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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000>Hi Folks:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000>Yes, my experience is very similar. My
earliest CFs were from Panisonic (perhaps made in Singapore?) that I bought in
the early nineties. They all died in the past 18 months or so; my Home
Despot replacements (since I have built an office and added more) are burning
out within about 2-4 years. Sad, sad, sad.... but we can only do the
best with what we have.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000>A couple years ago at Solwest (in John Day,
OR), there was a booth there selling AC LEDs. They were quite
expensive.....but I suspect it will be as CF's were nearly 20 years ago.
Ya gotta spend money on the technology if you want it to go
on.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000>Chris Daum</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000>Oasis Montana Inc.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000>406-777-4309</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=411490902-10122008><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000><A
href="http://www.oasismontana.com">www.oasismontana.com</A>
</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Todd
Cory<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:58 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
RE-wrenches<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] CFL lighting and the mercury
hazard.<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><FONT size=+1><FONT face=Arial>Sad to hear the QC on the modern
el-cheapo CF lamps is so poor that they do not last. I guess the $25.00 Osram
Dulux ones I am still using after 20+ years weren't such a big expense after
all. I have had several customers all panicked about the supposed mercury hazard
in CF lamps and appreciate Dan Fink's posting which mirrors my own
feelings.<BR><BR>Todd<BR><BR><BR></FONT></FONT>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">Woah, everyone. Slow down. <BR><BR>Snopes is indeed a
great resource. However, they, like nearly every media article cited,
completely miss the point. Compact Fluorescent bulbs contain no more mercury
than do regular tube FLs, which have been in use in homes and offices for
decades. The disposal recommendations are no different. Ask any office
building custodian--the mercury warning is printed on the base of most larger
length T8s. <BR><BR>Proper disposal is needed for ANY broken FL or CFL--and
has been for decades. <BR><BR>As far as LEDs -- the reason LED lamps don't
make much heat is because they don't make much light, either. Lumen-per-watt
figures for LEDs still lag far behind FL or CFL. Yes, yes, there have been
recent announcements from LED companies -=- but take these all with a grain of
(metallic, heh heh) salt. Many of these figures take into account only
luminous efficiency, NOT real-world <B class=moz-txt-star><SPAN
class=moz-txt-tag>*</SPAN>total<SPAN class=moz-txt-tag>*</SPAN></B>
efficiency. AND, the high-efficiency ones are not generally available in room
lighting products yet -- they are available only as discrete LEDs. <BR><BR>LED
lamps are extremely directional. They work fine for close-up task lighting.
But I have yet to see any LED lamp suitable for area lighting, like a living
room. I have installed and tried many, for myself (first) and for customers.
The usual response, after dark, when they see the lighting of their living
room, is --"You've got to be kidding me. I paid $300 for THAT awful lighting?"
<BR><BR>Give it a few years, and LEDs will be everywhere. But right now, they
are very marginal at best: <BR>T8 FL = up to 95 lumens per watt <BR>f40T12 FL
= up to 65 lumens per watt <BR>CFL = up to 60 lumens per watt <BR>White LED =
most ranging from 24 to 45 lumens per watt. Some have reached 90 lumens per
watt -- but are so far only available as discrete components, not massed
together in commercial lighting fixtures. <BR>100w Incandescent = up to 17
lumens per watt <BR><BR>*Again, be VERY careful of LED lumen per watt claims.
All the above numbers are actual efficiency, not luminous. Most companies that
manufacture LED home fixtures do not measure light output correctly. Contact
me off-list if you want more info on how to actually measure efficiency.*
<BR><BR><BR>REF: <BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp</A>
<BR>Don Klipstein: <BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext
href="http://members.misty.com/don/light.html">http://members.misty.com/don/light.html</A>
<BR>And almost every other page on his website. <BR>Me: <BR><A
class=moz-txt-link-freetext
href="http://otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting.html">http://otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting.html</A>
<BR><BR><BR><BR>DAN FINK <BR>Technical Director, <A
class=moz-txt-link-freetext
href="http://www.otherpower.com/">http://www.otherpower.com/</A>
<BR>Co-Author, "Homebrew Wind Power" <BR>ISBN 978-0-9819201-0-8
<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><!--[endif]--><O:P></O:P></SPAN>
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