ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 6, 1996 TAG: 9602070002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: At Home With Technology
SOURCE: DAVID BUTLER
Q: When I went to the hardware store to buy some replacement bulbs for my outdoor floodlights, the clerk told me they were no long being manufactured. What's the deal?!
A: What happened is the National Energy Policy Act of 1992. Enacted to save natural resources and reduce energy consumption, EPACT sets dates after which certain types of inefficient lamps can no longer be manufactured. For PAR-type spotlights (parabolic aluminized reflector), the date was October 31, 1995, although some stores may still have inventory. A
Fortunately, you won't have to scrap your existing fixtures - high-efficiency replacement lamps are available. By far, the most common is the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). Those sold as direct replacements for incandescent lamps have an integral ballast (power converter) and a base that screws directly into a conventional fixture socket.
Fluorescent lamps are far more efficient than incandescents because of the way they produce light. An incandescent lamp uses electricity to super-heat a metallic filament, not unlike the way an electric range or space heater operates. Fluorescent lamps are a bit more complicated:
The lamp tube contains mercury vapor gas. A small electrical charge ionizes the gas, causing it to give off ultraviolet light. The inside wall of the tube is coated with rare-earth phosphors that glow brightly in the presence of UV light. Fluorescents produce, on average, four to five times as much light per watt as an incandescent lamp. Furthermore, they last at least ten times longer!
For this reason, fluorescent fixtures have long been used in stores, offices, factories and schools, where monthly electric bills are usually measured in the thousands of dollars. And because they produce so little heat, cooling bills are lower as well.
At home, fluorescent fixtures have long been relegated to kitchens and laundry rooms. Most people find fluorescent light to be harsh and unflattering. Not so anymore, thanks to improved trichromatic phosphors. If you prefer the warm color of an incandescent, a fluorescent tube or CFL with a color temperature of about 2700 degrees and color rendering index of 82 to 84 will seem quite natural.
Because one-piece CFLs are somewhat larger than regular light bulbs, they won't fit certain fixtures, especially table lamps with narrow harps and small downlights. Fortunately, CFLs are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The latest models are noticeably smaller than their predecessors.
Some manufacturers are beginning to produce fixtures designed especially for CFLs. Those with a built-in ballast accept four-pin replacement lamps - a definite advantage from a cost standpoint. In the meantime, many CFL dealers sell replacement harps, "socket extenders" and other work-arounds.
Note that older model CFLs don't operate well outdoors in cold climates. Be sure to check the bulb's specified temperature range. Several companies have introduced amalgam-based CFLs with a wider operating range.
Finally, get ready for sticker shock. Compact fluorescent lamps can cost as much as $15.00! Get over it ... CFLs use so little electricity and last so long that your overall cost will be substantially lower. The best place to start is in fixtures that tend to stay on for several hours each day.
To receive a list of manufacturers and sources for compact fluorescent lamps and fixtures, please send $1.50 and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-550, Department TWN, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278-7927. The list includes toll-free phone numbers and a summary of each company's products. You'll also receive information on dimmable CFL fixtures.
Q: I understand that compact fluorescent bulbs cannot be dimmed. I'd like to use them in my restaurant to save energy, but I must be able to adjust the brightness. Any suggestions?
A: Special dimmers are available for certain types of fluorescent lighting; however, the adjustable range is rather narrow (the output becomes unstable at lower settings). I suggest you wait a few months. CSL Lighting has announced that it will soon introduce an extensive line of CFL fixtures featuring an affordable full-range electronically dimmable ballast.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Over its average life, a compact fluorescent bulbby CNBcosts much less to operate than an equivalent incandescent bulb.