… it’s a good idea to observe the recommended operating directions on those Compact Fluorescent Lights.
For the bulbs that don’t burst into flames when they fail, like this one…
You can take them to a local Home Depot in Canada for a recycling box. In Regina there is even a recycler for these bulbs.
It was a bulb I got for free from SaskPower for a giveaway promotion they had last Summer. So it didn’t even last a year. The exact “precautions” listed on the box say, “Do not use in luminaires controlled by a dimmer, electronic timers or photocells, totally enclosed recessed luninaires, or where directly exposed to weather.” I think they need an OR between enclosed and recessed. My bulb overheated simply because it was totally enclosed, even though it was not recessed into the ceiling.
I have a replacement CFLight bulb there now, and did not put the glass fixture over it.
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Annie | 20-Mar-08 at 9:37 pm | Permalink
The best buys are NOMA, a little more expensive, light up right away, are a little brighter. I have then enclosed in in 2 places (on the Ceiling ) and they did not do anything yet. I have had them for a year and a half now and still good.
jlr | 21-Mar-08 at 5:52 pm | Permalink
Maybe it’s the size of the enclosure. My bulbs are almost all enclosed, some in fairly small covers, but not like the one in the picture, and I haven’t had a problem. I also haven’t had to change one in almost two years. More research is needed, looks like.
Aurelia | 21-Mar-08 at 8:42 pm | Permalink
They burn out early and flame and cause fires even when they aren’t enclosed. Just be careful not to drop them….when they shatter you’ll never find all the pieces, and you’ll end up breathing in the mercury.
Nightmarishly dangerous things, I refuse to use them. As the technology improves I’m switching my fixtures to LEDs, so I won’t have to worry about these awful things.
Sean S. | 23-Mar-08 at 3:33 pm | Permalink
you would have to inhale a whole bunch of broken bulbs to even worry about the amount of Hg in them…..you want Hg inhalation have I got a story for you about a mine site, a stream, sampling said stream numerous times a year for three years and Hg evasion from that stream….
Aurelia | 23-Mar-08 at 9:00 pm | Permalink
Sean, I appreciate your point of view, but as a mom raising at least one child with LD—no amount of heavy metals are safe, ever. I simply can’t take the risk of them being anywhere near my kids or myself while pregnant. They shouldn’t be in our streams, our air, our mouths as fillings, or anywhere, so if I can avoid them I do.
I still think we should wait for LED technology to be more mainstream, good usable fixtures are at home depot now, just more expensive, if the govt would endorse them or promote them as much as they do CFLs, they might spread faster and become cheaper.
Nari | 12-May-08 at 8:01 pm | Permalink
Hi there
Thanks for putting up an image of the CFL and speaking specifically about “enclosed recessed” because the keywords I used to get here were “enclosed recessed luminaires” - as given in the Sylvania bulb carton. As a matter of precaution, in the past 2 yrs, I have always removed the enclosure cover and used the bulbs exposed to the room (a little glaring, but no big deal). Today I was thinking about enclosing one of them inside again, but I will hold off as of now. I am waiting for LED’s too. Thanks for being diligent about putting up images and details. :)
From State College, PA USA,
Saskboy | 12-May-08 at 8:03 pm | Permalink
You’re welcome Nari, hopefully my tip solves some problems with their bulbs.