Monday, March 16, 2009

CFL Bulbs: Good or Bad

There has been a lot of talk about CFL’s lately. Some people are totally for them while others feel they are worse than the traditional incandescent because they contain mercury.

It is true compact fluorescent bulbs do contain mercury, but it is a very small amount. The mercury is contained within the glass bulb and none of it is released when the bulb is on or off.

The important part is making sure you dispose of them properly. The disposal process is when issues arise if they are going to. You can find more information about CFL bulbs, clean up guides, and proper disposal location at the Energy Star website.

There are tons of facts about CFL bulbs on the Energy Star website. For example did you know CFL bulbs use 75% less energy and last up to ten times longer than a standard bulb? Or that they save $30+ over the course of the bulbs life, produce 75% less heat and are now made to fit just about any fixture in your home.

In my opinion CFL bulbs offer many benefits which make the extra disposal steps worth it. Just make sure if you do make the switch you also take the time to learn about proper disposal methods and find a drop off location near you.

Matt and I decided to make the switch last year and replace our regular bulbs as they burned out; at this point our whole home has been converted except the basement.

What do you think about CFL bulbs and what are you using at home?

1 comments:

Wendy said...

I've been switching over as bulbs go out, too. We've got recessed lighting in every room in the house, so it's a lot of bulbs. But because it takes a while for the lights to fully light, I've been leaving one "regular" bulb in each room (strategically located) so that I'll have more light when I first turn the lights on. And we have seen a good sized dip in our electrical bill!