BS: New light bulbs safety

Subject: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 01:36 PM

Text re safety below but this link may grab your attention and make you read and save the text. WARNING : GRAPHIC IMAGES (I had to turn away quickly)




Energy-efficient bulbs are more technologically advanced than traditional incandescent bulbs, but they are usually still made of glass. This makes them breakable, and when they do break, they are more dangerous than incandescents. The risk depends on what type of bulb you are dealing with. Compact fluorescent lights contain a small amount of mercury, which can be toxic if it enters your body (see References 1). LED lights have been found to contain arsenic and lead, also at very low but potentially toxic levels (see References 2). Halogen bulbs may be dangerously hot, creating a fire hazard (see References 3).
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL)
1
Clear the room of all people and pets, and don't let anyone walk through the area where the bulb broke.
No Matches Found. Please try your search again.
2
Open all windows, and then leave the room for at least 15 minutes before attempting cleanup. Shut off the central air system, if you have one. This will allow any potentially hazardous airborne chemicals to dissipate without reaching the rest of your home.
3
Scoop up glass shards with a piece of cardboard or stiff paper. Place the shards and the paper in a sealable plastic bag or a glass jar with a metal lid. Use duct tape or other sticky tape to pick up smaller fragments, and put the tape in the jar or bag as well.
4
Remove and throw away any clothing or bedding that came in direct contact with the broken glass or the powder inside the bulb. If clothing or bedding was exposed to vapors, but not the actual material, it can be washed. If shoes came in direct contact with the bulb or powder, wipe them with a damp paper towel and place the towel inside the jar or bag with the bulb fragments.
5
Seal the bag or jar, and place it outdoors in a trash container or protected area.
6
Vacuum the floor if necessary, keeping the windows open and forced air turned off. Remove the vacuum bag or empty and wipe the canister. Place the vacuum contents in a sealed plastic bag.
7
Contact your waste management company to ask about compact fluorescent bulb disposal. They may allow you to dispose of the bulb with your garbage, or may direct you to a recycling center.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
1
Put on protective gloves, such as rubber gloves, and a protective mask or cloth to cover your nose and mouth (see References 4).
2
Follow the cleanup procedure for a fluorescent bulb, using a broom in place of a vacuum.
3
Dispose of the broom, gloves and mask, preferably in a sealed container (see References 4).
4
Contact your waste management company to ask about disposal guidelines for materials contaminated with lead and arsenic. They may allow you to dispose of the bulb with your garbage, or may direct you to a hazardous waste center.
Halogen Bulb
1
Take immediate action if your halogen bulb shatters while in use: Prepare a fire extinguisher and have all people and pets leave the room. The glass fragments are extremely hot and may cause a fire if they come into contact with flammable materials (see References 3).
2
Allow several minutes for glass fragments to cool before attempting cleanup.
3
Sweep up glass fragments with a broom or a stiff piece of paper, and dispose of them with your garbage. Halogen bulbs do not contain mercury and are safe to touch once they have cooled (see References 5). They do not need to be treated as hazardous waste.
Things You Will Need
        Stiff paper or cardboard
        Glass jar or sealable plastic bag
        Damp paper towels
        Vacuum (for compact fluorescent cleanup)
        Rubber gloves (for LED cleanup)
        Protective face mask (for LED cleanup)
        Broom (for LED cleanup)
        Fire extinguisher (for halogen cleanup)
Tip
•        The instructions for disposing of compact fluorescent lamps also apply to all types of fluorescent bulbs; high intensity discharge bulbs, which include metal halide, ceramic metal halide, high pressure sodium, and mercury vapor; mercury short-arc bulbs; and neon bulbs (see References 6).
References
        Energy Star: Cleanup and Disposal Guidelines for Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs); June 2008
        ACS Publications: "Environmental Science and Technology"; Potential Environmental Impacts of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs); Seong-Rin Lim et al.; December 7, 2010
        U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; FOIA Request S607068; Aug 28 1996
        "UC Irvine Today"; LED Products Billed as Eco-Friendly Contain Toxic Metals, Study Finds; February 2011
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Cleaning Up a Broken CFL
Resources
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Recycling and Disposal After a CFL Burns Out

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 01:40 PM

I also read an article over a year ago about a woman who lost her right arm from wounds on her hand from a broken CFL light bulb. The damn things are far more life cycle costly than the light bulbs we have had for years. Big $ get laws passed that are just plane 'wrong'.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST,JotSC
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 02:15 PM

Not withstanding all the toxic crap that these so-called eco-friendly bulbs contain, they do not perform as advertised. We are told that these lights last 8-10X longer than an incandescent bulb...it is barely 2X as long in my experience.

Several years ago I bought about 40 4-packs of incandescents, various wattages, at a buck a pack, in preparation for the ban. Still working wit them.

John

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 02:51 PM

I am gradually switching most fixtures over to LED lights. Especially the ones that tend to be on longer, like the small table lamp in the hallway in the evenings, the sunroom light that is left on so if I come home after dark it looks like someone is already here, etc.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 02:57 PM

My experience is that they are short-lived, very expensive, and hard to dispose of.
We use old type incandescents in reading lamps because we prefer the "color" of the light, it seems easier on the eyes.

Bulbs are still available in our supermarkets in 60 and 100 watt sizes. Mexican-made last longer than those from the Philippines.

Toxicity- Mercury is heavy, and is difficult to pick up completely; it will be almost impossible to clean from cracks or grooves in flooring.

We cannot eat fish from some Alberta Rivers (or amounts limited) because of naturally-occurring mercury in the water. Pregnant women are advised not to eat mountain whitefish, especially from The Bow and North Saskatchewan Rivers and the streams that feed them (and some other rivers and lakes).

Mercury can also be broken down to almost molecular size, so airborne mercury is a problem in some areas.

I remember school days when we would swipe mercury from chem lab storage, and smear on pennies to make them look like silver.
I don't think we got enough to seriously "damage' ourselves, but later, in research labs, we were very careful with the large quantities that were used.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 04:13 PM

I've stockpiled hundreds of 'normal' light bulbs which should see me out!

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 04:33 PM

100w are scarce as hen's teeth here.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 05:35 PM

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp

That's what Mrs Snopes has to say.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 05:44 PM

Mrs. Snopes is one fucked up bitch if she thinks losing an arm or a foot is a minor detail.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 06:42 PM

There were fluorescent bulbs (the long ones) that caused blood poisoning if any of the stuff (powder) inside the bulb got into your blood stream.

Firefighters are concerned about that stuff on fire scenes because mercury boils off at 675 degrees F and flashover occurs between 600-700 degrees F.

Four/five months back people on Mudcat were lauding the new bulbs. Nothing has changed in the interim. As a light bulb they are supposed to be really good. Just don't break any in your house.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 06:46 PM

I have read that better mercury-free bulbs are being developed.
Have to read up on them.

I don't like halogen, although I have a halogen lamp to illuminate some objects for photography. The lamp is very hot in use.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Rapparee
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 06:59 PM

I just today replaced a CFL. I unscrewed it and put it with the other stuff to take to the hazardous waste collection the first weekend in May. We collect our hazardous waste over the winter/during the summer months and get rid of it that way. Can't figure out how to get rid of the C-4 though....

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Noreen
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 08:17 PM

gnu, there is no evidence that there is any risk of "losing an arm or a foot" after breaking or even stepping on one of these bulbs: see this snopes article:

Internet-falsehood

In April 2012 these photographs were circulated as part of a Salisbury [Maryland] Fire Department training newsletter. The Salisbury Fire Department denies authorship of the piece and admits to having been hoaxed, saying:
Although attempts were made to verify the validity of the information, initial Internet searches provided no compelling evidence to dispute the information. We now believe that the information we used as the basis for our April 2012 Newsletter was an Internet-falsehood which started circulating numerous years ago and had an ulterior motive and purpose.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/photos/medical/cfl.asp#7iIRsfCqeBq3lt7f.99

These scary pictures ring alarm bells in me- they are typical of internet hoaxes aimed at getting attention for people with ulterior motives.
(The pictures are probably of a case of necrotizing fasciitis,a bacterial infection, not something caused by exposure to mercury.)


Please check stuff you find on the internet before believing it!

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 08:27 PM

Please check stuff you find on the internet before believing it!

Ah, but then he wouldn't get to be all indignant and puff and blow and flail around and bloviate.

Probly kill him.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 08:30 PM

I bought a few, because I thought they might be good. Aside from the mercury and recycling PITA, the light doesn't seem to be very bright. I may try LEDs, but I stockpiled some incandescent bulbs.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 14 - 08:54 PM

"Can't figure out how to get rid of the C-4 though...."

Burn it.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 02:42 AM

I have an old friend (even older than me!) who lives in sheltered housing. It's obligatory there to use these new light bulbs and it's horrid. They give a strange greenish, eerie light, and she swears they smell peculiar, although I haven't noticed that. Also, they take a while to warm up, which IMV is a bit dangerous for elderly people going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. They can't see by the dim glow and may trip and fall. In our house we only use one traditional 60Watt bulb in the hall, and small 25Watt bulbs dotted about everywhere else. So we aren't exactly gobbling up the planet's electricity.
We used to pinch small globules of mercury from the Physics lab at school. It's fascinating stuff, and we weren't aware of its dangerous nature. We'd pop some in the pockets of our cotton gingham uniform frocks. No doubt we were contaminated with it.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Ed T
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 09:24 AM

mercury and broken cfls 



from 1926 

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 10:10 AM

Environment Canada...

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/consumer-consommation/home-maison/cfl-afc-eng.php?_ga=1.136474168.924744188.1397397599

•        If you break a CFL, follow these directions for clean-up:
o        Leave the room
        Remove people and pets from the room and keep them out of the room during the clean-up process.
        Avoid stepping on any broken glass.
o        Ventilation
        Ventilate the room for at least 15 minutes prior to starting clean-up by opening windows and doors to the outdoors. This will ensure that mercury vapour levels are reduced before you start cleaning.
o        Clean-up Directions for Hard and Carpeted Surfaces
        Do not use a vacuum to clean up the initial breakage, as it will spread the mercury vapour and dust throughout the area and may contaminate the vacuum.
        Wear disposable gloves, if available, to avoid direct contact with mercury and to prevent cuts.
        Scoop or sweep up the broken pieces and debris with two pieces of stiff paper or cardboard. Do not use a broom.
        Use sticky tape, such as duct tape or masking tape, to pick up any remaining fine glass or powder.
        Wipe the area with a damp paper towel, cloth or disposable wet wipe to remove any residual particles.
        Place the broken glass and clean-up materials in a glass container with a tight fitting lid to further minimize the release of mercury vapour.
o        Carpeting - Steps to Take After the Initial Clean-up
        If the rug is removable, take it outside, shake and air it out for as long as is practical.
        The first time you vacuum on installed carpet after the clean-up, shut the door to the room or close off the area as much as possible and ventilate the room in which the lamp was broken by opening the windows and doors to the outside. When the vacuuming is done, remove the bag, wipe the vacuum with a damp paper towel, cloth or disposable wet wipe, and then place the vacuum bag and paper towel in a sealed plastic bag outside. In the case of a canister vacuum, wipe the canister out with a wet paper towel and dispose of the towel as outlined above. Continue to ventilate the room for 15 minutes once the vacuuming is completed.
o        Disposal
        Immediately place waste material outside of the building in a protected area away from children.
        Dispose of the waste at a household hazardous waste location as soon as possible. Check with local, provincial, or territorial authorities about the requirements for recycling and for the location of household hazardous waste depots or pick-up.
        Do not dispose of the waste in your household trash.
        For further information on disposal, please contact Environment Canada.
o        Washing
        Wash your hands after storing and disposing of waste.
•        Additional Information
o        Remove and install the CFL by handling only the base of the lamp to prevent any unnecessary pressure on the glass that may cause it to break.
o        Consider using a drop cloth when replacing a CFL to minimize the chance of breakage should the lamp fall or to protect the flooring and assist in clean-up should the bulb drop and break.
o        Store fluorescent lamps in containers that prevent them from breaking, such as in their original packaging.
o        Consider avoiding the use of CFLs in areas where the lamps may be easily broken.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: pdq
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 10:51 AM

The US economy has been in the toilet since 2007, the year that the incandescent light ban was passed.

Essentially, all of the LED bulbs and most of the CFL bulbs are made in China. Old Edison-style light bulbs were made in the US, probably by union workers who are being forced onto unemployment by the government's asinine actions.

Its not the whole reason, but all the small insults to our economy add up.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 11:09 AM

Ain't that the truth. Death of a Thousand Cuts.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Megan L
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 01:16 PM

Fear wont kill you. It just stops you LIVING

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Greg F.
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 01:30 PM

'Taint fear- just that some folks aren't happy unless they have something to piss and moan about, and when they don't have something real, thaey make something up.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 01:44 PM

RTI International will market its nanofiber light technology in 3-5 years. No mercury.
Use your old incandescents until their development is on the market.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Megan L
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 03:07 PM

Greg why do you feel the need to be nasty so often

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: pdq
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 03:41 PM

Greg why do you feel the need to be nasty so often?


He/she/it has nothing else to say. Nasty is all there is to he/she/its act.

The quesion is why some turd like "The F Word" has been allowed to post for a decade or more against the explicit rules of conduct posted for Mudcat.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 03:45 PM

You've just gotta love 'Environment Canada':
Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu - PM
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 10:10 AM

Environment Canada...

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/consumer-consommation/home-maison/cfl-afc-eng.php?_ga=1.136474168.924744188.1397397599

•       If you break a CFL, follow these directions for clean-up:
o       Leave the room
       Remove people and pets from the room and keep them out of the room during the clean-up process.
       Avoid stepping on any broken glass.

Does that mean if it's anything other than a CFL it's alright to step on broken glass?
I'm surprised they didn't remind the householder not to stick their fingers in the now vacant light socket.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 05:04 PM

Shower of born idiots. We'd be stuck with smelly tallow candles if your great great granparents had their way. Gas light - fifty years of carbon monoxide. Incandescent light - eighty years of profligacy- more heat than light by several hundred percent. Better than open gas flames perhaps. Compact fluorescent - of course they're made in China, you won't buy anything that's 20p more expensive than the cheapest in the cheapest store, so responsible manufacturers go bust. LED - well, at least they don't contain a few milligrams of mercury, but that isn't your fault is it?

Let's start again. Society went wrong when Newcomen discovered how to make power from fossil fuels. Backtrack to there, and tell us how it should be done.

Newcomen?? Who's he. I hear you ask.

Born idiots.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 05:21 PM

"I'm surprised they didn't remind the householder not to stick their fingers in the now vacant light socket."

Doh. How else will you know whether the power is on or not?

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Greg F.
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 05:44 PM

Greg why do you feel the need to be nasty so often

Sorry if stating the facts plainly and forcefully is viewed as being nasty in your world.

My bad.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 05:50 PM

What I find strange is when anyone posts something about safety (or anything else, for that matter) and having a number of trolls and piss-on-its arrive and attempt to tell the OP and everyone else why they are brain-dead morons who obviously didn't research the topic. You assholes don't even have the common decency to contribute without shitting on the OP or the subject or trying to tell all and sundry how superior you are to the rest of us. Even if we are wrong and you can prove it, you idiots can't simply set us morons straight... you have to shit upon us. Me rant and rave in retaliation and self defense of myself and others? Of course I do... at you assholes with no manners. Why, if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be a gnu.

So. If you wanna use a light bulb that, if broken, requires you to open the windows and run away... fine. My OP was simply to inform people of the proper procedures for running away and avoiding a certain and horrible death. I sincerely hope all the trolls and piss-on-its who break one of said bulbs close the door and the window of the room and inhale deeply.

Oh, yeah. Until then, fuck off.

PS... sorry, Megan. I shall say three Skelps and a Hail Mary or two.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Greg F.
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 05:55 PM

tell all and sundry how superior you are to the rest of us.

We wouldn't dare, gnu- that's YOUR job.

the proper procedures for running away and avoiding a certain and horrible death.

Jaysus. Get a life. Then, follow your own advice & fuck off.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: pdq
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 06:18 PM

gnu was right in posting warnings about the CFL.

One small CFL can pollute 6000 gallons of ground water to a toxic level.

It was asinine for the federal government to ban the incandescent bulb (2007 AD) when there was no good alternative.

If the story is energy wasting, work on heating houses first. The other minor items will eventually work themselves out.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: gnu
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 06:36 PM

Greg... I am certainly superior to you. It's obvious. I have read your posts and I know what I posted and your posts are less than worth reading in comparison to mine in almost every instance. I really can't understand why you don't slink away with your tail between your legs whilst avoiding eye contact. Obviously, you haven't even taken the time to apprise yourself of Mudcat rules or common decency in human communication. When I told you, amongst others, to fuck off, did you not understand that I was within not only reason but actual decorum, save the profanity (which, I use in order to ensure everyone, even you, understands unequivocally)?

I didn't start this spat but I will finish it. You are out of line... period. If you had half a clue, you would apologize like a gentleman.

(Yo! Jeri! Sorry. You know me. I just can't ignore assholes. I mean, the only way is to never post again. And then, without attempting to tell people of safety hazards like CFLs, Greg might die of mercury pois... hmmmm.)

Greg... my sincerest apologies. I have been ALL wrong. The new light bulbs are great. Thanks for setting me and the rest of the world straight. I suggest you get all new CFL bulbs. The more, the better.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Greg F.
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 06:40 PM

Abslutely right, PeeDee-

Just think of the fiendishly prolonged and agonizing deaths suffered by thousands every time one of the old-time mercury thermometers (which contained many times the amount of mercury in a CFL) was broken - its enough to wring the heart.

Ditto electric heating thermostats & mercury switches & on & on.

CFL's are undeniably the end of civuilization as we know it.

Don't get me wrong- I think the law was stupid, I think CFLs are over-rated, I think the light they give off stinks, and I resent being forced to use a product that contains toxic chemicals.

But get a grip, will ya? and knock of all this insane alarmist shit.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Noreen
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 08:04 PM

gnu, sorry but you didn't just 'post something about safety', you circulated an inflammatory internet hoax which you would have found to be so if you had performed an elementary check using Google.

I object to being labelled a troll, or worse, for pointing out that you had not researched the post you were circulating, so it seemed likely you had done little research on the topic at all.

I say again, and not just to you,

Please check stuff you find on the internet before believing it!

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Greg F.
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 08:29 PM

Greg... I am certainly superior to you. &etc

Fascinating rant, gnu. You post a load of absolute crap and then get upset when people - not only me - call you on it, and then you have the nerve to say that I'M out of line. And this is hardly the first time you've gone off the same rails, its a habit with you.

You really are a sorry piece, aren'yt you?

But thanks for substantiating my posts of 13 Apr 14 - 01:30 PM and 13 Apr 14 - 05:55 PM Appreciated.

Now, go back and re-read Noreen's posts too, OK.

Then, re-read your rant while looking in the mirror.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Janie
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 10:07 PM

Could we please - just once - have a thread that stays about the topic of the thread instead of the personality conflicts among some people?

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Janie
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 11:16 PM

After reading this thread I went and did my own research. The instructions gnu posted are pretty consistent with all sites I read about what to do if a cfl is broken. What is inflammatory is the implication that one will lose a limb due to mercury poisoning.

Mercury is highly toxic but won't cause one to lose a limb or cause necrotic rot of animal tissue.

There is significantly less mercury in a cfl than in a thermometer. Florescent lighting has been around a long time. It is good to know how to best deal with a broken florescent bulb and the potential for mercury poisoning.

You are not likely to die if a cfl does break and you fail to clean it up properly, nor are you likely to go 'mad as a hatter' from the amount of mercury contained, and then released by a broken cfl.

There is significantly less mercury in the new cfl bulbs than there is in the long tube florescent lights that most of us have worked under in offices for many, many years, and that most of us in older homes have over our kitchen sinks, and perhaps some bathroom sinks and counters.

I would have worded it much differently from guest, but if one can get beyond the intentionally insulting language, s/he is essentially correct. Everything comes with costs and benefits.

For me, when my son was young, the risks of having a mercury filled thermometer to take his temperature when he was ill did not outweigh the risks of not being able to monitor his temperature.

Many people do not like or can not adjust to the different quality of light provided by cfl's or led lights.

Not liking the quality of light is a separate issue from risk of toxicity.

Certainly, if weighing potential poison toxicity is one's only criteria for weighing the costs and benefits of cfl's, then one should avoid cfl's at all cost. For myself, I tend to weigh many factors in my own cost/benefit analyses. Just me, doesn't imply that if others don't there is something wrong with their paradigm. It is simply different from mine.

I have been in school or later worked where florescent lighting was the norm for 57 years. Have lived in houses with at least some florescent lighting for 50 years. In that time, I remember exactly 1 florescent tube breaking. Incandescent light bulbs are much more prone to breakage if knocked or jarred than are cfl's, but don't pose the hazard of toxicity if they do.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned that might be a factor with cfl's and their much longer life, is that there is a greater chance that moisture caused rust or corrosion could make it more difficult to unscrew the bulb when it does burn out, and that could increase the chance of breakage.

In the fwiw department, I started using cfl bulbs 5 years ago. None of them have burned out yet. Will say that I am one of those folks who only turns a light on when I really need it, and promptly turns it off when I don't really need it. Probably much more conservative in my usage than the average householder.

gnu, I appreciate the reminder regarding the hazards of florescent lights and how to deal with breakage. Knowledge that there is something more hazardous than simply broken glass when one does break hovered in the back of my mind but it has been so long since been so long since I was exposed to a broken florescent light that I had forgotten exactly what the hazard is and how to deal with it. Since I now have more florescent lighting in my home, the odds of breakage, while still slim since I don't have a kid or a crazy cat, are higher than they were when all I lived with was 1 or 2 florescent tubes.

Thanks for the reminder and I will be printing out instructions on what to do if one does break.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Janie
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 11:19 PM

Have no clue what I did to cause the crazy line spacing. Sorry.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Janie
Date: 13 Apr 14 - 11:46 PM

And didn't proof read beyond noting the weird spacing that I couldn't fix in preview. Sorry for the redundancy.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: artbrooks
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 10:05 AM

The safety issues have been over-covered above. Happens I agree with Janie, but I have no great interest in proselytizing. When they burn out, and they do occasionally, just handle them exactly like a fluorescent tube. If they break, the shards of thin glass are a lot more dangerous than the very small amount of mercury they contain.

As far as the quality of the light and longevity are concerned, I'm satisfied with CFLs I put them in throughout my house when I bought it 13 years ago (the prior owner had removed most of the bulbs), and most of those are still going strong. The technology has changed over the past dozen years and they are now available in smaller sizes, different lumen ratings (for 'warmer' light, light that emulates daylight, etc) and in dimmable and fan bulbs. Most are now instant-on...I suspect that the lady in the nursing home's actual problem is very cheap managers who won't replace the 1998-vintage ones they got on a closeout sale.

Still don't want to go to CFLs? Buy LEDs instead, which have no known or imagined dangers. They are more expensive - rather like CFLs were when they first came out - but they are supposed to last 2-3 times longer than a CFL.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 10:16 AM

I find the new low energy bulbs light reasonably fast, give a tolerable light, and last quite well. When they stop working I throw them away.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 10:29 AM

I'm having a quiet smile here. A thread about light bulbs, and people start getting a bit stroppy. Even the f*** word. That's Mudcat!

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST,Ed (ison) T
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 10:35 AM

""I'm having a quiet smile here. A thread about light bulbs, and people start getting a bit stroppy""

I have an idea - oops, the light just went out.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 11:35 AM

The Renaissance version of it is doubtless

1. Fart wildly to drive the miasma and malaria away
2. Summon you neighbourhood alchemist to convert the quicksilver to pure gold
3. Pay the gold to your local parson for prayers for your soul.

Subject: RE: BS: New light bulbs safety
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Apr 14 - 01:12 PM

"When they stop working I throw them away" Richard Bridge-

Illegal to put them in your rubbish in Washington and some other states.
They must be disposed of in hazardous waste sites.
In Manitoba (other provinces?), Rona stores accept them for disposal.

Here in Calgary, they are accepted at fire halls, for hazardous waste disposal.
www.recyclinghotline.ca has a list of stores and other sites which accept them for disposal. London Drugs chain is one.

Canada has no overall rules, but there is federal consideration of measures to limit the amounts of mercury in bulbs. Plans are to prohibit sale of older type bulbs in 2014.