Curly Light Bulbs vs. Normal--Who Else Hates the Curly Ones?

I have been using CFL's for about 5 years now & I've learned to love them!!! Living alone for most of that time, I don't turn my lights off when leaving home or going to bed so my routine is NOT so obvious & subject to thievery. I have the CFL's in ALL my lighting & I seldom, have to change a bulb. I buy the generic bulbs from Walgreens & Wal*mart. They aren't very expensive & I can get a box of 6 in place of a 1 or 2 pack. Not turning them off & on frequently, I have discovered they last a LOT longer!!! When the times comes to replace a bulb, I just put the old bulb into the box I just took the new one out of & toss it in the trash WITHOUT worrying about it breaking. The 6 pack comes in individual boxes with a cardboard insert to stabilize the bulb. You might want to read... http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf They claim you save 75% over the incandescent bulbs. If you think about it, our light bulbs don't cost us that much!!! Turn off ALL your lights for an entire month & your electric bill will NOT go down enough to notice. Our computers use a LOT more electricity than our light bulbs do!!! The "save money" angle is another government ploy to get us to do what they want!!! Speaking of which...aren't you concerned that the local police will enter your home just to see what type of light bulb you're using??? When they see an incandescent bulb & find your stash, they might haul you off to jail!!! The above link also explains about the mercury. The mercury that was used in the thermometers we used on our children when they were young was a LOT more than used in these bulbs. They claim the manufacturers are using less & less mercury every day. They have reduced from 4 mg to 1 mg & working to still get it lower. In the 5 years I've been using the CFLs, I have NEVER had one to break nor catch on fire!!! I think I read on Snopes that the email that started that rumor was based on incorrect information. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cflbulb.asp Now that I've been using them for a while & gotten used to them, I really like them & find the light much easier on my eyes!!!! I've not noticed any flickering until it's almost time to replace one!!!

I never read the packaging. Oh wow and their almost everywhere here in my trailer. They were already here when I moved in and I also had bought some when they were on sale to keep on hand. I better read the packaging. I can't believe something so hazardous would be made. It's not like we all have hazard suits to put on to change alight bulb.

I kind of like them because the ones i have bought lasted much longer than regular bulbs. The only yhing i dont like about them is they dont work in touch lamps. But ive heard they are working on that. Another thing i have some lamp shades that clap onto the light bulb. They dont clap so well on the curly bulbs.

I have been using cfl lamps in some parts of the house for 5 years and only one stopped working after a year. I don't think that they can be universally used becuase they are not ok for some applications, particularly when they have to be powercycled freqently (ie corridors). I believe that you either have bought all lamps of the same damaged lot, or that you have some electrical problem, maybe you live in a rural place where the voltage spikes and fries the electronics of the lamps. Have you had other problems? have you tried to dimmer the lamps? I ususally buy philips lamps at 3-5€ each, and as i have said i have not found great problems. As for the precautions for the hazardous materials, they sure are necessary but do not overreact, a lamp usually contains from 1 to 3 milligrams of mercury, and the safety limit in the united states is something like 0.1 milligrams/m³, so even if you don't open the windows and all the mercury gets volatilized, it is likely that if the room is bigger than 10m² (with 3m ceiling) you will not reach the safety limits for workers. Good precautions are open the windows immediately and then throw what's left of the bulb away, mop the floor, and throw away any food that was present in the room when the lamp broke. Halogen lamps are definetely better aesthetically speaking but consume 4 times the energy of a cfl, and 20-30% less than a traditional incandescent bulb. So i advise to use them only when the lamps are not on for a long time like bathrooms and corridors.

I have only used the curly bulbs in the outside light. I have others, but was waiting until the regular bulbs to burn out. They seem to last me a long time! Maybe I should stock up on incandescent bulbs just in case. I have heard about how toxic the curly bulbs are. I agree that it is strange they are supposed to be better for the environment. A friend of mine has them in her lights and they give off a wierd glow. It seems they are dimmer than the regular bulbs. I have a lot of light fixtures that need special size bulbs, and as far as I know the new bulbs don't come in different sizes or watts. One of the lamps I always use is a 3 way and I haven't seen them either. When there is a ban on incandescent bulbs will that include special bulbs?

Gosh they looked so pretty and deceived me for some reason that they did not bright up the room although the watts were high. Not only that but none of the ceiling lamp covers fit over them. I have several saved in my pantry because I refuse to use them. Maybe I will donate them because they are of no use to me. Their pretty shapes are so deceiving.

Well, when we moved into this home going on almost 2 yrs. now there were a lot of light bulbs that ended up needing replacing. We ended up thinking these type of bulbs that are supposed to save energy would be the best. Problem is even if they seem to last here, is they are not as bright. But we still are using mostly the same ones, so we have not had the same experience as you, but to say they are worth it? It has yet to be shown.

I don't care for them myself. My wife got a few & they haven't really worked any better than the regular ones even though they cost a lot more. Some of them even took on a pinkish glare as they got older which I hated. I'm switching back to regular bulbs as the curley ones burn out.

I agree that the ecoterroists seem strange to want something so hazardous in our homes, but there we are... However, I have used them and to me they last a good long time - I'm wondering if there isn't something in your electrical system that's frying them... I hate to suggest you get an electrician to check it, but it might be an idea to make sure your wiring is all safe to prevent a fire.

well..they actually seem dimmer to me..but as far as longevity,i've had good luck with them.the bigger problem tho is if they ban the old type,i'll have to buy many new sconces..they don't fix in a lot of the older enclosed type.

Same experience, plus I found this about florestent light: http://www.ktradionetwork.com/health/concerns-over-compact-fluorescent-lights-and-health/ Seems they can trigger migraines in sensitive people, damage the eye even further for those with retinal damage, some photo sensitive epileptics may have seizures if exposed. The propaganda is out there telling us it is safe and no worries. But I trust Kevin Trudeau, he's fought with the government over alternative healthcare practices before. They forced him to give back money he made from selling coral calcium said he made false health claims for it and guess what, the money sent back to consumers...90% sent it back to HIM.

We no more use the incandescent bulbs, the fluroscent tube lights are also gone, we use the CFL bulbs these days, they consume very low power compared to others, though the initial cost is high, they carry replacement warrany of one year.. Thanks for sharing God bless you, have a nice day ahead. Professor ‘Bhuwan’.

Oh yes. I hate those too. I never experieced their short longevity, but I have old lamp shades and they don't fit those type of bulbs! Such a pain!

First of all, you should purchase a good brand bulb. Normally, you can find the specifications on the relevant light bulbs you purchase. For Philip brand incandescent light bulb at my place can last for 1000 hours. For energy saving bulb, it can last for 6000 hours and save 80% of energy. From my understanding, the energy saving bulbs or the curly bulbs can create radiation when they are used. Because of these advantages, many end users prefer to purchase the the energy bulb. As what I can recall, the price of the incandescent bulb and the energy saving bulb are about the same at the beginning. Due to the popularity of the energy saving bulbs or the curly bulbs, their price has sharply gone up by comparing to the incandescent bulbs.

I have had some of the experiences with these "green" lightbulbs that are not really green at all in my opinion. I am now in the process of changing my light-fitting to lights that take the hallogen (small) light bulbs that are non-hazardous and just as green and will work far better. OK, they all burn out eventually, but I have not found the curly ones last much longer and take so long to light up a room.. _Derek

i like the curly lights i bought as they are suppose to save 40% more power and they are guaranteed to last at least 7 years. mine have been working over 3 years now. the curly lights are suppose to last alot longer like mine from what i've heard. i don't know if you got a bad batch or they are just poor quality. i don't see the point of stocking up on incandescent lights bulbs since they use more power and and quit working faster. i think they should be banned totally.

I've not had any problems with the new bulbs, but my husband hates them. That is mainly because it takes a little while for them to each maxium brightness. He has no patience.

Hiya dragon, Same here too those awful light bulbs have blown within three weeks everytime and also we have been using them very little. I think it depends on who makes them I got fed up of paying through the nose for them and them lasting such a short time. I suppose in places like England and where you are there are reliable brands but you don´t know which one is reliable until you have spent more on them than you would on your Electric Bill anyway. At the moment they have got rid of most of the "curly ones" here and have replaced the old fashioned ones with another kind that look the same as the old ones but are supposed to be better than the others. Really I don´t know who to believe any more as I wish we could make do with ordinary Daylight would that put them out of business. Just hope that solar panels become such an everyday thing in our lives soon that the Electric Companies can say ta ta to their Highway Robberies plan. Suppose that they are making Hay while the Sun Shines but I don´t plan to make them rich if I can help it. I lived through the nearly 4 months of Power cuts in the U.K. and although it´s a bind to be without Power you learn to appreciate it when it is on. Although of course none of the Government went without power that I know of (grin). So at the moment I am using the old fashioned look alike but none alike light Bulbs most of the others just blow on you the first or second time you switch them on. Again I really don´t want to bother my head all Day long about things like that I really try hard enough already and most others don´t they still throw the Rubbish in the wrong places too. Feel like giving up? In England disposal of Rubbish has become like a nightmare situation from what they tell me too so I don´t know what they do with those light bulbs either. Take care now and have a great Week.xxx

We have a couple left that our then roommate had bought but we don't buy or like the silly things. The light hurts my eyes so we use them in the stairwell between the apartments, where they do burn out entirely too quickly. Insofar as the environmental krappe, I see that in the same light as 'health food'. In translates to 'freedom to gouge unmercifully' by manufacturers of the products involved..Enjoy!

Not sure what is wrong with your curly light bulbs, mine tend to last extremely longer than the normal bulbs. Maybe it has something to do with the power output in your house lol? I have no idea..