Say goodbye to the incandescent light bulb.
Congress has decided to phase them out.
Come Jan. 1, 2012 you’ll no longer be able to buy a standard 100W bulb. By 2014 they’ll all be gone, save for a few select applications like the bulb in your oven or dryer.
Tam asks “Why the selective outrage?”
From the comments there, I think we have the answer from Brian J:
No one was paying attention because:Toilet tanks and shower heads are the plumber’s problems.
A/C is the HVAC guy’s problem.
Catalytic converters are the mechanic’s problem.Now, suddenly, the government is impeding a task that the common man can do, and something that the normal citizen pays for regularly. Now, in essence, they have come for the me.
Yep, that’s about it I think.
This bill was passed just days after I went shopping for more light bulbs. Bulbs have been popping around here lately and it was just plain ‘ole time. Four halogens for the kitchen, 2 100W bulbs for the dining room light fixture, an extra “65W” CFL for above my desk, even though the 75W incandescent flood light hadn’t burned out yet, some extra CFLs for the random bulbs that will eventually burn out.
You see, I’m already buying CFLs for applications where they make sense. Unfortunately, they’re just not “there” yet in a number of ways. I’m not sure which color output I like best, and I don’t even always check the labels, so sometimes I end up with a bulb that just looks stupid in a certain room. Or, like the new one above my work desk, it buzzes. I can handle that for work, but there’s no way I’d want to put 11 of those in my living room right now.
Further, 10 out of the 11 bulbs in my living room are on dimmers. A CFL that’ll run on a dimmer is about $15-$16 a pop right now. That’s $150 right there to replace them all en masse. Forgive me for not looking forward to this come 2014. For the whole house (a lot of it is on dimmers) we’re looking at about $450. The exterior lights? Well, they’re not on dimmers but there are some problems with CFLs in the cold weather. They take time to heat up. You can see this in a room that’s already 72 degrees, I’m sure they don’t light up too quick outside when it’s 19 degrees as it is right now.
It’s bullshit, but come 2014 when we’re left with nothing but Halogen and CFLs on the shelves nobody will remember why, and we’ll buy them, and bitch about how the bulb companies aren’t putting out any good products any more, just like we piss and moan when our “low flush” toilet leaves a turd floating to the top of the bowl, forgetting why it’s there.
on December 24th, 2007 at 10:09 am
The low-flush toilets really make me laugh. So, if you cut the water usage in half, but it takes 2-3 flushes to get rid of the stuff you’re trying to get rid of - what good did you do?
on December 24th, 2007 at 11:07 am
[...] think Justin has a pretty good explanation for why we’re selectively angry about Congress banning our light [...]
on December 24th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
That is why I am glad to see that LEDs are getting better and better every year. The colors are still quite primary, but they do not run hot (like halogen), they are not toxic (like CFL), and the last forever (unlike incandescent). Right now I just use them for flashlights, worklights, and exterior floods, but as the colors get more yellow (instead of blue), I’ll be putting them elsewhere.
on December 25th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Uh, halogens are incandescent. If the wording in the bill is broad enough, it will ban those too. If it has exceptions for halogen type, and other types (such as 12v automotive), then you have some alternatives to CFLs — especially if you’re willing to get a bit creative. Though I’m guessing arc lights are a bit harsh for indoor use, and I don’t think they can be dimmed either. Halogens, when dimmed, get too yellow for my taste. But then I really like the ‘daylight’ CFLs.
on December 25th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Uh, halogens are incandescent. If the wording in the bill is broad enough, it will ban those too.
Indeed. I went back and read the actual bill. I’ll post more in a follow-up.
on December 26th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
What about applications that cannot use CFL? Specifically, CFL is not a constant light. In fact, it is flashing at a high rate of speed, you just can’t see the flashing with the human eye. Regular bulbs put out constant light. Think of working on a car, there are many moving parts such as a spinning flywheel. If the speed of the spinning part matches the cycle of the light, the object will appear to stand still. Many people have lost limbs from using CFL on appliations where there are moving parts. I really can’t see how this is going to help. Hopefully they allow “special purpose” incandescent bulbs?!
on December 27th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
The foolishness spewing out of capitol hill grows ever more tedious. I wonder what they would do if everyone didn’t vote in the next election. Not 1 solitary soul. 0 votes. (No, I’m not stupid enough to believe that would ever happen.)
BTW, I bought dimmable CFLs on eBay earlier this year. They’re made in China (something I normally avoid like the plague, but no one else makes any). I’ve used them for about 7 months so far. No failures, no buzzing. They’re still available on eBay for about $2 a bulb.
on December 27th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Don’t forget to add in the $60.00 or so to recycle a 5 gallon bucket full of those cfl’s.