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My First Bush Bulb

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By Gus Van Horn from Gus Van Horn,cross-posted by MetaBlog

On my last trip to Wal-Mart, I inadvertently did something I swore I'd avoid until it was absolutely impossible: Purchase a "Bush Bulb".

How? These sickly, twisted mercury-infused votive candles of the Church of Global Warming are impossible to confuse with incandescent Edison Bulbs, right?

Right, unless they come disguised as real light bulbs and you're in a hurry.

We have an odd back room off the kitchen where I keep my home brewing supplies, my roll-top desk, and, within some unobtrusive white cabinets, my tools. It's as close to a "man cave" as I've ever had. I have even hosted the occasional poker game there, hence we call it "the poker room".

Its main source of illumination is a flood light located in a recessed housing on the ceiling. With months to go before I head up to Boston to join my wife, the bulb went out and I added "Flood Light" to my Wal-Mart list.

As has been usual lately, I was in a hurry when I went there. The selection of flood lights was limited to a bunch of very expensive bulbs that touted how long they'd last.

I'm leaving soon. Why should I spend extra money on a bulb that will last for years?

But that's all they had and I needed light back there. I didn't want to waste time going on another trip for the sake of one bulb. Into the cart it went.

On returning home, the first thing I saw when I picked up the package of the bulb to replace the flood light was a Bush Bulb peering out at me from behind the lens of its Edison Bulb-like housing.

Damn. Had I purchased a Bush Bulb? The packaging confirmed that I was about to desecrate my man cave. The 15 watt bulb was touted as "equivalent" to the 65 watt bulb I was going to replace it with. It wasn't going to be my place for long and I'd get to see for myself what the light bulbs our government is about to force us to use really can do.

At least for this application, the bulb is not " equivalent". There is a seconds-long delay between when you turn on the switch and when you get light. When you do, the light is dim for a period of something like a minute or two. Apparently, this bulb has to warm up a little. This means I can't depend on it to give me light instantly if I need it. After it warms up, the light is similar-enough to what I had before that it will do, but the unnecessary delay would ordinarily make this bulb unacceptable to me. Were I not leaving soon, I'd replace it.

And were President Bush and Congress not intent on handing out marching orders in the name of "saving" "the planet", I would be free, from now on, to benefit from the knowledge that, as flood lights, CFL bulbs are inferior to incandescent bulbs.

But President Bush and Congress are not about doing their job, which is to protect the individual rights of the American Citizen. This is too bad, for if they won't permit us to make a simple decision like buying a light bulb, how else will they harm us down the road?

I can't trust them on small matters. And yet, they can compel me through force to do their bidding on large matters. This is the essence of what is wrong with American government today. This has got to change, but it will not do so until the people re-learn the importance of individual rights and the proper purpose of government. Only then will Americans demand a government that isn't so intrusive that it will screw them out of making the right decision even on something so simple as which light bulb to buy.

-- CAV310868921

http://ObjectivismOnline.com/archives/003710.html

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At least for this application, the bulb is <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> " equivalent". There is a seconds-long delay between when you turn on the switch and when you get light. When you do, the light is dim for a period of something like a minute or two. Apparently, this bulb has to warm up a little. This means I can't depend on it to give me light instantly if I need it. After it warms up, the light is similar-enough to what I had before that it will do, but the unnecessary delay would ordinarily make this bulb unacceptable to me. Were I not leaving soon, I'd replace it.

The florescent lamps I use take about 30 seconds to achieve maximum brightness.

Here is the good news. I have been using non-incandescent for over five years. I have saved about five percent on my electric bill (no big deal). The really, really good news is that I have changed only one glow lamp in the last three years. These bulbs do last a long time. I have several recessed light fixtures in my house and I have to get up on a step ladder to change them. Not a happy thing for me as I get nose bleed if I am off the ground more than three feet. So not having to scale Mt. Everest to change a lamp is good news for me.

I have no complaints with my non-incandescents. They are cheaper to own (they don't burn out nearly as often) and cheaper to operate.

The only incandescent lamps I have in my house are my flash lights run off of "C" and "D" batteries and the little bulbs in my microwave oven and refrigerator.

ruveyn

Edited by ruveyn ben yosef
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I've been using compact fluorescents, spiral-shaped, in my bedroom for the past five years. The spirals screw-in the regular socket, but most of the bulb ends up outside it, therefore they provide more illumination (I use "warm white" bulbs, which are essentially the same as yellow incandescents). Before I'd used 75 watt incandescents. The ones I use now consume 25 watts and provide light equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent. So more and better light for less power consumed. I out some 15 watt bulbs elsewhere in the house. The electric bill went down a bit.

But the part I like is I don't ahve to change bulbs every few months. Usually I don't replace more than one per year, sometimes not even that much. It's great being able to read late into the night without having a light bulb die on you. The only complaint I ahve is thet most bulbs int he amrket are "cold white" light, and sometimes I can't find the "warm white" kind. The "cold" type is too white and too harsh for comfortable reading.

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Our contract electrician has a mate who swears by LED lighting. Apparently the savings sums for it leave even fluoros for dead. AND, they're instant full light, AND they (if set up for straight-swap) can be put into standard dimmer circuits. One can even get industrial-grade floodlights using LED's, now.

I've still to do some more research on this myself, though the one thing that the sparky told me was to avoid Made-in-China like the plague because for now Chinese LED's are still hideously unreliable. The ones made elsewhere have no such problems, he said. That is just hearsay, but I have no reason to doubt this guy's judgement so be sure to ask the salespeople about reliability if you're investigating LED at the hardware store.

JJM

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I have no complaints with my non-incandescents.

Even the fact that you'll now be forced to use them?

I made the same point to Gus on his blog, and he responded with the same retort. The fact that consumers will buy them for specific reasons without coersion is exactly the reason legislation to make them the only choice is unwarranted, and wrong.

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Even the fact that you'll now be forced to use them?

I made the same point to Gus on his blog, and he responded with the same retort. The fact that consumers will buy them for specific reasons without coersion is exactly the reason legislation to make them the only choice is unwarranted, and wrong.

I voluntarily use the "bush bulb" for many applications. I'd prefer the LED ones now that you mention them--provided their light looks the same (it generally looks "gray" to me in the flashlights I have; I know that doesn't make more physical sense than dim white, but nonetheless they look "gray") as incandescent, or at least as close as my "bush bulb" does.

I do not like being FORCED to use the "bush bulb" however.

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I agree that nobody should be forced to use whatever bulb. The fact that the government even thinks its their place to say is laughable. However, I have been using CF bulbs for about 6 years now and I would never use anything else. Especially since I STILL am using some of the bulbs I bought 6 years ago! As far as the article above - yes there is a "warm-up" period, but it's barely even noticible to the eye unless you are really looking for it. This person makes it sound like when you turn on a bulb, you can't see anything for 30 seconds. This is simply unture - the light comes on instantly. I can't stand people who are constantly bad-mouthing CF bulbs because is most cases, they talk as if they have never even seen or used one. Everything this guy says above sounds like deliberate misrepresentation. And the fact that I save about $30 a month on my electric bill says a lot too since I don't care about the environment, all I care about is me keeping more of my money.

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On returning home, the first thing I saw when I picked up the package of the bulb to replace the flood light was a Bush Bulb peering out at me from behind the lens of its Edison Bulb-like housing.

[...]

Were I not leaving soon, I'd replace it.

So you actually kept and installed it? I would have smashed it on the floor right there, mercury or no mercury!

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Even the fact that you'll now be forced to use them?

I have been using florescent lights for -years- and totally voluntarily. I save money and the bulbs last longer. Just because someone passed a stupid law does not change the benefits I receive which is what I am interested in. My overall costs are reduced with no sacrifice in the quality of illumination. I will not give up using these lamps just because of a stupid law.

Suppose some insane legislature passed a law requiring everyone to have vitamin C in their diet. Should I give up including this beneficial substance in my diet just because the law is wrong? Surely not. Avoiding scurvy is a benefit law or no law. I would fight the law (in so far as a citizen can oppose such a law) but I would not give up including vitamin C in my diet.

My first consideration is to do that which is beneficial for -me-. I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face just because of some dumb law.

ruveyn

Edited by ruveyn ben yosef
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I bought a pack of eight "Bush bulbs" last year. They have all burned out and been replaced with "real" Edison bulbs. Don't care for them. I saw no benifit to the trade off, and I didn't like the light they threw off.

Edited by Maximus
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I have been using florescent lights for -years- and totally voluntarily. I save money and the bulbs last longer. Just because someone passed a stupid law does not change the benefits I receive which is what I am interested in. My overall costs are reduced with no sacrifice in the quality of illumination. I will not give up using these lamps just because of a stupid law.

Exactly.

Of course mandating the use of fluorescents is wrong. But the characteristics of fluorescents are unrelated to the wrong-headed law mandating their use. if anything I'd worry what the effect of such laws will be in the next gneration of light bulbs. LED bulbs consume even less energy and last much longer. I've no idea about their cost, though, or their quality. I've seen only a few and all of them for use in flashlights or camping lanterns. And who can guess what might come up next?

Thing is compact fluorescents don't do too well in the marketplace against incandescent bulbs. They're expensive, the most common kind gives a different quality of light (as mentioned before), some require special sockets rather than the universal screw-in kind. As for the mercury content, it is too small to worry. I broke one in my room once. I let it lie broken, opened the windows and let the room ventilate for a while. Then I picked the debris up and threw it in the garbage. What savings they offer depend on how you use electricity. And low-quality fluorescents don't last long enough to be worth the price; so buy quality brands like GE, Phillips or Sylvania rather than generics or, worse, store brands made in China.

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I bought a pack of eight "Bush bulbs" last year. They have all burned out and been replaced with "real" Edison bulbs.

I find this VERY hard to believe. Maybe one due to a fluke - but if I'm not mistaken, most CF bulbs are waranteed for 5 years. I use several DOZEN CFs in my house and have NEVER had one burn out yet after years of use, and many of them are on constantly. I even use them in my outside lights on my house and those are on every night non-stop from dusk til dawn.

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I find this VERY hard to believe. Maybe one due to a fluke - but if I'm not mistaken, most CF bulbs are waranteed for 5 years.

I believe it, because it's happened to me. I got a six or wight pack from Costco some years back. One's still operationel, the rest burned out between six months and two years. I've replaced them with quality brand bulbs, which have lasted much longer.

The incandescent light bulb is an exceedingly simple device. A simple resistor (the filament) encased in a glass bubble filled with an innert gas or nitrogen. the complexity lies in the mannufacture (and that's become so efficient it made light bulbs very cheap.) CFs are more complex. You could think of them as illumination machines without moving parts, if you will. Making them is also more difficult and complex. Therefore even low-qaulity CFs are expensive compared to low-quality incandescents, but both are likely to be short-lived and/or defficient in other ways.

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I believe it, because it's happened to me. I got a six or wight pack from Costco some years back. One's still operationel, the rest burned out between six months and two years. I've replaced them with quality brand bulbs, which have lasted much longer.

The incandescent light bulb is an exceedingly simple device. A simple resistor (the filament) encased in a glass bubble filled with an innert gas or nitrogen. the complexity lies in the mannufacture (and that's become so efficient it made light bulbs very cheap.) CFs are more complex. You could think of them as illumination machines without moving parts, if you will. Making them is also more difficult and complex. Therefore even low-qaulity CFs are expensive compared to low-quality incandescents, but both are likely to be short-lived and/or defficient in other ways.

A good CF lamp lasts so long that it compensates for its higher purchase cost. And it also consumes less electricity. On balance the CF lamps win. I have had to replace only on CF lamp in the last three years. Sounds like a winner to me. I object to the law that compels people to use this product, but I do not object to the product.

ruveyn

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I find this VERY hard to believe. Maybe one due to a fluke - but if I'm not mistaken, most CF bulbs are waranteed for 5 years. I use several DOZEN CFs in my house and have NEVER had one burn out yet after years of use, and many of them are on constantly. I even use them in my outside lights on my house and those are on every night non-stop from dusk til dawn.

You can choose to believe or not. I went through all eight bulbs in one year. Why would I misrepresent my experience? What possible motive would I have to do so? I wouldn't give you a plugged nickel for the damn things. And I didn't notice any energy savings whatever.

I'm stocking up on incandecents, and will be working with my Senator and Congressmen towards overturning this insane restriction on incandecents.

Here's a tip: If you want longer lasting incandecents, buy 130 volt contractor bulbs. they have much heavier filaments and globes, and I have one in my kitchen fixture that is ten years old.

Edited by Maximus
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