Why We Got Rid of Our Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
A couple of years ago we made the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs in all of the light fixtures in our house. Our electric company had been enthusiastically promoting compact fluorescents for months in their newsletters, including offering rebate coupons for anyone purchasing a certain brand of these bulbs. The environmentally-friendly aspect of the compact fluorescent bulbs, and the promises of how much less energy this type of bulb would use, were intriguing, and we thought the bulbs were a really good idea… then.
We were a little surprised when our bulb changeover didn’t change the amount of electrical energy we were using. We even joked that our electrical usage had actually increased just after we switched the bulbs (it had), but we still liked the idea that we were doing our part to save the environment. It didn’t take long before people who knew we had this type of bulb started telling us about news reports they had seen or read about how dangerous exposure to the mercury in these bulbs would be if one of the bulbs happened to break. For several months we dismissed all of this as just another exaggerated news story… after all, the electric company had not mentioned any concerns, and there was nothing on the bulb packaging to indicate that these bulbs needed to be handled any differently than any other bulb. Also, buying these bulbs for every light fixture in our house had been an expensive investment we didn’t want to lose. Then one day my mother told me about an especially disturbing article she had read, and in an effort to find facts to contradict that article, I started reading what the Environmental Protection Agency and state government sites had to say about the advised clean-up method for these bulbs. I did not like what I found.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection offers detailed information about cleaning up a broken compact fluorescent bulb. I think anyone who has these bulbs in their house should read these instructions, which begin with a warning never to use a vacuum or broom to clean up a broken compact fluorescent bulb.
So what is the recommended clean-up process? It involves opening windows and doors and immediately getting people and pets out of the area and staying out for at least fifteen minutes. Then some brave soul is supposed to come back into the room armed with two pieces of cardboard to scoop up the broken glass and “powder,” duct tape to pick up any smaller particles, and damp paper towel to pick up even smaller particles. All of the clean-up materials are supposed to be placed in a glass jar with a tight seal for disposal, marked as hazardous waste, and gotten out of the house to avoid further contamination. The brave soul should then wash his hands and face and clothing, and throw away any clothing or materials that came in direct contact with the contents of the broken bulb… while keeping the doors and windows open for several more hours.
The guidelines suggest that if breakage occurs on carpeting, homeowners might want to cut out that section of carpet, or if the carpet is not removed, windows should be opened the next several times the carpet is vacuumed. An additional study showed that even after the broken bulb has been cleaned up according to the recommended guidelines, visibly clean carpets and floors can still retain traces of mercury, and that no one knows what health effects these low levels might have.
The guidelines end with this statement:
“The next time you replace a lamp, consider putting a drop cloth on the floor so that any accidental breakage can be easily cleaned up. If consumers remain concerned regarding safety, they may consider not utilizing fluorescent lamps in situations where they could easily be broken. Consumers may also consider avoiding CFL usage in bedrooms or carpeted areas frequented by infants, small children, or pregnant women.”
It’s a decision everyone has to make for themselves, but we DO remain concerned… and we no longer have compact fluorescent bulbs in ANY of our light fixtures. We took them back to the special recycling center for compact fluorescent bulbs at the same home supply store we bought them from, and it feels good to no longer have something in our house that might break and create a hazardous waste situation. We expected an increase in our electrical usage when we went back to incandescent bulbs, but we have been keeping a daily record of how much electricity we have used since the first of the year, and the next day after the bulb switch, our electrical usage went down… and has stayed down the same percentage ever since. Nothing else had changed. Figure that one out…
Written by Shirley | Filed Under Frugality, Green Living, Personal, Simple Living, Voluntary Simplicity
Comments
Comment by EJ:
I knew about the mercury but was more bothered by my inability to dispose of these bulbs when they died.
On Federal facilities these bulbs are part of hazardous waste and are picked up for hazardous disposal. Use in the home (like other hazardous materials) allows us to simply throw them out with the trash. I had figured the mercury to be so minimal it was not as hazardous.. guess I was wrong.
Comment by Trixi:
Thanks for this info. we have broken one and I didn’t follow all of the recommended things. It worries me. I think I will be changing our bulbs too.
Comment by Stephanie:
I have read that the first cfl bulbs were very long lasting, durable and decreased electric use in a dramatic way. Not anymore. The reason – the bulbs are a victim of ‘made in China’ syndrome. The new bulbs are cheap & poorly made resulting in less burning hours and more fragile bulbs. We have had only one light last longer than a year and that is because it is a closet light. I only hope that the idea to outlaw regular bulbs never becomes a reality.
Comment by ChristyACB:
That is most disturbing! The ones I replaced are pretty much all ceiling fixtures and I haven’t put CFLs everywhere because the light isn’t as nice.
I’m thinking before I buy anymore that I’ll wait until the new No Mercury ones come out soon.
Comment by Aimee:
Start stock piling your regular bulbs now. Pres. Bush signed a law that by 2014 it will be illegal to sell or make incadensent light bulbs.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59298
Miss use of goverment power in my humble oopinion.
Thanks for the information, I had no idea.
Comment by Shirley:
I had already read this and sort of brushed it off at the time.
So, what bulbs do we use in their place? I hate changing light bulbs so often!
Comment by RP:
I don’t know about other states, but in the state of CA, many items (not just CFL’s) are considered hazardous waste and are not to be disposed of in the regular trash. This list includes: radios, cell phones, CD players, DVD players, tvs, batteries, etc.
According to the Department of Toxic Substances Control, California has adopted universal waste regulations for handling and transporting certain low-risk hazardous wastes. Universal wastes include televisions, computer monitors, computers and other e-wastes. The universal waste regulations also apply to other common wastes, such as fluorescent lamps, mercury-containing switches, and batteries.
Comment by Lynn:
We do not use compact fluorescents bulbs in our house either. I shared my frustrations with a rep at a “big box” store that our cf bulbs would burn out in about 2 months time. He told me that for a cf bulb to be a savings, it needs to be left on for at least 15 minutes so the ballast can warm up; by shutting the lights off right away, I was actually shortening their life span. Who knew? Since it is our habit to keep lights off, we are back with the standard bulbs. I think using a conventional bulb for 2 minutes is no more expensive than using a cf bulb for 15 minutes. We’re definitely in the conventional bulb camp!
Comment by Jo:
Thank you for this article. I had 2 of these bulbs in places that we used the light a lot. One was in the downlight section of our chandelier over the dining table! You may have saved us a terrible tragedy with our grandchildren’s health. I hate to think what damage might have been done.
One more reason not to buy anything from China!
Comment by Meadowlark:
I just heard (haven’t verified) on the radio that cfl’s are also dangerous when used in a dimmer-operated environment. Even if one doesn’t “dim” it, it still only runs at 98% or so power, and it causes overheating and perhaps a fire. I’ll go check and see if it’s true, you might want to do the same. Not that they make it easy for us to find anything out.
Comment by Shirley:
At the very least, I think, the packaging ought to include a prominent warning about the mercury hazard. And somewhere on the packaging there ought to be instructions for clean-up in case a bulb breaks. I can’t imagine why this isn’t already being done.
Comment by KN:
I have some of these bulbs in a ceiling fan over a table in the kitchen, where accidents are definitely possible. Had I known the danger that was lurking there (my favorite cookie-cutting spot with the grandkids), I would not have used these types of bulbs. I am going to remove these and safely dispose of them.
It is frustrating to try to do something positive for our planet and to lower power consumption, only to find out that something tragic could happen.
We read the package details and thought we understood them. We also noticed that these bulbs did not appear to decrease our electricity, nor did they last longer. Thank you so much for pointing out these important facts. I am going to urge my friends and family to read your column.
Please leave a comment!