MY OPINION - OF FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS [CFL's]

Dear Readers:

I have never embraced the idea that fluorescent light bulbs [CFL] save any money, and after reading this article, You’ve broken a fluorescent lightbulb. Now what?, it just reaffirmed my belief.

  

Fact:  Fluorescent light bulbs flicker - you may not notice it, but if you are someone who suffers with migraines this 'flickering' can be a trigger, and you may have some difficulty being around them.  I know I do.  

  

Fact:  Incandescent light bulbs - commercial grade (130 V rather than 120 V) have a long life.  For example, I have a 60 W - 103V light bulb in the light on my desk at work that is left on 24 hours a day (use as a night light in the evening), and the last time I replace the light bulb was 2 years ago.   You can buy commercial grade [130V] generally at a lighting store.

Fact:  If you break a Fluorescent light bulb - you better be careful with the clean up.  For example:  

• Health official advise certain precautions to minimize exposure.  Among the steps recommended by the EPA are:

1.  Get people and pets out of the room.
2. Air out the room for at least 10 minutes, and preferably several hours. (Like to see you do this in the winter time.)
3. Shut off the air-conditioning or heating system.
4. Wipe up the broken glass and powder, seal them in a container and dispose of them.
5. Check with you local government about disposal requirements.  Some communities require that trashed fluorescent bulbs (broken and unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center.  (My city has no policy on this.)

 
 
Fact:  If you break an incandescent light bulb - just sweep up the breakage being careful not to cut yourself, put breakage in a grocery store type plastic bag, and throw the remains in trash.  (Hmm, that was easy.)

Now I'm not going to say you won't save a little on the electricity using Fluorescent bulbs, but the clean up is going to kill you!