to return them to the stores that accept them.
The amount of mercury in the output from the stack of a coal burning power plant is a serious containment issue downwind of the plant.

Cree is currently the best bulb on the market. Home Depot stocks them in several variations. Philips is 2nd best with more to come now that the pressure is really on. If you need incandescent to heat a pump box shed, stock up now. Buy name brand bulbs though as a lot of **** is being dumped on the US now. Panic, as we specifically know, pumps demand.

[Bad Water Bill]

I remember reading about a woman in Kalifornia breaking one of those twistie bulbs.

Being a conscientious Kalifornian she called her village officials to report the breakage.

After the HAZMAT contractor finished up 2 days later she was admitted back into her home and was presented with a bill of over $4,000.00 for the cleanup.

Several years ago I mentioned to the guy in the electrical dept at Home Despot about the slow start in my garage in the winter.

"It is your ballast" and here is one that will fix the problem. If it does not,bring it back in the spring and I will get your money back.

HE HE he isn't ever getting it back. The lite comes on at 10 below just as fast and bright as an incandescent.

[AkMike]

I think I'll smuggle in a batch next time I'm in Canada.

[Frosty Boolit]

There are halogen lamps that are equivalent to standard incadescent lamps that use a fraction of the energy. These bulbs are in my opinion the best compromise. They also meet the 2012 energy requirements so they wont be disappearing any time soon. I have used these at work to replace standard incandescent and got a 53 watt halogen lamp to give the lumen output of a 75 watt incandescent.

[cbrick]

I had one twisty *** when I bought the house 1 1/2 years ago and it went into the trash.

I've been slowly changing over to LED, that's what the future will be. My kitchen had 6 75W bulbs in the ceiling, every time I turned on the lights it was 450 watts. I changed all 6 over to LED & now I get more than twice the light plus it's a white light (not yellow) which makes seeing even easier and it's 78 watts used now. Hhmmm . . . 450w to 78w & more light.

My back yard had a motion sensor 100w bulb & lit up my porch, I changed it to an LED motion sensor that draws 13w and lights up the back yard.

I do like the old three way bulbs in the living room, I use 40/70/100w & I have bought a few extras, ok more than a few but just as a just in case thing ya know.

Rick

[DeanWinchester]

I'm gonna start telling people I'm switching to whale oil lamps…..just to piss off the hippies.

[Down South]

I went to a Dollar Store several months ago. They had bulbs on sale and I walked out with a cart full of them. The wife though I was nuts but she just doesn't understand.

[Bad Water Bill]

IF you are young enough you MIGHT eventually save the difference in price by converting to LEDs.

However I will stick with the OLD bulbs in my basement.

Heck the electric Co GAVE them to me when I paid my electric bill many years ago.

Still have a lifetime supply considering my age.:bigsmyl2:

[Dale in Louisiana]

I'm gonna miss 'em. Incandescent bulb supply a quick and cheap and easily available way to put together a resistive load for whatever nefarious things might want to do with electrical apparatus. If you wanted to limit the current through a 120-volt circuit, you stick an incandescent bulb in series with your device and poof! Current is limited. Very useful for troubleshooting elusive short circuits.

dale in Louisiana

[10x]

I record the date installed on the new flourecent bulbs - with pencil on the base. Not one has lasted over 4 years. The energy cost they save is more than offset by the initial high price I paid. They would have to last at least 7 years to break even.
These bulbs work poorly in cold weather and I have had them shatter when attempting to replace brunt out bulbs. not to mention
LED bulbs are a better buy but I have over a dozen LED bulbs in my cabinet lighting. they last less than 5 years with only occasional use. The LEDs simply put out less and less light.
Bottom line.
Incandescent bulbs are inexpensive to buy and reliable in cold weather. They work better in trouble lights as well. There is nothing like a mercury bulb shattering in a trouble light for unknown reasons and spraying your face with mercury covered glass shards.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

As I understand it, they are banning regular service incandescent bulbs, but not the rough service incandescent bulbs, which are made in the USA, whereas nearly all the regular service bulbs are ChiCom made...maybe this is a good thing.
Now the rough service incandescent bulbs are more costly, but if you want the heat for some reason, they'll still be around. I like the idea of the LED bulbs, but I have yet to screw one in. I hate the corkscrew fluorescent bulbs, as I live in MN.

[cbrick]

IF you are young enough you MIGHT eventually save the difference in price by converting to LEDs.

Maybe but just in my kitchen they are worth it to me simply to stop my stomach from twisting into knots every time I flipped the switch and thought . . . 450 watts. Now it's 78 watts, that's huge not to mention twice the light.

Can't be much doubt that they will come down in price as everything new tech does. But your right, right now they are pricey.

Rick

[Down South]

Maybe but just in my kitchen they are worth it to me simply to stop my stomach from twisting into knots every time I flipped the switch and thought . . . 450 watts. Now it's 78 watts, that's huge not to mention twice the light.

Can't be much doubt that they will come down in price as everything new tech does. But your right, right now they are pricey.

Rick
I agree. They are a bit expensive for my taste but like you, I believe technology will improve and prices will come down. I've tried some of those screw in florescent bulbs. They are about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.
For the time being, I will use up my stock pile of regular bulbs.

[Bad Water Bill]

When those "pretty curley bulbs came out my tropical fish club had a guest speaker from a bulb co tell us just how great they were and how much money we would save by switching over.

At that time I was running about 100 tanks and most had bulbs so plants would grow and multiply as well.

I converted ONE tank to see how much truth was there.

It took about 10 minutes till the bulbs gave off their max.

"ITS NOT NICE TO TRY AND FOOL MOTHER NATURE

I lost every plant in that tank.

I have no idea how many dollars worth of plants were lost but I am sure it was a bunch.

[tomme boy]

I'm only getting 2 years out of the twisty lamps. The first generation of them are very slow starters. The newer ones are a lot better. I have been replacing them with standard bulbs as they burn up. I have about 50 of the standard bulbs right now. Looks like I'm going to go spend about 50 or so dollars and buy my supply up now.

[10x]

Just a point, the led bulbs in my kitchen lasted less than 3 years. they got replaced on warranty. replacement cost to purchase was over $7 a bulb. That is very very expensive compared to tungsten bulbs.
Also I just bought a 6 pack of 23 Watt fleurecent bulbs for $7.00 at COSTCo, they are coming down in price.
But they still do not work well at - 18 F or colder.

[Bad Water Bill]

A friend just sent this.

CAUTION VERY GRAPHIC

PLEASE READ - NOT A
> JOKE, very graphic images ***
>
> Horrible graphics but you need
> to see it!!!!
> This person stepped on an energy
> efficient bulb and the
> Mercury almost caused the loss
> of his foot!!!!!!!!
> Very graphic!!!!!!!!
>
> This is serious stuff – warning – very graphic pictures.

Sorry but I can not get the photos to paste here.

Possibly you do not want to see them.

After seeing these photos I would never put them in a home with little kids.

[jcwit]

Here's a link!

Like Bill says this is very graphic, if you have a weak stomach DO NOT CLICK on it!

http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2364

I'll stick to my stash of reg. bulbs & LED bulbs.

[Bad Water Bill]

Mine had more photos but you can get the idea anyhow.

Thanks for posting the link jcwit.

[Stephen Cohen]

Welcome to our world, you will learn to hate the new bulbs as I do. In order to get the same lighting as a 40 watt you will need a 60 to 100 watt, and the price is 5 to 10 times that of old bulbs.

[smokeywolf]

I've always preferred the higher kelvin temperatures (whiter or bluish-white light) of halogens and LEDs. Don't like the high operating temp of halogens or the high price of LEDs. Although we have seen a consistent lowering of prices for LEDs over the past several years, I suspect that now with the ban on incandescent lamps, the LED lamp manufacturers have dollar signs in their eyes and will put the kibosh on any further softening of prices.

I've been working with LEDs since 1999 when I built the first LED lamp house used to transfer and image from motion picture film to the digital domain. One of the major attributes to LEDs is they are instant on and instant off; their rise and fall time is roughly 7 nanoseconds. Because of this, mechanical shuttering was eliminated and shuttering between frames was accomplished by merely shutting off the LEDs for the 12 milliseconds it took to move the next frame of film into the projector's aperture.

Don't know how accurate this information is, but this talks about some of the incandescents that will not be affected by the ban. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/01/not_all_household_incandescent.html

smokeywolf

[MUSTANG]

In the Great room; we had to put 150 watt equivalent reflector florescent bulbs in to get same light level as old style 100 watt bulbs. Also takes about 3 minutes each morning to go from dull brown illumination to full white illumination. Thank you congress,

For years I used my great grandparents trick of using a 100 watt bulb to keep the well house warm so the pipes would not freeze. Well, now I will have to move to a $100 electric heater for that job. Guess that works as a Government Stimulus program, course we are stimulating the Chinese economy not Americas.

I would think that the government would be sued over this, but then John Roberts has all ready solved our problems with his ruling that the Government can do whatever they please , and direct us to buy whatever they tell us, just call it a tax.

Let's see, Thomas Edison tried over 1000 ways to male a Light Bulb. Should have gone to congress to see what solution they would direct instead.

[David2011]

my question is, since they are filled with Mercury, how are you suppose to properly dispose of them?

Ya beat me to the punch, Blammer! While they're electrically efficient they're a disposal disaster.

We replaced the 8 reflector floods in our kitchen with CFL floods last year. Our choice due to teh heat they generated. They would actually warm the floor from a 9 foot ceiling so there was an air conditioning impact. Several of these long life lamps have already gone out far too soon. The life is not working out as adcvertised.

David

[dbosman]

Cree LED is the way to go and getting better. 11 watt equivalent to 60 watt incandescents - running 5 hours a day - pay back the entire $12 cost in one year in mid Michigan.

I made an LED fixture for my 75 gallon aquarium. Between not having to purchase one new set of flourescent lamps (210 watts) and the energy savings, the entire fixture was paid for in 9 months. 36 watts of higher quality and better spectrum lightling for the plants, no heat radiating into the tank from the lamps.

Good quality LEDs give you increased light output from your flashlight and quadruple the battery life on standard alkaline batteries.

But, since we are knowledgeable sorts and know the bulbs will be unavailable, start hoarding them now and become your neighborhood's dealer.

By the way, it is in no way illegal to manufacture or sell 40 watt, 60 watt, or 100 watt incandescent heaters. You just can't print any lighting information on the package.

[Oreo]

I like the LED bulbs. I prefer them in most places. I just wish there were 100w, and 150w incandescent equivalents available. 75w is the brightest I've seen.

[Newboy]

Usually, incandescent bulbs fail due to vacuum degradation in the bulb. Because of this, storing up a stockpile is not good idea.

[dbosman]

There are higher wattage, screw in replacements, for down lighting.
My opinion is that we're going to see new fixtures with creative solutions now that the pressure is on for all house hold lighting bulbs. Commercial applications are already here. Lighting for art for instance. LED and fiber optics can light a painting with zero light outside the frame. And the light causes no deterioration of the artwork. One of our elevators at work, has two strips of off the shelf LED strip lights. Far more light than any other elevator on campus.

I work at a university library and we're getting LED ceiling troffers in some rooms. It's great. Dimmable, not heat in the room, no hum. Our loading dock now has three LED fixtures that provide far more light than the metal vapor lamps they replaced.

If you need lots of down lighting, for something like a salt water reef tank, the options are here - but expensive in the short term.

[Charley]

Yep, they believe you are smart enough to vote them in, but too ignorant to chose your health insurance or light bulb. Not government's role to meddle in the market. That said, I do like the newest generation of CFLs, just pick the right color temp. First generation CFLs were just a step above a campfire as a light source. Current LEDs are fine as well. Operating temperature isn't an issue in South Texas for the most part, keeping heat OUT of the building envelope is more important.

[SciFiJim]

So, is there a reasonably priced drop in or near drop in led replacement for the 4 foot T12 florescent bulbs?

The info I was able to find was that they were available, but you had to remove the existing ballast and the cheapest led tube I found was $32 each.

I have 4 fixtures of 2 bulbs each in my kitchen because my wife and I like LOTS of light when cooking or working there.

[Bad Water Bill]

Both my reloading and casting rooms have 4 tube 48" fixtures.

A box of 10 regular tubes sells for $29.99.

They are/were guaranteed for 5 years the last time I talked to a salesman at H D.

So for $12.00 I can replace all of my current bulbs WITHOUT having to eliminate the ballast IN THE DARK. Yes the LEDs may be cheaper to run but will I live in the house long enough to get my money back. I doubt it. It has been many years since all 8 bulbs were replaced so why change something that isn't broke?

To me that is like throwing out a perfectly good 4 cavity H & G mould and replacing it with an aluminum one simply because the lee one heats up faster.

Now IF I were 50 years younger and were building a new home it MIGHT be a different story IF I was guaranteed to live there 40 years like I have in my current home.

[Geraldo]

Drats! I use these to heat my loob in my Star. It puts a lot of light at the work site, too. Just when I figured I had this reloading thing cinched up, gub'mint shows up and gives my horse diarrhea.

Try a flexible neck halogen reading lamp. I've got one by my progressive press and it gets hotter than any incan ever did.

[Moondawg]

Not only do the twisty bulbs contain mercury, the light they admit is full of UV rays. How do you say big skin cancer risk. Thank our politicians, they always know what is best for us.

[farmallcrew]

Some time in January as well pipe fittings are to be made with less LEAD in them. Its real funny how so many things got so screwed up in the last 5 years, and now those that voted his way are now only starting to realize that a kindergartner can keep their promise more than he can.

[Blammer]

all we have to do is wait until the senators and congress and the government in general have to "READ" anything by using these lights. It should get changed pretty quick after that.

[cbrick]

all we have to do is wait until the senators and congress and the government in general have to "READ" anything by using these lights. It should get changed pretty quick after that.

Hhmmm . . . Does this mean they are going to start reading something, anything now?

Rick

[Bad Water Bill]

A major problem is politicians now want to PASS everything before they read it.

Unfortunately none of them realized how stinky things become when they are passed WITHOUT proper wiping.

[WILCO]

The wife thought I was nuts but she just doesn't understand.

Most woman don't. They're focused on facebook, drama, fashion and now, Christmas decorations and presents. In a final SHTF situation, they'll just give you the look until you "Fix it".

[WILCO]

all we have to do is wait until the senators and congress and the government in general have to "READ" anything by using these lights. It should get changed pretty quick after that.

They're exempt. They'll have tons of the bulbs in stock. Let the peasants suffer. Doubt me? They won't have the same health care as you, because they're EXEMPT from the law.

[Down South]

Most woman don't. They're focused on facebook, drama, fashion and now, Christmas decorations and presents. In a final SHTF situation, they'll just give you the look until you "Fix it".I/we went to another Dollar store today after Church. I stocked up on 75 W bulbs, plus bought a few more of those variable watt bulbs for our reading lamps.

[dbosman]

So, is there a reasonably priced drop in or near drop in led replacement for the 4 foot T12 florescent bulbs?

Not one worth the expense yet. Unless you stocked up several years ago, you're already using 32 watt lamps in it.
The proper replacment, at present would be new ballast, new lamp holders, and two 28 watt T5 lamps. Not worth the money though.



The info I was able to find was that they were available, but you had to remove the existing ballast and the cheapest led tube I found was $32 each.
I have 4 fixtures of 2 bulbs each in my kitchen because my wife and I like LOTS of light when cooking or working there.

Next time you paint the ceiling will be the time to consider a change. Not now.

[dbosman]

all we have to do is wait until the senators and congress and the government in general have to "READ" anything by using these lights. It should get changed pretty quick after that.

Yeah, right. Their reading lamps are 200 watt incandescent bulbs which were not banned.

[StrawHat]

"From my cold dark fingers"

[jcwit]

Just a thought here. Progress is a terrible thing, especially when it uses less energy and saves money in the long run.

[Bad Water Bill]

Just a thought here. Progress is a terrible thing, especially when it uses less energy and saves money in the long run.

But will we live long enough?

$!2.00 to replace my present bulbs or go with progress and spend $120.00 something more.

[jcwit]

This is similar to what I am now using with complete satisfaction.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10PCS-E27-E26-10W-LED-Lamp-Bulb-Warm-Light-Energy-Saving-Ultra-Bright-AC110V-USA-/190992151619?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item2c7804f443

With the money saved even I at the age of 70+ I fully expect to come out ahead of the game, plus the fact I will not need to bother with replacing the bulbs. Twenty plus year lifespan.

This is just one of many options available regarding LED's.

Now with regards to tube fluorescents I have no idea.

[alamogunr]

Not one worth the expense yet. Unless you stocked up several years ago, you're already using 32 watt lamps in it.
The proper replacment, at present would be new ballast, new lamp holders, and two 28 watt T5 lamps. Not worth the money though.



I thought T12 fluorescent's were being replaced by T8's. A local business owner(a friend) is replacing all his T12's with T8's as is the county government.

I'm a county commissioner and we were given a study that showed a payout of just over 15 months based on our average usage.

Before 8 or 10 of you waste a post telling me I'm full of it, the deed is done. I'm going to benefit because the friend is giving me a couple dozen of the 4" T12's. I will have spares for my shop that is lit by eight 2 tube fixtures. The originals have been there for at least 7 years and at an average usage of approx 30-40 hrs/wk, are still working fine. The spares should last me for my lifetime, since I'm 71 now.

[William Yanda]

my question is, since they are filled with Mercury, how are you suppose to properly dispose of them?

Call the EPA HazMat Team---please read this in purple

[snuffy]

I bought 24 different incandescent bulbs at the local fleet farm store last week. I plan on doing that again just after CHRISTmas. I hate those damn CFL, they don't work outside in the cold, and inside, they take too damn long to come on. I don't know how they figure wattage, or how they compare with an incandescent , but they just aren't as bright.

As for the LED lights, they had some of those as well. The cheapest, IIRC was $22.00 plus tacks. Damned if I will pay that to find out they don't work outside in this frozen tundra for an outside night light.

[jcwit]

Snuffy, they do work outside just as do the LED flashlights. Yes they do come on at once, and their electrical usage is minimal to say the least. As far as cost, if you have a Menards near you they run specials 2 for 1 quite often, the 10W=60watt gives way more light than a regular 60 watt incandescent bulb, and IIRC I got mine for $8.00 for 2. Package claims they will last for 22 years. They are Sylvania BTW.

[MUSTANG]

Growing up in the Panhandle of Texas, we used to use a 100 to 150 watt bulb in a "Trouble Light" Housing placed under the hood of a vehicle beside the block to aid in keeping the engine/oil warm during severe cold spells or blizzards. Made it where starting an engine was much easier (and kept the oil flowing). Poor man's block heater.

Currently my F350 and Tractor are diesels and have block heaters, but it would be nice when it drops below zero to use the old "Light Bulb Heater" trick on the gasoline powered car and Jeep, but looks like that will not work in the future as current generation COLD mandated bulbs will not do the trick. Have to resort to a much more expensive heater solution.

[Frosty Boolit]

Growing up in the Panhandle of Texas, we used to use a 100 to 150 watt bulb in a "Trouble Light" Housing placed under the hood of a vehicle beside the block to aid in keeping the engine/oil warm during severe cold spells or blizzards. Made it where starting an engine was much easier (and kept the oil flowing). Poor man's block heater.

Currently my F350 and Tractor are diesels and have block heaters, but it would be nice when it drops below zero to use the old "Light Bulb Heater" trick on the gasoline powered car and Jeep, but looks like that will not work in the future as current generation COLD mandated bulbs will not do the trick. Have to resort to a much more expensive heater solution.

Rough Service lamps will still available.

[Down South]

Growing up in the Panhandle of Texas, we used to use a 100 to 150 watt bulb in a "Trouble Light" Housing placed under the hood of a vehicle beside the block to aid in keeping the engine/oil warm during severe cold spells or blizzards. Made it where starting an engine was much easier (and kept the oil flowing). Poor man's block heater.

Currently my F350 and Tractor are diesels and have block heaters, but it would be nice when it drops below zero to use the old "Light Bulb Heater" trick on the gasoline powered car and Jeep, but looks like that will not work in the future as current generation COLD mandated bulbs will not do the trick. Have to resort to a much more expensive heater solution.
I don't know for sure but I'd bet heat lamps are not on the list.