What would Algore say?

Boomyal

Boomyal

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A green weenie I am not. Practical I am. In the course of our 20 year home refresh it was apparent that the outside lights had to go. They were ugly, the wife liked to leave them burning all the time and they went thru bulbs like nobodies business.

I went shopping for new fixtures and amidst the plethora of gaudy, over priced fixtures, my eye fell on a light design that came in three different sizes plus a fourth for a post or column mounted one.

I just got them installed and hooked up. We really like the design but the great part is that they are 13w flourescent with a seperate ballast (unlike the cheapy curlieque screw ins) and they are ambient light controlled.

This is sweet. Now we have four nice bright lites, totaling 52w burning all night long whereas each of their predecessors were 60w each. And because of the old light fixture design, they did not put out near the usable light.

P1000046.jpg


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..and yes, that is a firestove chimney you see rising above in the second picture. I am using carbon credits I received by going to outside flourescent light fixtures.:p
 
rolmops

rolmops

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Re: What would Algore say?

Al Gore would want you to join him in a group hug!!!!!
 
K

kenimpzoom

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Re: What would Algore say?

Being efficient makes sense, regardless of who advocates it.

I have floresent bulbs all over the house, including the two floodlights that shine on the front of the house all night.

Ken
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

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Re: What would Algore say?

my present partner is a light freek, everything in the house is on, day and night, went online an bought 50 13 watt floresent bulbs for $1.50 each. now i just leave them on. and i have a mercury light over the boats, so i can see who i'm aiming at if i hear something.
 
SS MAYFLOAT

SS MAYFLOAT

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Re: What would Algore say?

We converted awhile back. Did see a diff on the bill. The thing I like about them is that they will handle a bit of vibration. The ones by the garage door and entry door seem to always blow out and not last long. I haven't changed them for a year now. When the real cold frigid temps come, we just leave those two on all the time.
 
C

CJY

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Re: What would Algore say?

and, they will last forever. I have had one on by back porch for the last 4 1/2 years, my wife always has it on, it's the original bulb and is still burning. It is a wise investment.
 
O

ob

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Re: What would Algore say?

Decent looking fixtures.Only burning them all night instead of wiring in infra red motion sensors in south Texas nine months out of the year would result in untold numbers of flying insects crawling on and in every nook and cranny of the exterior and soffets.
 
SpinnerBait_Nut

SpinnerBait_Nut

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Re: What would Algore say?

They screw in where a regular bulb does or need to buy different sockets?
I must have one of the light blowinest, is that a word, houses on the planet.
Maybe just me, but seems like I go through a lot of bulbs.
I don't run any all night either.
 
Boomyal

Boomyal

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Re: What would Algore say?

SBN said:
They screw in where a regular bulb does or need to buy different sockets?
I must have one of the light blowinest, is that a word, houses on the planet.
Maybe just me, but seems like I go through a lot of bulbs.
I don't run any all night either.
Click to expand...

The bulbs for these fixtures look very similar to the now more common spiraled flourescent screw in bulbs (which you can now buy at wally world for considerably less than a dollar each) but they differ in two ways.

They have four pins instead of a screw in base and they do not have a self contained ballast. The ballast is a seperate cylindrical unit that plugs into the fixture first, then the bulb pins push into it. The ballast is bigger than you would get in the self contained bulbs so I am hoping that it is more durable.

I never had good luck with the screw in kind. They often did not last as long as incandescent bulbs in many of the locations I tried them. Looking back, I think it was probably the ballasts that gave out first.

Fortunately ob, we are pretty bug free out here in the PNW.
 
C

CJY

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Re: What would Algore say?

SBN said:
They screw in where a regular bulb does or need to buy different sockets?
I must have one of the light blowinest, is that a word, houses on the planet.
Maybe just me, but seems like I go through a lot of bulbs.
I don't run any all night either.
Click to expand...


You can buy the bulbs at any retail or hardware store to screw into a regular fixture, indoor or outdoors.

I have a regular old fixture on my back porch and mine has operated trouble free with a screw in type flourescent bulb. I am very satisfied with them.

It has been several years since I have replaced a bulb in my house, except for my ceiling fans. I have not found flourescents to fit them yet.
 
SpinnerBait_Nut

SpinnerBait_Nut

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Re: What would Algore say?

CJY said:
It has been several years since I have replaced a bulb in my house, except for my ceiling fans. I have not found flourescents to fit them yet.
Click to expand...
You must have them small teardrop shaped lights in the CFs.
 
B

Bass Man Bruce

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Re: What would Algore say?

SBN said:
I must have one of the light blowinest, is that a word, houses on the planet.
Maybe just me, but seems like I go through a lot of bulbs.
I don't run any all night either.
Click to expand...

SBN, check your line voltage, I had that problem and it turned out we were getting 140 volts!:eek: Power company wouldn't believe me so I had an elec. inspector check and verify. Turned out to be a bad transformer. Lotsa stuff that was on the fritz started working again!
 
B

billygull

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Re: What would Algore say?

Hey, if we can be environmentally friendly and save money, I say everyone's a winner!:)

~BillyRay~
That's 2, no more.
 
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Haut Medoc

Haut Medoc

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Re: What would Algore say?


No links to commercial sites there Billy Bob.....;)​
 
woodrat

woodrat

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Re: What would Algore say?

been using compact fluorescents for about 15 years... where I don't use cfs, I usually use halogens.
 
OldMercsRule

OldMercsRule

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Re: What would Algore say?

ob said:
Decent looking fixtures.Only burning them all night instead of wiring in infra red motion sensors in south Texas nine months out of the year would result in untold numbers of flying insects crawling on and in every nook and cranny of the exterior and soffets.
Click to expand...

Boom lives in God's Country: OB, He may not like the rain, (did we even have a summer this year Boom?), but tornados n' bugs n' hurricanes don't happen too often. The ol' ground may shake occasionally, (not as much as where I think Boom said he came from, farther down the Left coast n' all), n' occasionally ya may get a volcano crackin' off (the ash gererally heads East towards the rest of you folks).

That all said, I use the fluorescent bulbs in me bidness, (they burn 24 x 7), when I had the old style I was changin' bulbs all the time, (have not had one burn out since I change over about 2 years back). Me 'lectric n' gas bill runs $900 per month + or - so I have not noticed the difference, but I am likely savin' a few nickels too. Respectfully, JR
 
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