We undertook a successful home renovation today. It was really nice since we did not even start until 4pm and I was done and cleaned up before dinner. Plus, now Al Gore and his buddies will be happy.
We swapped almost all of our incandescent light bulbs out with compact fluorescent bulbs this afternoon. We have always used a few of these bulbs around the house, but we finally decided to spend the money on enough new bulbs to replace most of the old bulbs around here. IKEA has about the best prices on these bulbs around, but we were still out about $4 a bulb.
There are still a few incandescent bulbs around, but less than 10. We have dimmer switches in a couple of rooms. And I am not ready upgrade the dimmers so that we can use the compact fluorescent bulbs in there.
It will be interesting to see how the switch actually works out. I expect we will save a little bit on our electric bill, but it is going to take a while to recapture our $115 investment in light bulbs.
12 years ago
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10 comments:
I've wondered about the cost of those bulbs vs. the actual monetary savings for me. I wonder when you'll hit the break even point. Nice of you to think of Al's happiness, though.
Do those things throw off as much light as a regular bulb, or do you have to buy three or four to get the same effect?
That's the problem I have with our toilets. They're the new kind that use half as much water per flush. The only problem is you have to flush them three times, so we're actually worse off than when we started!
We use these bulbs in lights that are used a lot but I'm not sure you save anything replacing infrequently used bulbs. But it is nice not to have to replace those closet lights (which they use as nightlights) once a month now.
The deal on the light is that they do indeed light up as much as they say, but they seem to take a little while to get to full light output.
I think you are right Ginger, about using them in the most used fixtures. Best bang for your buck that way. That is also why I am not swapping a few of our out.
We just don't use the lights on some of our ceiling fans very often.
And as far as low flow potties go, Crane Metro. Low flow and a nice quality flush every time.
Actually we just got lucky on that one. But the Crane Plumbing Metro potty works very well.
Good for you AHD!!!! GE makes really good ones too & they're brighter as well. (Try a 15 watt input for a 60 watt output if you're finding the Ikea ones are not so bright). And yes, you will see a SIGNIFICANT reduction in your electric bill. These things work like magic.
Check out my posts on CFL's:
http://underthebermudasun.blogspot.com/2007/01/this-little-light-of-mine.html
http://underthebermudasun.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-many-people-does-it-take-to-change_17.html
It is working out fine. The delayed start, we are getting used to. The hardest part was tossing to old bulbs in the the trash.We can't recycle them here, and I could not think of any good reason to keep 25 old light bulbs around.
In the end I kept 9 incandescent (but only the new ones we hadon hand. 4 60 watts, 2 100 watts and a few replacement flood lamps for outside security lighting.
I have been using these for years in my reading lamps. When I began they were much more expensive than now. I know they save money because I don't buy replacement bulbs very often. I had one that lasted at least 6 years. I think I need to put them over the vanity in the master bath. But they aren't really pretty.
Mama Bear
Check IKEA online. They sell some bulbs that have a glass bulb surrounding the swirly tube, so they look a little better where the bulb is exposed.
Good investment. I have two bulbs that are over 5 years old and they are still going strong. One of the old bulbs is in the entry way to the apartment has been burning straight since I moved in 5 years ago. One bulb burned out with in 2 years, but that was because it was on the deck and I soaked it with bug spray to kill the ants.
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