Comments on: Why We Got Rid of Our Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

By: KN

KN — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:38:32 +0000

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.

By: Shirley

Shirley — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:46:26 +0000

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.

By: Meadowlark

Meadowlark — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:08:56 +0000

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.

By: Jo

Jo — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:43:26 +0000

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!

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:10:12 +0000

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!

By: RP

RP — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:04:25 +0000

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.