• Seven ways to get the most from your CFL
• Common Myths about CFLs
• Compared to incandescent bulbs
• Trouble-Shooting - What should I do if my CFL is:
• Frequently Asked Questions about CFLs
• CFL Killers

Seven ways to get the most from your CFL:

Do not use standard CFLs in fixtures controlled by dimmers.Unless your CFL specifically states that it is rated for use with a dimmer, it can burn out in days or weeks.Even if you leave the dimmer switch up all the way, it will still shorten the life of an ordinary CFL.
Look for bulbs that are specifically designed for use with dimmers.

Do not use standard CFLs in recessed cans and air-tight enclosed fixtures.CFLs are more sensitive to heat than ordinary bulbs.Unless your CFL is specifically rated for use in air-tight enclosed fixtures and recessed cans, the heat build-up will harm the electronic ballast and can dramatically shorten its life.
Read the fine print.Only use CFLs that specifically state that they are for use in enclosed fixtures.
Buy reflector-type CFLs for use in recessed fixtures.

Avoid jostling and vibration.CFLs in fixtures that are subject to regular or strong vibration will have a shorter life.

Avoid excessive on-off cycles.A CFL usually has about 7,000 on-off cycles in it.It’s up to you how you use them.Repeated on-off cycles (more than 20 per day or in motion sensors) will shorten the life of your bulb.

Make sure your wiring is in good shape.Wiring problems such as a loose neutral or inadequate grounding can cause low voltage or voltage fluctuations which can shorten the lives of CFLs.

Do not use CFLs in fixtures exposed to damp or wet conditions unless they are rated for that application. Most CFLs can be installed in outdoor fixtures if they are in a properly enlcosed fixture, well protected from rain, snow and moisture. Otherwise, look for bulbs rated for damp or wet locations.

Common Myths about CFLs:

Myth 1: It takes more power to turn a CFL on than to leave it on all the time.
Reality: It is not true that switching on CFLs use more power than operating them for short periods of time. The initial start-up, or surge of electricity, is infinitesimal and only lasts for a millisecond. You'd use much more energy by keeping the light on when not in use. However, frequent switching (more than 20 per day) of CFLs does shorten their lives. The bottom line: turn off a CFL whenever you no longer need the light.

Myth 2: CFLs have dangerous levels of mercury in them. Aren't we trying to get rid of mercury in our environment?
Reality: CFLs contain elemental (metallic) mercury, but it is a very small amount -- about 5 milligrams -- sealed within the glass tube. This is equal to the amount that would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury. It would take 100 CFLs to equal that amount. More information is available on the EPA website.
Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40 percent of the mercury emissions in the U.S.Coal-fired power plants release the elemental mercury that naturally exists in coal into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. While most of City Light’s power comes from hydro, we often must buy extra power to meet winter loads and this power may come from coal.Under regulations the EPA issued in 2005, mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants will drop by nearly 70 percent by 2018.

The use of CFLs reduce power demand, which helps reduce mercury emissions from power plants. When CFLs are properly recycled, even less mercury is released into the environment.

It’s right to be concerned about the disposal of CFLs, because mercury is not released unless the bulbs are broken. (If a CFL breaks, your greatest risk is getting cut from glass shards and not from the very small amount of mercury.) Many broken bulbs in landfills can result in elemental mercury leaching into ground water where it is converted into methymercury and may eventually make its way into fish and shellfish. Eating fish and shellfish high in methymercury can cause serious health effects especially in fetuses, infants and children. Energy Star's web site on mercury (.pdf format)

Visit www.takeitbacknetwork.com for a list of places that will recycle your CFLs.You can also take them at no cost to City Light’s North or South Service Centers, King County’s Household Hazardous Waste sites, Home Depot stores, or IKEA.

For more information about the different forms of mercury and their health effects, visit http://www.epa.gov/mercury/effects.htm

Myth 3: CFLs are harmful to my health.
Reality: It is suggested that fluorescent lights cause headaches, rob the body of Vitamin B and can cause seizures. This perception dates back to when fluorescent lights first came into being in the 1940's. At that time, the phosphors (white coatings on the inside of the glass tubes) were very primitive and gave off an unnatural and unpleasant bluish-green color causing people to look jaundiced or sick. The old-style tubes also produced excessive glare that prompted some people to squint and get headaches. And the ballasts were magnetic which caused the lights to flicker at 60 Hz (cycles per second). This just-barely perceptible flickering was annoying to some, and was blamed for headaches and seizures, although this effect was never proven. Today's fluorescent tubes and bulbs are vastly improved. State-of-the-art rare earth phosphors show true colors and natural skin tones. And flicker is totally eliminated with new electronic ballasts that operate as high as 20,000 Hz.

Myth 4: CFLs don't save money because my heating system has to work harder to produce the lost heat I would have received from my regular incandescent.
Reality: The heat lost when switching from an incandescent to a CFL has a negligible effect on your heating system.The heat that emanates from incandescent bulbs tends to hang up near the ceiling, and has little effect on your thermostat.But Seattle City Light, when setting its energy-saving amounts, does take into account the very small fraction of time that a heating system may have to come on to make up the difference.

Myth 5: The rated life of a CFL is how long I should expect mine to last.
Reality: When CFLs are tested, rated life is determined by the number of hours at which half the bulbs in the testing sample burn out.So rated life is actually an average, not the minimum life you can expect.Even under identical operating conditions, one may last longer and another shorter.It’s possible that out of the dozen or more CFLs you install in your home, some may not last the rated life and others may far outlast it.

Comparing CFLs to Incandescent Bulbs

Trouble-Shooting – What should I do if my CFL is:

Flickering – CFLs made in the last year or so should all come on instantly without any flicker. If your CFL flickers, it may be installed on a fixture that is controlled by a dimmer or photo cell, too close to another electronic device such as a TV or computer or on a circuit with voltage problems.

Too dim – Light from a CFL comes out equally from the entire length of its tube. It is more diffuse or even light. But the light from an incandescent comes from the tiny filament inside the bulb. This is called a "point source". When looking directly at it, it seems extremely bright with a strong glare. So even if your CFL has the same number of lumens as your old incandescent, the way the light is coming out of the fixture may look dimmer. Try the next higher wattage. See also Answer to Question 7.

Burning out too soon – See our list of CFL Killers

Broken –- See EPA's web site on how to clean up.

Giving off an unpleasant color – All CFLs with the Energy Star label are required to have very high color rendition, or to show true colors.If your CFL is giving off a greenish or pinkish hue, it may be an older model CFL or not have the Energy Star label.Replace it with a new Energy Star labeled CFL.

Taking too long to come to full brightness –-All CFLs, especially reflector types take some seconds to come up to full brightness.This is done purposefully to extend the life of the ballast.It is normal.

Frequently Asked Questions about CFLs

1. When under a lamp shade, less light travels down to your task; for instance when you are reading or knitting. More lumens go up from the shade. That's why we recommend using a circular fluorescent bulb for use under a lamp shade when you need task lighting.
2. After about half of the CFL’s life, light output can decrease by as much as 25%. But if you buy an Energy Star labeled CFL, it must lose no more than 10% of its total light output at 40% of its rated life.
3. Most CFLs take 15-30 seconds to come up to full brightness. Reflector bulbs can take even longer.

Q 8: When my CFL recently burned out, it smelled funny and smoked. Are these bulbs a fire hazard?
A 8: For some CFLs made before 2005, this was due to the CFL overheating causing the epoxy glue that holds the glass tubes to the base to melt, smoke and turn black.
Overheating is caused when the glass tubes are roughly handled (when screwed into a socket by holding the glass tubes for instance), the vacuum inside the tubes is lost and oxygen comes into contact with the tungsten filament at the base of the glass tube (the filament assists with bulb start).
It is not the plastic base that is burning or melting, as it's a high temperature lexon material that is UL approved as a material appropriate for high heat (although it will darken when exposed to high heat.)

This problem has no been corrected in newer bulbs by installing a temperature sensitive cut-off switch inside the base that immediately shuts down the bulb if there is any increase in temperature.

Q 9: I don't want to buy any CFLs that are not made in the US. What brands are those?
A 9: There is only one CFL manufacturer, Lights of America, whose bulbs are assembled in the US. But many of their parts come from off-shore. All the major brands, Sylvania, GE, Philips, Maxlite,Westinghouse, TCP, Feit, Greenlite, Satco and Globe to name a few, have their bulbs made off-shore. In fact, most all of the products we buy or consume come from outside the US. Buying only CFLs with the Energy Star label assures you they have met very strict quality standards, regardless of their country of origin.

Q 10:These bulbs sound a major hassle. Why should I bother using them?
A 10: CFLs do not work well in every application, but there are even more places where they will work well. Once you find the right places to put them, you can forget about them for 5 years which is how long they'll last if on an average of 3 hours/day. Not only that, you'll have the same amount of light for 75% less cost!

CFL Killers

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