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Re: CFL database



Another factor in this discussion is that most of these bulbs are not
approved for usage in certain fixtures at certain locations without
covers. Without further research I am not familiar with thee lighting
rules. It is only hearsay from electricians I deal with.


"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:477cd84f.610476156@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I've supplied tons of facts backed up by URLs. You have responded
> with
> nothing but ill-informed opinion.
>
> AFAIK, there are no mandated limits on the amount of mercury in
> fluorescents. It varies a great deal but, at bottom, the amount is
> directly
> related to bulb brightness, size and life. From the first paper
> cited below,
> it would appear that you can buy 4' straight tube fluorescents with
> about
> the same amount of mercury as CFLs are widely reported to contain.
> Those
> with green end-caps are low mercury. The second citation gives
> estimates of
> the mercury contained in various types of lamps.
>
> http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/research/mercury-bulbs.pdf
> http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/imerc/FactSheets/lighting.cfm
>
> That you have 4' fluorescent tubes in your garage while I have 18"
> fluorescents in one bath and circline fluorescents in the kitchen
> (and
> they've been there for 60+ years) does not affect the facts that
> there are
> billions more in use in commercial and industrial sites than in
> residential
> sites nor that if you or I or anyone else replaces an incandescent
> with a
> fluorescent, there's a net increase of mercury in our residences. If
> you
> continue to make the idiotic argument that that's not a fact, I
> won't waste
> my time with you.
>
> The federal government classifies fluorescents as hazardous waste
> and
> businesses are required to dispose of them accordingly. Many states
> and
> localities also require special handling to dispose of them even for
> residences.
>
> http://epa.gov/region09/toxic/mercury/lighting.html
>
>
> AZ Woody <reply@here> wrote:
>
>>Oh, come on..  you're back peddling!
>>
>>I have 4' flor fixtures in my house, and have had them for 20 years!
>>Lights over my workbench for example!
>>
>>Same "hazard" exists in my house, even without CFLs.
>>
>>"workshop lights" at HD or Lowes..  How many times have these been
>>involved with HASMAT type stuff that you've heard of?  Why are they
>>more
>>or less dangerous than CFLs in the home?  Provide proof and not just
>>spout your own opinion!
>>
>>I'll content that's there's MUCH more mercury in a 4' tube than a 15
>>watt CFL.  Do you not like CFLs as you resell incandescent bulbs?
>>That's the only sense I can see in your argument!
>>
>>Dave Houston wrote:
>>> AZ Woody <reply@here> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Lon wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Yes CFLs generate more light per watt, but have mercury issues.
>>>>>
>>>> Why are only CFLs connected with mercury in this discussion?  The
>>>> good
>>>> old 4' tubes have the same "issues" with mercury, and have been
>>>> around
>>>> for decades!
>>>
>>> But the bulk of straight tube fluorescents are used in commercial
>>> or
>>> industrial facilities where hazardous waste disposal or recycling
>>> is not
>>> quite the same issue that it is for households. And they've been
>>> used there
>>> for many decades so there's no new mercury aside from normal
>>> growth.
>>> Switching from incandescents to CFLs means a net increase in
>>> mercury.
>>>
>>> I've taken a cue from the "environmentalists" who claim they buy
>>> nebulous
>>> carbon offsets to counterbalance all of their trips by plane. I
>>> insist that
>>> my electric utility only supply me electrons generated from
>>> non-coal burning
>>> plants so I'm not causing any increase in mercury. ;^)
>>>
>>>> Back, 20+ years ago, we had a guy (knowledgeable) at work that
>>>> used to
>>>> yell at people for turning off the overhead flor lights  at
>>>> midday, and
>>>> then turning them back on at the end of the day (we got dark at
>>>> 4pm in
>>>> the winter).  "it takes more power to turn these lights on than
>>>> it takes
>>>> to keep them on all day!"
>>>
>>> I was taught that, too, in Air Force electronics school in the
>>> late '50s. I
>>> think it was more myth than fact as the inrush current isn't that
>>> high and
>>> doesn't last very long. There is a significant effect on bulb life
>>> but even
>>> there the actual time was on the order of don't turn it off if it
>>> will be
>>> off less than 20 minutes. And things have changed significantly
>>> since then.
>>> The latest high efficiency electronic ballasts can even be used
>>> with
>>> occupancy sensors.
>>>
>>>> Just never get cut from a piece of broken glass from a 4' tube if
>>>> you
>>>> don't want to have a medical issue - yet how many times over the
>>>> decades
>>>> have you heard about this happening to anyone?
>>>
>>>
>>> http://davehouston.net  http://davehouston.org
>>> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/roZetta/
>>> roZetta-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> http://davehouston.net  http://davehouston.org
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/roZetta/
> roZetta-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




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