Incandescent light bulbs get a reprieve in the US

Dungeoneer

First Post

• Jan 14, 2014

• #1

Congress blocks light bulb efficiency standards as part of budget deal. Looks like 2014 isn't going to be the end of the road for the good old incandescent bulb after all.

January 1st, 2014 was the day that new energy standards that require 25% more efficient light bulbs were supposed to go into effect. This would have not been a BAN on incandescent bulbs, but it would have required you to buy more expensive, lower wattage versions of the same bulbs, or switch to CFLs. There were also numerous exceptions to the requirements. The legislation was called the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and was passed during the Bush administration.

As part of the 'spending bill' that looks like its set to pass both houses of congress, enforcement of the new standards is delayed. So you can still go off to the hardware store and buy a cheap 60 watt bulb, for now.

What do you guys think of this? Personally I do favor more efficient bulbs, but I also prefer warmer, gentler incandescent light. If CFLs could manage this I think people would be much more accepting of them. Changing the Tomas Edison Memorial to use LEDs is just stupid, though.

What do you guys think?

 

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Zombie_Babies

First Post

• Jan 14, 2014

• #2

Bring on the new tech! Er ... not cuz my brother works for a company that manufactures modern bulbs or anything like that, of course.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Jan 14, 2014

• #3

I have been gradually using an increasing number of CFLs and LEDs in my house, as well as a smattering of halogens for some time now, so it doesn't affect me much. Here are certain fixtures we have that I haven't been able to reliably find proper sized bulbs for though. For example, my bedroom has a light kit that takes only tapered/small bulbs with a candelabra base. It's hard to find incandescent bulbs in he 40-60w ange with tht kind of base...it's still damn near impossible to find CFLs or LEDs that fit.

I was VERY amused a few years go when some northern cities tried switching over to either CFLs or LEDs for their traffic lights...and found that the Law of Unintended Consequences had not been repealed. It seems that the old, inefficient incandescent bulbs generated juuuuust enough heat to keep the traffic signals from icing over in all but the worst conditions. With the lower heat substitutions, some even iced up enough to fall to the street....

 

O

Olgar Shiverstone

Legend

• Jan 14, 2014

• #4

Options are good. I like LEDs, and we tend to buy efficient bulbs anyway, but sometimes a regular incandescent is just fine.

 

Deset Gled

.

• Jan 15, 2014

• #5

I love LEDs. I appreciate CFLs, but there are a lot a situations I just don't like them in (i.e. lamps in places that could be broken by my toddler).

That being said, I would prefer incandescent to be taxed heavily instead of banned. It would provide incentive to switch, but still give a legal option for them to be available in cases where they're hard to be replaced.

 

S

Scorpio616

First Post

• Jan 15, 2014

• #6

If I want to buy a 100 watt heat bulb, that's my business.

Now to get the government out of my toilet tank.

 

Kramodlog

Naked and living in a barrel

• Jan 15, 2014

• #7

Scorpio616 said:

Now to get the government out of my toilet tank.

Click to expand...

Sir, we believe you are using too much toilet paper and do not eat enough fibers.

You have 48 hours to get a new colon or be fined.

Have a nice day.

 

Hand of Evil

Hero

Epic

• Jan 15, 2014

• #8

Scorpio616 said:

Now to get the government out of my toilet tank.

Click to expand...

Funny, I remember when they changed the standards so that toilets used 1.5 gallons in place of the 3.5 gallons ones, to save water, only to find out that this cause people to flush more wasting water. It also caused a big smuggling business from Canada on toilets.

 

Umbran

Mod Squad

Staff member

Supporter

• Jan 15, 2014

• #9

Dungeoneer said:

What do you guys think of this? Personally I do favor more efficient bulbs, but I also prefer warmer, gentler incandescent light.

Click to expand...

Efficient halogen bulbs are available in my area. They are slightly more expensive than traditional incandescents, but not by much.

My main problem with CFLs is that they don't work at all well on dimmer switches, and my house is loaded with dimmers. For my overhead flood lights, I've switched over to LED bulbs. I'd been having an issue that incandescent floods in the fixtures were dying rapidly - I think because hot filaments in a ceiling fixture didn't do well when someone walked on the floor above. So, having LED bulbs come down in price were a goodness.

 

Dungeoneer

First Post

• Jan 15, 2014

• #10

Hand of Evil said:

Funny, I remember when they changed the standards so that toilets used 1.5 gallons in place of the 3.5 gallons ones, to save water, only to find out that this cause people to flush more wasting water. It also caused a big smuggling business from Canada on toilets.

Click to expand...

Ah, the seedy underworld of Canadian toilet smuggling!