With the trend of energy conservation shooting to new heights along with our technology, occasional re-evaluation is necessary. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs for short) may last longer, be more energy efficient, but there are some things many people don't know about them.
Price versus Cost to Operate
CFLs are getting much more affordable as time goes on and the process becomes streamlined. At the time of this post, they cost about $2.50 or so for an average 13 watt bulb. Due to their low wattage, they are becoming much more popular. About 20-25% of a home's electricity usage comes from lighting, and when you go from 60 watts to 13 watts, that is a dramatic change to your electricity bill, which is about 21% difference in lighting alone.
Mercury
As wonderful as it sounds to have a much lower cost to operate, CFLs are notorious for containing mercury, a poisonous metal. Most CFLs also contain argon gas, phosphor, and titanium dioxide, none of which are nearly as bad as mercury. The mercury found in these bulbs are is often times vaporized, and when the glass breaks, it can be seen as a powder. They can contain as much as 5 milligrams of mercury per bulb.
Disposal
While the idea of cleaning up a poisonous mess of mercury can be daunting, it is doable. Many packages for CFLs do not include the necessary procedures to clean up. You need a pair of cleaning-grade gloves, duct-tape, plastic zipper baggies and a box. Put on the gloves, stick down the duct tape to the powder and glass, cut it off and drop it into the zipper baggy. Repeat as much as necessary, but do not use a broom - you will disburse the dust even more and possibly inhale it. Do NOT throw it away - take it to a local recycling center.
Other Options
If CFLs sound too dangerous to you, here are some other options for lighting, and while some may be too expensive, they are much safer alternatives.
Incandescent
The tried and true incandescent light bulb may not be cost effective in the long run, but they do not contain mercury. Unfortunately, they are to be phased out and may not be available in the future due to government mandates.
LED
LEDs are more expensive, but contain no mercury, and are also brighter, come in far more colors, and are cooler to the touch. They also use around 6 watts for the same light you would get out of a 40 watt bulb. This is less than even CFL bulbs, and the process of making LEDs has been around for much longer.
Halogen
These are more expensive than the LEDs. They are much brighter and have more power than all other lighting options, but are primarily used on vehicles, outdoor lighting and construction lighting. Halogens use similar wattages to their incandescent counterparts and also produce a lot more heat due to how they work.
What do you think of CFL bulbs?
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