Environmental Tuesday: A Dumb Energy Waster Story
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Becky |
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Green Design | 5 Comments
For the past few weeks I’ve noticed my air conditioning unit cranking and cranking and it just doesn’t seem to shut off or get very cool. At least not according to the thermostat. I’ve always hated the placement of the thermostat but haven’t gotten around to having it moved. Anyway, after two visits from the repair dude and about $160 later, I realized that the light bulb (a compact fluorescent) was throwing off the thermometer! That lamp has only been there for a few weeks. I knew that the thermostat should not be near an exterior door, but it took me weeks to figure this light bulb problem out.
Anyway, this mistake was so stupid, but I thought there might be someone else out there who had also made the same dumb mistake, and that I could save you a few bucks!
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August 24th, 2010 at 5:23 am (#)
are you sure it wasn’t the birds doing it?
who knew???
August 24th, 2010 at 8:36 am (#)
get an LED from Home Depot – cool temperature
August 24th, 2010 at 8:54 am (#)
Tasha, I’m just starting to learn the ins and outs of LEDs. I was kinda shocked at how hot the hideously ugly compact fluoroescent (I can never spell that word) gets. Do the LEDs give off a better light (I’m such a Soft Old School bulb girl – trying to be good about lightbulbs KILLS me!).
August 24th, 2010 at 9:47 am (#)
well I know the super cheap LEDs are crap and give off not-so-pretty light. think blue glow and hot spots.
i know the one at home depot isn’t a high watt equivalent output – like 100W but it does last something like 15 years and only uses a few watts. they also aren’t super cheap, but they last a long time. my brother has 6 in his house and he says he’ll switch them out when he moves
there are alternatives, too.. but i don’t think you want the hot part of it. so you could look for halogen light bulbs.
cfls are ugly, yes.. but i think in most situations you don’t see the bulb. if it bothers you that much there are covered cfl bulbs. also, there are soft white, daylight, and bright white options. i.e. you probably want soft white.
starting 2011 legislation will make standard bulb wattages go away – 100, 75, 60, 40 etc. some will stay a few years longer..
technology is always getting better.
August 24th, 2010 at 10:07 am (#)
Thanks Tasha! I have a friend who is also obsessed with whatever is coming down the pike with light bulbs and he has such an understanding of it that I do not have. He was experimenting with a bunch of different ones for kitchen spotlights. Some were heinous, some were warmer. I think he finally decided and bought some $35/each LEDs that are like your brother’s – the kind you take with you when you move! I’m thinking those prices will come down.
I’m not sure where the answer is on a lot of this. I hear horrible things about the mercury in the CFLs, and I’ve certainly been through quite a few in places where they were supposed to last for years and they lasted maybe a year. Then it’s hard to figure out where to throw them away. Can you tell I’m bitter? I do have to say that the quality of light has gotten much better with those.