What’s up with the new fluorescent light bulbs?

Environment-friendliness and economy are the two main arguments in favor of fluorescent light bulbs as opposed to the traditional bulbs. The fluorescent bulbs are friendly to your pocket in several ways: they can be used up to ten times a longer time than the “normal” bulbs, and the amount of emanated warmth is smaller, therefore there is less air conditioning necessary, which is significant mostly for large offices. Another fact is that the fluorescent bulbs use only one-third of the energy usage of the traditional bulbs, which is good both for the Earth and also your pocket.

by caveman92223

Working as a Toronto real estate professional, I’m always looking for quick and easy tips to make my lifestyle a bit more Earth-friendly. Most customers are not experts and may feel that the selection of fluorescent light bulbs is very wide, making it very difficult to pick the right one. In order to help you choose while shopping for light bulbs, we have summed up some easy guidelines for you.

The perfect light bulb for you

The fluorescent light bulbs are produced in all types, forms and dimensions, so it would be easy to choose one that doesn’t fit. In order to prevent this, you should take your old bulb with you to the store and match it with the available assortment. You will only need one-quarter of the original wattage (60 watt traditional bulb = 15 watt fluorescent bulb). If you need a bulb for a dimmer light, make sure your new bulb works in these – it should be mentioned on the packaging.

The right place

Think about the place where you are going to use the new bulb – if it is too warm with no or little air circulation, the fluorescent bulb won’t be a good choice here (for example in recessed ceiling fixtures). It is also important to take into account the fact that the fluorescent bulb needs one to three minutes to start functioning fully and it is not good to turn it on and off too often. Thus the best places for an environmental bulb are those where you don’t need to turn the light on and off too much and it can stay on for the minimum of 15 minutes, so that the light bulb can function properly and lasts longer.

When you no longer need the bulb

Fluorescent light bulbs should be recycled at all times. The fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, a dangerous heavy-metal. If broken, do not vacuum. Do not touch with bare hand and first remove bigger pieces with a cardboard. Then apply some sticky tape to remove the remaining tiny bits and wipe the place with a wet cloth. It is also a good idea to open the window in the room for at least 15 minutes so that you prevent mercury poisoning.