Light Bulbs

This article will be mostly about Compact Flourescent bulbs or “CFLs”.   Here are some common tips that we got from “The Family Handyman.” CFLs have come a long way.  They used to be almost $15 dollars a piece with many problems.  That is the past, and now you can buy a CFL for as little as $3 a piece and is the easiest way to save money on energy.  These bulbs are still hard to understand at times when you are purchasing, so here are a few buying guides. First, how to chooce a bulb: When purchasing bulbs, typically we as consumers refer to the wattage of the bulb.  You typically look at 60-watt or 100-watt bulbs.  This can be confusing when purchasing CFL bulbs.  You should look more at the lumens when purchasing CFL bubls.  Typically, you should buy a CFL with 20% more lumens than that of your standard bulb.   As an example, to replace a 60-watt bulb that has 870 lumens, you you should but a bulb with 1050 lumens.  That should give you the same output you are looking for. Best (and worst) place to use: CFLs can last up to 10 times as long as a typical incandescent bulb, so you may want to consider putting CFLs in places that are hard to reach.  You may only have to get in the rafters once every five years instead of every year.  Also, they do well in a place that is constantly on more than 3 hours a day. CFLs don’t do as well in on-off switching, excessive vibration near doors or stairways,  or high-humidity.  The things may shorten the life span of the CFL. These are just some simple things that you can do to cut-back on energy useage.  Next time you go buy light bulbs, which we all do, and sometimes often, think twice before you pick up those incandescent bulbs. Take a small stand…

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Money Saving Light Bulbs