Energy Efficiency - My Eye!
I declare to the world that I WAS a buffoon. I truly thought that the purchase of energy efficient light bulbs was consumer savvy. I learned of my grave error today when I was changing the hallway light that burned out.To my disgust, it was the energy "efficient" 10-year bulb that took a nose dive before the ordinary $0.10 light bulb that was next to it and still working! I didn't even know about these light bulbs 10 years ago; I was still in high school and I had no reason to buy a light bulb... obviously, it didn't last ten years. In fact, I estimate that it didn't even last two years. Keep in mind that this bulb was worth about $5.00 when I purchased it.
I purchased the stupid bulb in college about five years ago (generous estimate), and I didn't take it out of the package until I got married (about 3 years ago). I then placed it in a lamp that we never used. I took it out of the lamp at/around the first year we were married when I was arguing with my wife about how great these bulbs were, and how much money we would save by purchasing them... In any case, for the purpose of testing to see if our energy bill would fall in the slightest, I placed the bulb in the socket from where I just removed it. Our bill didn't change in the slightest, and the light is dead after 1/5 of the advertised life expectancy.
What a joke! Unfortunately it's on me.
posted by Ó Seasnáin at 8:01 AM
11 Comments:
We have them alll over the house.. Terry is slowly "converting" us over to the new world of "energy saving" light. None have burned out yet.
from what i have read there are cheap energy bulbs and better ones just like anything else. My cousin's house is all energy saving bulbs and none have gone out the 3 years he has been there.
Ours last longer than the regualer, we used to change light bulbs monthly in the basement...becasue of the kids jumping around upstairs the fillaments would break.
Sorry. We love them!!
Actually, I do need to get some lightbulbs. I go cheap though. We always have and they actually lasted quite a while.
weve never used them. we never used an answering machine either.
we have them now and updateeeee
The topper is that congress has outlawed the production of the incandescent light bulb. So now you get to pay 20 times the price for a lightbulb that fails to outperform.
Even better - the fluorescent lights contain mercury. If you break one, you better call a professional to clean up so that you don't get mercury poisoning.
I dunno, I have half of each and I don't think anything works well.
I hope you didn't just throw it away and that you did take it to a proper wast disposal location. The mercury in the bulb could contaminate ground water from the landfill. Although, if you did drop it I believe that you can clean it up yourself, just wear a mask and don't lick the mercury. At least that is what I thought I heard on the radio.
Jamwes,
Unfortunately hindsight is 20/20... we threw away the bulb right away AND we didn't clean it up. Thus, I probably am a ticking time bomb.
In any case, we went back to the energy efficient bulbs because so many people said they work... In fact, we were able to buy 6 for $9! I think I bought that first bulb for about $10.
Sounds like you got a good deal on buying some new ones. That is good. Now you know for the future how to take care of them if/when they go bad again.
Post a Comment
<< Home