Compact fluorescent bulbs stink.

[Coronita]

[quote=ucodegen]I wonder if the GU24 versions of the CFLs are built ‘to fail’ for the purpose of profit. I am noticing several comments in other ‘blogs’ and ratings boards that these are failing fairly quickly. No such comments on the E26 CFLs, and mine have been lasting a while.

So we end up saving ‘CO2’, but putting mercury(a toxic heavy metal) into the environment (most people toss the CFLs into the trash instead of haz-waste disposal)[/quote]

You know it wouldn’t surprise me… See a lot of these lamps I acquired pretty inexpensively awhile back from the manufacturer interested in replacing traditional lamps.. Lots of incentives and rebates to get the old ones replaced. After most of the rebates/etc, there were almost free. Looking at some of the manufacturers of these lamps, it looks like they are more or less associated with some of the bulb companies…. I guess kinda like what some printer companies did….Sell the ink jet printers at a loss, knowing that they’ll make the profits in selling the overpriced ink cartridges that expired earlier than their actual usage life….

Aside from just the costs of GU24 versus E26 CFLs, it’s just the general availability of them.. You can walk into many many stores and get an E26 CFL. But finding a GU24, pretty much means Lowes or HD….

Heck, you can find E26 CFLs at Dollar Tree….

(Yes, Dollar Tree has some redeeming values…Along that line, I ain’t paying $3-$4 for a kid’s birthday card from Hallmark either, since it pretty much ends up in the trash can anyway… I’ll go for the 3 for $1 special at Dollar Tree)….

[CA renter]

[quote=ucodegen]

So we end up saving ‘CO2’, but putting mercury(a toxic heavy metal) into the environment (most people toss the CFLs into the trash instead of haz-waste disposal)[/quote]

It’s a bit like being forced to buy new “green” appliances that don’t last nearly as long as the older appliances. So, they need to mine for more raw materials, produce more appliances in “dirty” factories, and ship them halfway around the world on large cargo ships, then truck them around the country, and we have to do this at a faster/higher rate…so we can be more “green.”

IMHO, it’s all a scam.

[plm]

Bought new house three years ago and I’ve noticed that I must have about 20 of these recessed cans.

Is the GU24 socket what is in the recessed cans? Don’t know what I have but I know its not a standard twist light bulb since it broke when I tried to twist it off.

Such a pain having to remove the cover to get to the light bulb. I like the recessed cans with the BR40 bulbs much better but I suppose those aren’t CFL.

If I do have the GU24, how is the light bulb supposed to be removed without breaking it?

Thanks

[spdrun]

Push the bulb in a bit, twist about 1/8 turn counterclockwise — you’ll feel it pop out. Think of it as a “keyhole” screw mount, except the screws are on the bulb and the keyholes are on the socket.

[Coronita]

[quote=plm]Bought new house three years ago and I’ve noticed that I must have about 20 of these recessed cans.

Is the GU24 socket what is in the recessed cans? Don’t know what I have but I know its not a standard twist light bulb since it broke when I tried to twist it off.

Such a pain having to remove the cover to get to the light bulb. I like the recessed cans with the BR40 bulbs much better but I suppose those aren’t CFL.

If I do have the GU24, how is the light bulb supposed to be removed without breaking it?

Thanks[/quote]

Actually, they might not be GU24… Worse off, they might be any one of these…

Those bulbs typically look something like

In that case, it’s not a twist.. It’s a pull…

Then you are at the mercy of the few stores that carry them, that can probably charge whatever they want.

I had a bathroom recess lighting that wasn’t e26 or GU24. It was one in the picture I included above… I didn’t actually figure it out. Too hard too find, too expensive.. That was enough for me to get the nice wire cutters out and cut the socket out, replacing it with an e26 socket. Apparently there was some voltage regulator that I also had to take out too….I just ended up using a CFL with an e26 socket….

I’m waiting for the one inside the bathroom ventilator + light to break too.
That will be fun..
Lol….FLU: making a green house, less green one recess lighting at a time….

[ucodegen]

I haven’t had any problems locating those wierd plugin-types. They aren’t as cheap as E26 CFLs, but they are not too bad. They are external ballast CFs. Most hardware stores and some grocery stores carry them. Most of them will be the two pin type (GX23).
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-13-Watt-Neutral-3500K-CFLni-2-Pin-GX23-CFL-Light-Bulb-146845/203430087
The four tube types are a bit more rare and more expense as well as being brighter.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-26-Watt-Neutral-3500K-CFLni-4-Pin-G24q-3-CFL-Light-Bulb-230441/100671133
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-42-Watt-Neutral-3500K-CFLni-4-Pin-GX24q-4-CFL-Light-Bulb-220285/203430090

And for those that remember the psychedelic days:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-60W-Equivalent-Black-Spiral-CFL-Light-Bulb-BPESL15T-BLB/100553168

[UCGal]

When we were building the granny flat we had to meet Title 20 – which required a certain percentage of CFL bulbs that specifically did not have the edison/screw in base. We bought the cheapest fixtures we could find.

We got our inspection, then changed out for normal fixtures – and put in screw in CFL bulbs.

Lamps Plus had a whole catalog of Title 20 compliant fixtures – but none in the store… You had to order them. They admitted most folks did what what we did – ordered cheap ones, then swapped for more stylish fixtures. At least we stayed energy efficient by putting in CFL to the replacement fixtures.

[plm]

Yes, the bulb I broke looks just like the one in the picture. Probably too much work for me to change the socket. If I decide to do this, is the light output the same such so its not noticeable? Otherwise I will have to do all of the lights in the kitchen at the same time.

More likely I’ll just buy the light bulb that ucodegen provided.

How many piggs does it take to change a light bulb?

Thanks

[spdrun]

Wonder if there would be a market for renting out Title 20 compliant fixtures to new homebuyers till they replace with E26. 🙂 Seems that would be a lot more ecological than the homeowners just tossing the compliant fixtures into the trash.

[Coronita]

[quote=spdrun]Wonder if there would be a market for renting out Title 20 compliant fixtures to new homebuyers till they replace with E26. 🙂 Seems that would be a lot more ecological than the homeowners just tossing the compliant fixtures into the trash.[/quote]

You mean kinda like if you fail smog, you borrow someone else’s catalytic converter?

Not saying I would do that, but some people asked me about it.

[ucodegen]

[quote=flu][quote=spdrun]Wonder if there would be a market for renting out Title 20 compliant fixtures to new homebuyers till they replace with E26. 🙂 Seems that would be a lot more ecological than the homeowners just tossing the compliant fixtures into the trash.[/quote]

You mean kinda like if you fail smog, you borrow someone else’s catalytic converter?

Not saying I would do that, but some people asked me about it.[/quote]Not exactly the same. More like allowing people to use catalytic converters that don’t have the California EO number even though it brings the emissions into compliance. The CF would be used on the E26 socket (effectively the non-EO cat) NOTE: The same cat with the EO number is significantly more expensive than the one w/o the EO — even though they are basically the same cat.

[ucodegen]

[quote=plm]Yes, the bulb I broke looks just like the one in the picture. Probably too much work for me to change the socket. If I decide to do this, is the light output the same such so its not noticeable? Otherwise I will have to do all of the lights in the kitchen at the same time.

More likely I’ll just buy the light bulb that ucodegen provided.

How many piggs does it take to change a light bulb?

Thanks[/quote]I don’t know how many piggs it takes to change a lightbulb. I know that I can do it myself (as well as rewiring sockets). I also have tools to do those ceiling bulbs on vaulted/high ceilings – without need for ladder. (we might have to take a statistical average here and calc variance)

Changing the socket on the plug-in CFs is not as simple as it might seem. The plug-in CFs have an external ballast, while the E26 are internal/self contained ballasts.

Light output will probably be diff between the square plug-in vs the E26. Keep an eye on the wattage for the plug-in, number and style of elements and color temperature. Does the bulb look exactly like it or slightly diff? Do you have a pict of the bulb and base?

[Author]

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