The end of the incandescent light bulb?

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Guy Lavoie

Active Member
Here's an interesting story:

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/02/20/tech-bulb.html

Not that I particularily like incandescent bulbs, but a lot of X-10 switches don't support any other type of bulb, espcially if the switch doesn't require a neutral. Also, the compact fluorescent bulbs that are usually hailed as the replacement are not usually dimmable, and often are sources of noise that interfere with powerline protocols such as X-10.

Hmmm... I can see the headline already: "Aussie home automation junkie gets caught smuggling light bulbs!".

I just hope the LED bulbs become as developed and commonplace as CF bulbs before this happens here.
 
I can't see this happening. Where are you going to find a CF for your range hood, sewing machine lamp, or anywhere else the quartz, halogen or small inc. lamps are used?

I use alot of CF, especially for exterior lighting, but I can't see not having some inc. lamps.

How's the weather up your way Guy?

I sure hated it when DirecTV dropped CBC - or should I say CBC dropped off satellite.

John
 
I just bought a set at Home Depot to replace my regular floodlights, and guess what, the base is too thick and doesn't fit into the sockets. A coworker ran into the same issue with his set. They have a lot of things left to figure out. The cheaper ones also don't seem to last that long, I had one go dead within 2 years.
 
carry15 said:
How's the weather up your way Guy?
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Well, the cold snap is coming to an end and we'll be back to the usual 5 to 10 degrees below freezing for this time of the year. We also had close to a foot of snow a couple of weeks ago.


I agree with your comments as well as Electron's; LED and CF lights are far from being simple "drop in" replacements. And what about those fancy shaped ones that are meant to look like candles, flames or spherical (theatre-style)? And yes, some CF's are too chunky to fit certain fixtures. There's a long way to go before actually seeing the good ole incandescent light totally disappear.

But at least we can start futureproofing our automated homes by updating the wiring with neutrals in all switch boxes, etc.
 
Brrrrr- 5 to 10 below freezing :ph34r:

We hit 72 today, but we've had a colder than average winter and a terrible ice storm that ruined many trees in SW Missouri.

Speaking of LED lights, I picked up a Nuami (I believe) 7-watt Luxeon that runs off two rechargable CR123A batteries - this flashlight is unbelievable. See this eBay listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/7-Watt-Luxeon-Star-LED...1QQcmdZViewItem

This wasn't my seller, but it is the same light, with standard batteries.
 
The LED lights are excellent for emergencies or work lights etc.

FYI the top picture has Duracell Batteries and teh bottom Panasonic batteries. I have done some homework on these batteries and they are the same exact battery made in the same plant down south by Panasonic. The same battery is also sold under the name Varta. There is a huge difference in price though with the Panasonic name being the least expensive (since they make it).
 
I've given up on CFs for now. I've yet to have one last the rated time. In 5-10 years or so, i expect it to get better given all the attention they are getting.
 
Digger said:
The LED lights are excellent for emergencies or work lights etc.

FYI the top picture has Duracell Batteries and teh bottom Panasonic batteries. I have done some homework on these batteries and they are the same exact battery made in the same plant down south by Panasonic. The same battery is also sold under the name Varta. There is a huge difference in price though with the Panasonic name being the least expensive (since they make it).
Click to expand...
Hey Digger,

I work in the battery industry and what I've seen is Varta's batteries are rebranded Samsung cells. Varta does some testing to certify the cells past the usual manufacturer’s ratings (ie high and low temps, high discharge rates, etc) but do not manufacture cells other than a couple specialty sizes.

You are correct in Duracell doesn't make any rechargeable cells, they are just a alkaline manufacturer. There isn’t any American based companies that produce rechargables in any volume. The market is dominated by Sanyo, Sony, Panny, and LG.

--Jamie
 
I replaced all my recessed lights with CF ones. Only thing I don't like is the warm up time to get full brightness. As long as I have been using them, I have not had any die. I don't think they have been around 10 years to find out if they last that long. even if they have, the technology has changed and they seem to be a lot better now.
 
What kind of experiences have people had with dimmable CFs and X10? I've got a bunch of locations that have dimming wall switches that could use CF if I could find reliable ones that wouldn't blow themselves (or the switches) up. Not critical that they have full range dimming, just that they be able to tolerate it.
 
I have read that here in CT. They are toying with making old type bulbs go away with a 1 or 2 year sell the old stuff grace period.
I also have many 2 wire devices; as my older home was not made with a neutral in every switch box.
 
My dad bought 2 bulbs of one of the firsts CF brands in the market (I think) about 25 years ago an one is still working, while not at the same intensity. I should assume that those were high quality ones. I clearly remember breaking the other one with ball while playing with my brother. Could still be alive if it were not for us.

Now I have CF in almost every socket in my house (except bed rooms). just hope they last nearly as much.
 
My dad keeps the packaging, and if one of the bulbs goes dead he takes it back to lowes or HD where he got it and gets a new one. The only time I've ever seen him buy a new bulb in the last few years is when he put in a new light fixture.
 
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