GE 'Bright From The Start' hybrid light bulbs

Ted wrote in news:7MOdncAsxN4hVZ3SnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

But a 2-pack costs $27 at Amazon. Standard CFL's have come down rather closely to the price of glo-bulbs ...

Got a Lowes nearby?

Good pointer. Never assume Amazon has the best price. They often don't.

--Vic

"HeyBub" wrote in news:V-2dnehr_fYBZ53SnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

Sometimes you need to take the long view. 7 years at 3 hours/day is the "expected" lifespan. So each would use 7x3x365x20 watt or ~153 kWh. A real 70 watt bulb would use 536 kWh. At my 18 c/kWh that is a difference of $28 vs $96, if the bulbs would last the same time which they don't. So in the end the expensive buld is about 1/3 the cost of the cheap one.

They may not, but often items that qualify for free shipping makes up the difference.

Particularly on items where the shipping can run into the hundred$. Don't forget taxes, too. ;-)

The free shipping often makes up for a price that may be a few dollars higher than the cheapest advertised price. I have a hard time explaining that simple fact to a vociferous cheapskate I know. ^_^

TDD

got any data on power consumption vs time? Does the incandescent stay on all the time? If not, for how long? Total power consumption in each mode?

Why do I want instant on? Because I want to get on with it and probably won't leave it on long. Like in a closet where the lamp is on for 10 seconds at a time. Or the kitchen where it takes 15 seconds to stuff coffee in the microwave and push the button. Or in the bathroom where it takes less than a minute to pee. Or in the garage where it takes less than a minute to open the door, drive the car out and close the door. Or the laundry where it takes 15 seconds to check if the clothes are dry. Or ?????

So, it's an unreliable CFL with an additional part to fail and it's EXPENSIVE.

The instant-onness of CFL's has a bimodal distribution. There's the junk that can take a second to ignite and minutes to reach full brightness. Then there's the stuff that comes on instantly and is plenty bright from the start...and they're cheap.

Problem is finding the latter. The cheap lamps come from the lowest bidder. IF you find a lamp you like, the same make/model/partnumber/from the same store may not be the same.

I've been taking an adapter and testing the batch in the store at Home Depot. I'm sure they think I'm crazy, but the never refused to let me.

Do you honestly have to wait until a CFL gets to full power to put the coffee in the MW? Or to pee? Or any of those 15 second chores? Newer CFL's have about 75% power at turn on and that is quite sufficient to pee by. You may not like the lights, but your given reasons are quite silly. It is not like you have to wait half a minute to enter the room.

As for the coffee, you can do what we do. Under the counter is a fixture with an 18" fluorescent light. It is on all the time. We've had a small fixture in the kitchen for 45 years and the only time it goes off is when the power fails or it burns out after a few years.

I suspect the "unintended consequence" of the CFL that are slow to warm up, people will just leave them on 24/7, and that will destroy all the imaginary savings. Me, I leave the light by the main door on, all the time. And, it's a CF. I hvan't gotten around to leaving the under counter light on all the time, but I could.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

Under the counter is a fixture with an 18" fluorescent light. It is on all the time. We've had a small fixture in the kitchen for 45 years and the only time it goes off is when the power fails or it burns out after a few years.

We have a 9 watt tube over the sink that I try to leave on but one of the roommates is a vampire, shuns light and won't leave the darn thing alone. I come into a dark house at night and trip over something unless there is a LITTLE bit of light. It's a good thing I have at least one flashlight on me most of the time. o_O

TDD

I'm going to get some lighting photo controls so I never walk into a dark house because I never know what a roommate might leave in the way. o_O

TDD

Well, You snipped the entire question that I asked, then started disagreeing with examples of why you'd want instant-on.

I'll put it back here: got any data on power consumption vs time? Does the incandescent stay on all the time? If not, for how long? Total power consumption in each mode?

If the incandescent part draws much current and stays on for very long, it negates the power saving for light durations that are short...which is why you'd want them anyway.

My point was intended to be...we already have CFL's that meet the turn-on needs of ANYBODY. Problem is identifying them in the store.

I find the CFL's that take a second to do anything to be very disconcerting. You flip the switch and nothing happens. Logically, you understand, practically, it doesn't really matter, but emotionally, my mind notices that something is not right and starts diagnosing the problem. It's a double-take moment. I'm totally disoriented for about a second.

I light my house with three 2W LED lamps that are on all the time. I have one in the kitchen so I can warm up the coffee... One in the bathroom so I can recycle the coffee... One in the living room where I drink the coffee and joust with newsgroup denizens. Life is good... There are times when I turn on a CFL, but it's not a big percentage.

Oh, gosh, they would LOVE that. Never get a moment's peace after that. Even if you took the clapper out.

Night lite in a nearby socket solves that problem.

Harry K

Ok, these measurements were taken with a cheap clamp on amp meter.

GE specs the bulb as 20 watts, I'm measuring 30 watts. Obviously I have a measurement error. Power factor? I dunno.

The questions have to do with power consumption, not why you want instant-on. I figure they are a different concern.

Good questions about energy, but they do not address the question of instant on.

I think most every brand comes on now, but they may take 15 seconds to get to full brightness. Some people complain about that, but in the scheme of life, it is not a big deal. You can find you coat in the closet and start to pee under less than full brightness.

I've experienced that with old bulbs too, but quickly got used to it. I still have one fixture like that in a little used section of the basement where the oil tank is. Probably will last another 15 years as it is used once or twice a month.

I expect to change to LED sometime too, but I've not found the need yet. It may be the best for my under counter kitchen light though. I should look into it. LED is the light of the future, at least in our lifetime.

Get a green LED nightlight.