Comments on: Light wars! http://thegldc.com/blog/2009/07/10/light-wars/ Greening America one blog post at a time Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:24:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Halogenica http://thegldc.com/blog/2009/07/10/light-wars/comment-page-1/#comment-6522 Halogenica Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:01:49 +0000 http://thegldc.com/blog/?p=778#comment-6522 Didn't get an alert so I haven't seen this reply until now when going through my links. Robert Stockham, what makes you think I haven't checked out the latest CFLs available today? I do agree that they've improved in quality and incandescent-like-ness but I can clearly tell the difference, even in the very best that exist on the market now, and just don't like that sharp pink-white light that makes my living room look like a supermarket, even if it's more warm-pink than cool-pink now. If you like them, good for you (as long as you recycle it correctly afterwards) but I reserve the right to my opinion. CFLs still have mediocre colour rendering capacity (CRI 82-85) as it is too expensive to add more phosphors. That the daylight lamp was the bluest is not odd at all, what did you expect? Daylight has the highest CCT (correlated colour temperature). As it is not possible to create a perfect fluorescent copy of daylight either, it is natural that it will look rather blue (my daylight CFL looks green-blue). Low voltage halogen reflector lamps do get very hot, yes, so best for ceiling or under-cabinet luminaires. But there are now halogen energy savers that look just like a standard incandescent bulb or reflector lamps and they don't get hotter than the incandescent they replace, though should not be within reach by children. LEDs are coolest to the touch, and safest around kids, as CFLs contain mercury vapour. But the ones available for the public do not yet give good enough light quality or enough output to replace more than a 25W incandescent. Didn’t get an alert so I haven’t seen this reply until now when going through my links.

Robert Stockham, what makes you think I haven’t checked out the latest CFLs available today? I do agree that they’ve improved in quality and incandescent-like-ness but I can clearly tell the difference, even in the very best that exist on the market now, and just don’t like that sharp pink-white light that makes my living room look like a supermarket, even if it’s more warm-pink than cool-pink now.

If you like them, good for you (as long as you recycle it correctly afterwards) but I reserve the right to my opinion. CFLs still have mediocre colour rendering capacity (CRI 82-85) as it is too expensive to add more phosphors.

That the daylight lamp was the bluest is not odd at all, what did you expect? Daylight has the highest CCT (correlated colour temperature). As it is not possible to create a perfect fluorescent copy of daylight either, it is natural that it will look rather blue (my daylight CFL looks green-blue).

Low voltage halogen reflector lamps do get very hot, yes, so best for ceiling or under-cabinet luminaires. But there are now halogen energy savers that look just like a standard incandescent bulb or reflector lamps and they don’t get hotter than the incandescent they replace, though should not be within reach by children.

LEDs are coolest to the touch, and safest around kids, as CFLs contain mercury vapour. But the ones available for the public do not yet give good enough light quality or enough output to replace more than a 25W incandescent.

]]> By: Robert Stockham http://thegldc.com/blog/2009/07/10/light-wars/comment-page-1/#comment-4813 Robert Stockham Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:35:35 +0000 http://thegldc.com/blog/?p=778#comment-4813 I would respectfully disagree. I bought a bunch of CFL bulbs from various producers, from various stores and have found many differences. The oldest ones in my house are the least pleasant. They produce plenty of flight, but take a little while to warm up. I bought some cool white, daylight, and bright white from the same manufacturer and found three completely different light colors. Oddly enough the Daylight was really blue and the least pleasing. I have one outside on my porch and it seems to operate the same in winter and summer months. I also have a fixture with halogen bulbs. They get VERY hot. I worry about trying to place this kind of bulb in anything but a ceiling fixture. I have found that I like the CFL bulbs in the medium tone and I use the equivalent of 100watts. These give me more light than I am used to and in a pleasant color tone that to me most resembles the traditional incandescent bulbs. CFLs are also changing all the time and there are so many types on the market. I have found that each store carries a different brand and each brand has different characteristics. Try out a few different kinds to find the one that you like most. And Pete, when you are ready to change out your fixtures, let me know. I can help you find more attractive lighting. I would respectfully disagree. I bought a bunch of CFL bulbs from various producers, from various stores and have found many differences. The oldest ones in my house are the least pleasant. They produce plenty of flight, but take a little while to warm up. I bought some cool white, daylight, and bright white from the same manufacturer and found three completely different light colors. Oddly enough the Daylight was really blue and the least pleasing. I have one outside on my porch and it seems to operate the same in winter and summer months. I also have a fixture with halogen bulbs. They get VERY hot. I worry about trying to place this kind of bulb in anything but a ceiling fixture. I have found that I like the CFL bulbs in the medium tone and I use the equivalent of 100watts. These give me more light than I am used to and in a pleasant color tone that to me most resembles the traditional incandescent bulbs. CFLs are also changing all the time and there are so many types on the market. I have found that each store carries a different brand and each brand has different characteristics. Try out a few different kinds to find the one that you like most.

And Pete, when you are ready to change out your fixtures, let me know. I can help you find more attractive lighting.

]]> By: Halogenica http://thegldc.com/blog/2009/07/10/light-wars/comment-page-1/#comment-4708 Halogenica Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:40:25 +0000 http://thegldc.com/blog/?p=778#comment-4708 Blogger, most CFLs still don't give a good enough light, even if the best are much better than a decade ago. Most still need some time to warm up, still don't fit or work well in all luminaires, still have mediocre colour rendering, are still sensitive to heat and cold, still have poor power factor and use more engery than seen on your bill, and still contain mercury and need to be handled and recycled with care. And the dimmable ones are expensive and only makes the light even more cold and grey without saving any electricity. Halogen, on the other hand, has none of these limitations. HID = High Intensity Discharge lamps, usually high-pressure sodium or metal halide. The best give a good-looking light with decent colour rendering and are very energy efficient, but require special luminaires and ballasts and are often too bright to be used at home. They also contain mercury, just like FL & CFLs. Pete, sounds like you just haven't checked out the technology that has been available for over a decade. The 'new' slim FL tubes are about twice as effective as the old type and their light is about twice as good too. You do need to switch the whole fixture though, as they run on high-frequency ballasts (which ensure an even light that does not flicker or hum). Blogger, most CFLs still don’t give a good enough light, even if the best are much better than a decade ago. Most still need some time to warm up, still don’t fit or work well in all luminaires, still have mediocre colour rendering, are still sensitive to heat and cold, still have poor power factor and use more engery than seen on your bill, and still contain mercury and need to be handled and recycled with care. And the dimmable ones are expensive and only makes the light even more cold and grey without saving any electricity. Halogen, on the other hand, has none of these limitations.

HID = High Intensity Discharge lamps, usually high-pressure sodium or metal halide. The best give a good-looking light with decent colour rendering and are very energy efficient, but require special luminaires and ballasts and are often too bright to be used at home. They also contain mercury, just like FL & CFLs.

Pete, sounds like you just haven’t checked out the technology that has been available for over a decade. The ‘new’ slim FL tubes are about twice as effective as the old type and their light is about twice as good too. You do need to switch the whole fixture though, as they run on high-frequency ballasts (which ensure an even light that does not flicker or hum).

]]> By: Pete http://thegldc.com/blog/2009/07/10/light-wars/comment-page-1/#comment-4505 Pete Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:40:51 +0000 http://thegldc.com/blog/?p=778#comment-4505 I'd be happy if the incandescent bulb would drift off into the pages of history. I'm not really picky about my bulbs, I don't have anything that requires exposed bulbs so I go with the ones that will last the longest and save me money on my energy bill. Except for my store, I'll be happy when the days of the humming and flickering of these monstrous florescent fixtures are a thing of the past. My ceiling is too low to go with much of anything else I've seen recently. It would be nice to address the commercial end of things someday. I’d be happy if the incandescent bulb would drift off into the pages of history. I’m not really picky about my bulbs, I don’t have anything that requires exposed bulbs so I go with the ones that will last the longest and save me money on my energy bill.

Except for my store, I’ll be happy when the days of the humming and flickering of these monstrous florescent fixtures are a thing of the past. My ceiling is too low to go with much of anything else I’ve seen recently. It would be nice to address the commercial end of things someday.

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