Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
I am the IT Administrator at an electric cooperative. Being that we geeks work with electronic components constantly it would be a shame if I didn't cover the compact fluorescent bulb (CFL's). CFL's are those crazy spiral bulbs you are seeing more and more of everyday. These bulbs are highly efficient compared to the old standard light bulb.
The design of a standard bulb is highly inefficient. The standard incandescent bulb produces an incredible amount of heat and has such a short life. Incandescent bulbs convert 90% of their energy into heat. The average life span of an incandescent bulb is 750-1000 hours.
CFL's on the other hand can last up to 15,000 hours. The CFL also uses about 1/4th the energy power as an incandescent. CFL's use only 30% of their energy to produce heat. I takes less to equal the power of the older bulbs.
The CFL's do cost more than your standard bulb, however making the initial investment will save you money in the long run. We all love to save money right?? Since I run multiple computers, external hard drives, monitors etc.. I guess it makes sense. They do take longer to completely light up a room though. Oh… and they are more "green" or environmentally friendly provided their disposed of properly.
I am interested in hearing others experiences with these bulbs! Good, bad and indifferent experiences are welcome.
Hi, I've used the CFL's for a while now and have noticed that, although they do last longer, they start to lose their brightness long before they wear out. Also, if you go in and out of a room frequently, it seems to be better to leave them on, as this avoids the "warm up" period CFL's seem to need to reach their optimum brightness.
Bye,
Odeo