Energy saving light bulbs-good or bad?

[tigercat]

We have put in some of the new energy saving light bulbs in our house. As the old bulbs go we were replacing them with the new ones. However, this afternoon I opened my basement door and it smelt like bleach. I looked up at the light that was on and there was some smoke coming out of the bulb. My dh and ds took the bulb out but I don't know. It really scared me. Then I heard that some of these bulbs have blown up, burnt up and a few other things. Has anyone else heard of bad things about these bulbs?
tigercat

 

[jfulcer]

Nope, haven't had any issues like that. It wasn't a cheap brand was it? You also have to make sure that the ratings on the bulb still match the light fixture. Normally those rules are just for heat disapation, but I would think that the socket might also have some limitations. Electric is not my forte.

 

[castleview]

They're good, but I have a hard time finding attractive one. DH is really into them and always brings home the spiral ones and sticks in fixtures where the bulbs are very visible. Yuck!

 

[diznygirl]

DH had to hunt but he found attractive ones. The only trouble we have is waiting for them to warm up to full brightness. We have switched back to a few regular bulbs for "instant" light in a few spots.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Be careful if one does break. Most have mercury in them! In a powder form.

when they burn out naturally they are to be desposed of properly, not in the regualr trash pickup.

I have seen newer versions that say they are more enironmental, but I have not researched what that is.

Mikeeee

 

[mickeysgal]

Be careful if one does break. Most have mercury in them! In a powder form.

when they burn out naturally they are to be desposed of properly, not in the regualr trash pickup.

I have seen newer versions that say they are more enironmental, but I have not researched what that is.

Mikeeee

That's what I understand too...there are very small amounts of mercury in them.

So what do you do if you break one? I would imagine it's ok to simply clean up or else they wouldn't be allowed on the public market.

 

[sjaakie]

The hand of my friend got paralyzed fore life after he cut himself in the glass of such a bulb.

Be very ,very careful.

 

[Kycha]

We have put in some of the new energy saving light bulbs in our house. As the old bulbs go we were replacing them with the new ones. However, this afternoon I opened my basement door and it smelt like bleach. I looked up at the light that was on and there was some smoke coming out of the bulb. My dh and ds took the bulb out but I don't know. It really scared me. Then I heard that some of these bulbs have blown up, burnt up and a few other things. Has anyone else heard of bad things about these bulbs?
tigercat

Yes. I have been making the transition from incandescent bulbs to the energy saving bulbs over the last year. When one of the light bulbs burned out in 7 months(had an 8 year warranty) I did a google search on these particular light bulbs(ge helical). What I found was surprising. These lightbulbs are found to be a cause of concern if used in a light fixture with an enclosure or in an upside down fixture. These lightbulbs produce heat, just like regular lightbulbs. The heat is supposed to escape from little vents on the top of the ballast(plastic base). If the bulb is upside down in a fixture or within an enclosed fixture, there is no where for the heat to go. It just builds up inside the ballast until it burns out. Sometimes the bulb will explode. This article goes into more depth...
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/cfl

 

[Michelle67]

Where's that youtube video...

 

[tigercat]

The bulb that was smoking was not in an enclosed area. It was in a base in the ceiling that had nothing around it.
tigercat

 

[legalsea]

I don't really like these new energy saver bulbs. Not only does the light seem more 'yellow' and dull, but you can't throw them away! I have a dozen such lightbulbs in our house and I'm dreading the day when they start burning out. What do you do with them? I'm thinking that as each bulb dies I will simply leave it as it is, and after the last one burns out we shall sell the house and move away, leaving these mercury-bulb problem to the new owner.

 

[JessicaR]

DH had to hunt but he found attractive ones. The only trouble we have is waiting for them to warm up to full brightness. We have switched back to a few regular bulbs for "instant" light in a few spots.

Same here! It annoys my husband that he cant have instant brightness. I'm getting used to it and the majority of bulbs have been changed in my house.

 

[Chicago526]

I don't really like these new energy saver bulbs. Not only does the light seem more 'yellow' and dull, but you can't throw them away! I have a dozen such lightbulbs in our house and I'm dreading the day when they start burning out. What do you do with them? I'm thinking that as each bulb dies I will simply leave it as it is, and after the last one burns out we shall sell the house and move away, leaving these mercury-bulb problem to the new owner.

The ACE hardware store near me will take burned out ones and they send them off to be recycled. If you have an ACE near you, check and see if they'l do the same. My city also will take them along with other stuff that shouldn't go in landfills like electronics and batteries. They have a drop off center for hazerdous stuff, they don't offer curbside pickup for that kind of thing.

If you break one, you can look online for how to clean it up safely.

We switched to florencent about 18 months ago and haven't had a single problem. I think we got a major brand bulb though I couldn't tell you what brand it was.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Where we live in Canada all they sell now is energy saving lightbulbs. It's essentially illegal to use anything else. There was a lot of research done before the government made that decision and they are perfectly safe. We've been using them for over two years without incident.

OP, did you buy the proper wattage for the fixture you put the bulb in? To me, it sounds like the wattage was too high in the light bulb. Also, there are many different kinds of these bulbs. You want to make sure you buy the appropriate lamp type for its intended use.

As far as dealing with the mercury issue, here you go:

From http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm

The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs poses no threat while in the bulb, but if you break one:
- open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more
- use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag
- place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag
- call your local recycling center to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash. Wash your hands afterward.

Although household CFL bulbs may legally be disposed of with regular trash (in most US states), they are categorized as household hazardous waste. As long as the waste is sent to a modern municipal landfill, the hazard to the environment is limited. However, CFLs should not be sent to an incinerator, which would disperse the mercury into the atmosphere.

Burned out CFLs can be dropped off at Home Depot and Ikea stores. Another solution is to save spent CFLs for a community household hazardous waste collection, which would then send the bulbs to facilities capable of treating, recovering or recycling them. For more information on CFL disposal or recycling, you can contact your local municipality.

 

[SeeVee]

The ACE hardware store near me will take burned out ones and they send them off to be recycled. If you have an ACE near you, check and see if they'l do the same. My city also will take them along with other stuff that shouldn't go in landfills like electronics and batteries. They have a drop off center for hazerdous stuff, they don't offer curbside pickup for that kind of thing.

If you break one, you can look online for how to clean it up safely.

We switched to florencent about 18 months ago and haven't had a single problem. I think we got a major brand bulb though I couldn't tell you what brand it was.

So we have to make a special trip to the hardware store to drop the bulbs off. Then the bulbs need to be transported to a special place to be recycled.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

So we have to make a special trip to the hardware store to drop the bulbs off. Then the bulbs need to be transported to a special place to be recycled.

It depends where you live. Being in the landfill isn't so dangerous but them being incinerated are. So, in some places, you can put them in your regular trash. It's no different than batteries or other hazardous materials. In most municipalities around here, they pick up this kind of waste a couple of times a year.

 

[Chicago526]

So we have to make a special trip to the hardware store to drop the bulbs off. Then the bulbs need to be transported to a special place to be recycled.

I can't speak for anyone else, but no, I don't need to make a special trip. We're at ACE once a week anyway for something or another, its just a matter of remembering to take them along. And they can be put in normal trash, but since it's easy for me to recycle them, I may as well do that.

 

[DVC-Don]

I've switched most of our lights over the past few years, but find the newer bulbs do not last very long inside an enclosed light fixture. I've switched those types back to conventional bulbs.

 

[brerrabbit]

I can't find the article I read but according to it if one breaks, you are supposed to leave the romm immediatly. Give the dust which contains mercury a cahnce to settle and then when you do return wear gloves and a face mask to clean it up. Bag it all up and take it to a recycling facility. According to the article the bulbs are more dangerous than people think. I'm sure you can search it up on the internet.

 

[Kycha]

The bulb that was smoking was not in an enclosed area. It was in a base in the ceiling that had nothing around it.
tigercat

Right. Like I wrote, this also happens to bulbs that are upside down, whether they are in an enclosed fixture or not. The heat can't escape because the vent is on the top of the ballast. When the light bulb is upside down, the vent is on the bottom. And since heat rises, there is no way for the heat to go down to escape the vent. That is why they overheat.