Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Californians! How's your supply of pre-ban lightbulbs?

January 1 is just around the corner. Look busy.
So long 100-watt incandescent light bulbs -- California is ordering them off store shelves starting Jan. 1 in an energy-saving move.

For now at the Home Depot in Redding, Calif., the bright orange shelves carry a wide selection of light bulbs. Compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen and light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs -- the energy-efficient choices -- dominate the aisle, but some incandescent light bulbs still linger.

On Jan. 1, the 100-watt incandescent light bulb will start to be phased out in California. By the beginning of 2012, they will be gone from store shelves.
Uncle points out that in the process, possibly as an unintended consequence, California has managed to outlaw the Easy Bake Oven.

It was probably a tool of the patriarchy anyway.

3 comments:

suek said...

Some of the bulbs will be left alone - try looking for 130Volt bulbs. I don't know if they'll still be available, but they might be. _Some_ of the "specialty" bulbs are still going to be available, I suspect. No doubt that the market is going to be a problem, though.

The major manufacturers have reduced wattage bulbs - Sylvania has a 100/90/ss, for example, and GE has their "Wattmisers" that are labeled as 100watts, for example, but are actually 90 watts. Perhaps those will suffice?

If you have a choice, though, get the 130volt. If you run them on the standard 120volt power most of us have, the life of the bulb is about 2-3 times the stated life. Reduction in light output is about 10%, and the color is a bit yellower.

Anonymous said...

Is there going to be a black market for 100 watt bulbs? At my last job,we used the 130 volt bulbs-they do last longer-side note; bulbs last longer in a vertical position..part of my last job involved changing a *lot* of light bulbs(the place had 7700+light fixtures),and this was something I noticed. If you're willing to put up with dim light,a 240 volt bulb on 120 will essentially last forever...I have a nightlight with a 240 volt bulb that's been on for almost 35 years, not counting moves and power failures. Some bulbs come in a 145 volt version-mostly low wattage jobs. Stock up now, if you need'em.

suek said...

Heh...

Anony...we had a customer who had brought bulbs back with her fixture from Europe. 240V. When the bulb burned out, she wanted to replace it with the same "warm glow". We stock 240v and 277V bulbs, but not in the decoratives she wanted for her chandelier!