IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY SAVER LIGHT BULBS!

Seems like a perfect vessel for the storage of nuclear waste, too.

Ah, the extortion of common sense.

I saw this earlier in the week--Hardly surprising. Prey on mass hysteria and get a blank check for the most ridiculous junk. How about AFCI breakers? GFCI substandard? Whatever happened to the Montreal protocol(?) and the HCFC's and the Nobel Peace Prize winning ozone hole? Legislators wielding science where there is substantial profit to be made for complete buffoonery. I'm not sure and I don't really care, but the fluorescent lights don't do as well being switched on and off as incandescents--Anyone know?

Actually, go to the General Electric website, look up their CFL page and then go to their FAQ page. GE sells these bulbs and the clean up procedure they, themselves, cite is exactly the same thing.

Whatever happened to the ozone hole?

Well, a problem was identified, CFC's were phased out around the planet, ozone levels have stabilised and it's expected that over the coming decades the hole will shrink.

If you're actually interested there's plenty of info available.

It is interesting these lamps are all made in China.

D'uh...anyone one else is free to make 'em.

Enough with the China-phobia already... they didn't pass the damn law.

Del

<...It is interesting these lamps are all made in China...>

One could always send the dud ones back.....

Yes, they grind them up and use them to make paint.

My - this is quite a dilemma. If only there was some way to outwit those inscrutable Asian types. If only there was a place where I could send all my burned out* squiggle lamps - some place that could responsibly recycle the glass, metals and dangerous substances - maybe someplace like

http://www.lamprecycling.com

* assuming, of course, that any of them ever do burn out - which for 4 years they haven't.

In my experience they don't last as long as rough service incandescents, we've gotten away from using them altogether. Fed Ex has to ship the dead bulbs, that's cute.

Hi Bhankiii,

For your information these CFL bulbs were developed and produced by Phillips in the Netherlands not China! They were in circulation 25 years ago here in Europe and made in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

The simple reason that they are made in China these days is because it is cheaper to produce them there than here in Europe. I agree that they can be dangerous if dropped, but it is also very dangerous to cross the road these days, ie. It can kill you!

And I would also like to know why everyone over there is having a go at the Chinese? Your stereo, digital camera, radio, TV, etc, etc, is more than likely produced in China, so stop moaning about the Chinese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spencer.

Quite right Scapolie...

The amount of mercury in these lamps is also pathetically small so I don't know what all this nonsense is about...

It has already been shown that the saving in electricity from using these CFLs saves burning coal which has tiny amounts of mercury in it.... In fact the calculations have shown that the saving of the burning of coal producing mercury is more than the mercury used in these lamps...

Talk about hysterical nonsense!

Interesting note, the average coal fired power plant will exhaust on average of 3 to 5 "TONS" of Mercury per year. By the way, don't forget about the lead...oh did I say that.

I have nothing against the Chinese. I love the culture. However, the quality and safety standards can be, and often are, abysmal.

I'm sorry you misunderstood my sarcasm as seriousness. I should have written, If only there was some way to outwit those inscrutable Asian types. but I thought it was obvious. In the future I'll try to obviate my intent with emoticons.

Most of the packaged frozen--Labeled "Wild Alaska Salmon" are now products of China. I can't feed my children wild fish unless it is shipped and then packaged in China(I keep looking for it). I am not publicly protesting, but I will spend my hard earned money on products that aren't produced in China, whenever I can. I still believe in and that domestic products, especially food, give me a piece of mind when I see them consumed by beautiful family. Lead paint--Only after, we as consumers stop buying the products, will they stop making them. There will be no conscience, just commerce. It's not their fault and mine either. If we get complacent, they have no reason not to deliver the cheapest and sometimes unsafe junk. --I won't shop at Wal-Mart, ever, unless I have to, and I do. Really--I am not protesting and don't expect any big changes, but I do know that if we don't spend our money locally we will lose control of things that we ought to have. The Chinese must feel like a lot of Americans did during the industrial revolution, how do we feel? I still love my country and am an optimist and we will get by.

I have replaced many. They do burn out. I get about two years out of a bulb in most locations. The oldest I have are ancient, circa 1992 that take forever to heat up and are about twice the size of newest ones for comparable light output, but they are still in use today. I mark the install date on every CFL I install in my house. I only get about 50% of the rated hours on these bulbs even when I am liberally estimating the daily hours of use. I'm waiting for some greedy lawyers to start the class action lawsuit. The mandatory phase out dates imposed by well-meaning, but totally ignorant politicians just incenses me. What ever happened to freedom of choice? I'm all for CFL's in long duty cycle usage locations. It makes $en$e. In short duty cycle locations (basements, cellars, garages, closets, attics) incandescents are the right answer. I want the Congress (and their ilk) to get the hell out of my knickers!! As far as www.lamprecycling.com is concerned, it is absolutely crazy to be shipping trash via FedEx. This is the lunacy foisted upon us by those with a narrow view of the world. Where is the total cost and total impact of these 'mandates'?

I'd bang coconut shells fer ya, Brave Sir Robin.

I think some were just complaining about oil consumption and grid lock. Now we can sit in mass transit and watch our dead light bulbs flip us the bird as they swooshed by in the carpool lane in a Fed Ex truck.

Please write your congressman - or have you done that already?

Seems like a great opportunity for you to start up a non-profit environmental (or common-sense) organization - like Amnesty International, or Center for Biological Diversity - that solicits internet petions to be sent to congressmen and state representatives - and the White House

But...why bother? Let's all just sit around and whine some more.

I like the way he talks. Common sense hasn't escaped in Texas yet.

Fluorescent bulbs are as dangerous as any other electronic device. In addition, they often don't reach the promised lifetime. But they could be repaired. I have been collecting the "burnt-out" bulbs for years and when I have a proper amount of same type ones I disassemble them. Normally the fluorescent tube is ok and the electronic part fails. Generally form every 5 wrong bulbs I can build 3-4 good. In industrial size the process could be more efficient so the answer should be recycling.

Chinese bulbs sold by IKEA: There is a typical error. The leads of the electronic part are soldered to a metallized plastic surface and after a time they separate... You only have to make a better soldering...

Thank you for the information, it is enlightening. The honourable member sure made valid points that should give us all food for thought.

Meanwhile, the flourecent bulbs do save energy no doubt, but as we are now aware, at the cost of our convenience.

Cheers,

ethobil

I have given up on light bulbs completely. I now use whale oil lamps or candles or go to bed when it gets dark.

Oohhhh my Gawd!!!

Save the whales!!!

Candles? don't you realise they give off noxious gases and the effect of them starting a fire is much more damaging than a little bit of global warming

Not to mention the dangerous chemicals used in the manufacture of matchsticks you use to light them!!!

John < /stirring mode>

I gets all the light I need from my TV. If you have one in every room, you can get around nicely.

LOL

Hi bhankiii:

do you realise how dangerous TVs are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!............LOL!

Very soon they could be cheaper than the energy saving bulbs!

babybear

A Typical American Bureaucrat discussing a Monster Bureaucracy he and his ilk created. As like everything here in the US now, fear factor is the primary goal of our Politicians and their hirelings.

And, would you believe much you see on YouTube. I don't since they buckle under to our naysayers and doomsday proponents quite often.

America, a land of so many laws, I don't know how anyone keeps up with them. Everyday as as I read about an arrest, breaking of laws that are unexplainable and lack common sense are used as in arrests to make something stick, as my Cop friends tell me.

Our CDC and Salmonella, I have to laugh. I grew up on a farm, didn't know what an antibiotic was and have used them very sparingly to this day, with my Doctor's Grace.

The food stuffs we toss here in the USA because of The Fear Factor would feed the rest of the world/ I seriously doubt any of it is harmful, Americans just need to get the natural bacteria in their bodies that the antibiotics have killed.

In all, more and more living in the USA sounds like a Reality show.

On CFLs, I have been using them in all of my apartment for a few years, none have burnt out as incandescents had every few months. My electric bill (I ams Single and travel a lot) has been reduced by almost 40%.

I have one outside my door and it has never been turned off in 3 years, lasting thru 2 winters.

This type of lamp is not invented by chinese, but from eaurope, It produced amount in china is a fact, hundreds of small firm and several large factory produce hundreds an d thousands of this lamp. My family like all other chinese family are all use these produce to displace old lamp. in fact many countries gov encourage their people to use this lamp to save energy.

This lamp has mny good features. save energy and have a good color index display. of cause it has some disavertages like other products. in fact, no products has completely perfect features.

Look at the bottom of the vedio comments, you will find very intrest words.

so many important fairs to solve, but that person waste time to talk to this lamp in the congress.

Hi Sparkstation

I am sure we in the UK have a similar law going through. And, it is a complete nonsense!

I have not had a single 'energy saving bulb' which lasted even half the time stated. So it means a lot more bulbs being made............so where is the energy saving in that?

If you pay the same for good quality incandescent bulbs as I did, I have several still going strong after 14 years. What about the 'cheap' incandescent bulbs of the past 50 years or so, they were manufactured all over the world but a bulb costing 10 pence cannot be such good quality and so will not last as lost as a more expensive one. Now you will not get the choice because, the newer type of bulb are much more expensive than previous bulbs.

This is not aimed in any way at the USA, but, the clean-up description sound about as bad and as much a waste of time, as the tens of millions of dollars spent on putting stickers on lead-acid 'car' batteries advising people not to drink the contents!!!

It is common sense gone out the window!

babybear

However there are a lot of people and too many in politics who feel that no one has any sense and needs to be swaddled and coddled and taken care of in every way by the government. The stickers usually are required because if some darn fool drank battery acid and died, his relatives could successfully sue for millions. The same as they collect when a drunk, trespassing, climbs over a head-high fence and drowns in your "attractive deathtrap" called a swimming pool. The same as the burglar collects for being injured while running with the stolen items across your back yard and catching the clothesline in the throat. Everything must have a warning label or sign or it becomes the fault of the owner or maker of the product when someone does something stupid or illegal.

We can never have a war with China, because we make almost nothing for ourselves. We eat real food and they eat rice. The trade is not on an equal and level field. Then some of our politicians go and muck it up even more and say they are friends of labor and the working man. Almost all stores are selling 90% Chinese-made goods

We have abut 10 CFLs, mostly new in the last 6 months. Two have burned out on their own in that time, not giving me a 'warm and fuzzy' about their 'goodness'.

Yes, we just put them in the trash, like EVERYONE ELSE DOES WITH THEIR FLOURESCENT LIGHT BULBS.

If CFLs are to be treated as hazardous waste, the so should the 4 and 8' flourescent bulbs, as well as the 12" and 24" ones used for desk lamps and 'under counter' lamps.

<grumble, grumble, grumble, inconstancy, grumble grumble>

servant74:If CFLs are to be treated as hazardous waste, the so should the 4 and 8' flourescent bulbs, as well as the 12" and 24" ones used for desk lamps and 'under counter' lamps.

They are and we have to pay for their disposal. Intentionally breaking them is illegal and companies may be fined for doing so. Just because the Mercury police haven't castrated you for intentionally breaking and/or disposing CFLs improperly doesn't mean that they won't--They haven't started to sift through our trash to find them.........YET.

There is a lot of misinformation about them. I was told that the ones with green ends meant that they were free of Mercury and one could break them and dump them in the trash--not true.

Funny thing--I just returned home from work and stopped by on my way, a vendor meet and greet "thingy" at one of our electrical suppliers and had a short conversation with the Sylvania sales rep. The subject was the life expectancy and the disposal--He seemed a little put off by the youtube video, but did give me a 23w new generation bulb to try out for rough service. It is in my car and I will give the details, here as I give it a test run. I hope that these will be heartier than the CFLs, but we will see.

Waste problems. I was deferred to the link-(forgive me for not going back through the volumes of posts to get the contributor straight) the very same link that someone here gave for proper disposal. He mentioned that this varies state by state and that they sell the lights and send the consumer to these disposal sites. Back to Fed Ex hauling garbage.