The hype behind fluorescent stuff is that the bulbs are expensive but they last so much longer.

My experience is that they don't last as long and for the last half of their life they either flicker like crazy or are dim.

On top of that, should they break, they piddle mercury.

For 20 years I have tried to be pro-fluorescent and now I think that has been in vain.

Should I just stick to incandescent? What are other alternatives? Has anyone had contrary experience to mine with fluorescent?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), December 14, 2001

Answers

if fluorescents go bad,,its usually the fault of the ballast going bad. They should last at 4 times as long as incondecent bulbs,, and the new compact ones are coated with plastic do when they break,, they dont "piddle" If your that worried,, then go with LED's,, they make them for everythign now,, use WAY less energy,, are kinda expensive,, but last up to 20 years.

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), December 14, 2001.

I haven't seen LEDs for "regular" house lighting, Stan. Sounds great; where do you get them? JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), December 14, 2001.

www.jademountain.com they have them,,just looked in the catalog to make sure

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), December 14, 2001.

When we built our house 3 years ago, we purchased as many compact fluorescents as we could afford and used incandescents for the remaining lights. Not one of those compact fluorescents has failed or flickered yet. On the other hand, I have gone through roughly 4-6 incandescents per fixture. I am a true believer in compact fluorescents, but like you I wish it was a little more environmentally friendly to produce.

-- David Nixon (david@vacationsinc.com), December 14, 2001.