It's Not Easy Being 'Green'

I agree with Kermit the Frog - It's not easy being 'green'. Hubby and I have been making a concerted effort to do our part for the planet, but we're discovering a couple pitfalls.

The big one for us is converting to compact fluorescent bulbs. Sounds simple, doesn't it? ... and it'll save oodles on your electric bill, right? (Not to mention that in a few years, there'll be no choice - traditional incandescent bulbs will go the way of the dinosaur by 2012 or so.) That is, of course, unless our so-called "friends" in Washington change their minds like they seem to have done with the conversion to DTV.

OK, so we started to make the switch in earnest about a year ago. At first, with great trepidation, we replaced the bulbs in the closets. "YECH!!! Those are so UGLY! - they're too BLUE!" (and blue is my favorite color, even). Off to Lowe's to try a different brand and wattage. Same song, second verse... "GAWD! these are so PINK it looks like a House of Ill Repute in this closet!"

After considerable searching, we found a color/wattage (Sylvania 3000 Kelvin) that was agreeable and almost-but-not-quite like an incandescent bulb (at least when hidden by a lampshade).

The first place we installed them was in a pair of brand new lamps that had cost about $250. These were "touch lamps" - you could caress them anywhere and they'd light up immediately - a great help first thing in the morning when you're stumbling half asleep from the bedroom through the pitch-dark living room to the COFFEE POT!

Guess what? The bulbs didn't work in the lamps. In fact, one of the lamps shorted out. Let me repeat - these were brand new lamps purchased from a reliable retailer. With the impending mandate for switching to CFL's, we assumed that the manufacturer would have indicated that they were NOT appropriate for the new bulbs in the product literature. Oh well, chalk it up to the old saying about assumptions - they make an A** out of you and me. We eventually purchased ANOTHER $250 pair of lamps that WOULD take the new bulbs and they're working fine, but it was an expensive lesson for a couple of folks trying to do the right thing on a really tight budget.

Then there's the issue of using the CFL's with ceiling fans that have a light kit and operate on a dimmer (or any other lights on dimmers). So far, despite asking questions, we haven't found any that will work on a dimmer used with ceiling fans sold just a couple years ago. And even if there are a few out there, you still have to cope with how gosh-darned UGLY they are! These twisty little buggers are taller than traditional bulbs and in a ceiling fan or a pendant-type fixture they may dangle their twisted bodies unashamedly into view. Not a pretty sight LOL!

And oh yes... if you live in the Midwest and intend these cost-saving gems for outdoor use, "Beware!" Their performance in cold temperatures (and I'm defining "cold" as below 40 degrees for you Sun Coasters) is shaky at best. If it gets below zero, these things will take until sunrise to warm up enough to shed any light.

Lastly, let me address the much-touted five-year lifespan.... HOGWASH! (at least in our experience.) The very first one we installed - in the desk lamp next to the computer, which is left on about 12 hours per day - lasted less than 14 months. Others have failed even under less demanding situations. We've taken to dating the bulbs when installling them to get some objective idea of how much is hype and how much is hokum.

So, to all I say "caveat emptor"... As you make the switch to CFL's, go somewhere where the bulbs are actually displayed LIT (Menard's has a good display if you have one in your area), and ask LOTS of questions - will the bulb really meet your needs? Be careful, too, if you're buying new light fixtures. Will they accept the new bulbs and function properly?

OK - that's my rant for today. In time, I'm sure techology and improved design will triumph and overcome my disgruntlement. But for tonight, I'm turning off the light ....