SWAN Village-to-Village Messaging System: Re: florescent bulbs

Re: florescent bulbs

Posted by victor on 1/24/2008, 4:04 pm, in reply to "florescent bulbs"
65.74.42.218

They still contain mercury.Try switching your bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL).

WHY?
Because Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs are more efficient compared to incandescent bulbs because they donˇt produce heat, also they are energy efficient. Incandescent bulbs work by heating a filament inside the bulb which shines bright white, using 90% of their energy to produce heat. CFL bulbs work by energizing a gas that produces an invisible ultraviolet light. This light illuminates the phosphor white coating inside the bulb. In new CFL bulbs it takes less than a second for the electricity to ignite the gas inside the bulb and produce light.

Are Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs safe?
CFL bulbs require a small amount of mercury to help them start. The volume of mercury used in one bulb would only fill the size of the period at the end of this sentence, so it is not harmful to use CFL bulbs in your home.
Why is it important to buy lamps with the lowest mercury content?
Although a single fluorescent lamp contains only a small amount of mercury, so many of these lamps are used that their overall mercury content is very large. According to one estimate, 620 million fluorescent lamps are discarded annually in the US, releasing from 2 to 4 tons of mercury per year.
Energy Star Qualified CFLs: Energy Star qualified bulbs use about 75% percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Produce about 75% less heat, so theyˇre safer to operate and can cut energy cost.
What should purchasers look for when buying fluorescent lamps?
1. Energy efficiency
2. Long lamp life
3. Lowest mercury content
4. Vendor promotion of recycling
Advantages of compact fluorescent light bulbs:
刋 They use less electricity.
刋 They reduce air pollution (including sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and mercury)
刋 They reduce CO2 emissions.
刋 They give off little heat (making your home cooler).
刋 They last much longer (up to 7 years).
刋 They are cheaper in the long run.
刋 They can also come in dimmable and downlight versions.
Disadvantages of compact fluorescent light bulbs:
刋 Turning them on and off regularly (such as in a hallway) reduces their life.
刋 They contain mercury which needs to be re-cycled correctly
刋 They are more expensive than regular bulbs