We are certified lighting experts working for a light bulb company. We can answer your questions about bulbs, legislation, recycling… almost anything bulb related. Ask us anything!

RESERVA42 · 4 months

My main living room light is a fixture with a dimmer. I put "dimmable" CFL bulbs in it, but they do not work very well. The dimmer's range is much shorter, they dim and brighten as the TV or fridge turns on or off, and one of the little ballasts popped and smoked the other day after about a year of use. It smelled really bad. So I put the old incandescent bulbs back in, and I'm so happy because they work so much better. Then I went to Walmart and bought 3 more packs of incandescent bulbs so that I'll have a lifetime supply for my fixture.

So, are these problems with "dimmable" CFLs universal and unavoidable? Is there something else I can use?

And as a side note... I have regular CFLs everywhere else in my house, and they work fine. I actually appreciate how I can put a 100W equivalent in a fixture which says "do not exceed 60W".

Also, I was visiting my brother-in-law at the Ritz (fancy resort). I looked in their lamps and saw they had halogen bulbs. What are those about? Are they expensive?

ThatOneAlt-Account · 4 months

How many of you does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

davelog · 4 months

Now that incandescent light bulbs are being deprecated, what are the proper bulbs for the insides of Easy-Bake ovens, Lava Lamps, and hookers' bottoms?

redmercuryvendor · 4 months

Why did magnetic induction/electrodeless lamps never catch on?

Cyber_Cowboy · 4 months

Would it be possible (even if not economic) to put a single bulb in a reflective box with fiber optic leading out through out a home with the ends on dimmers to light a whole house off of a single bulb?

lightbulbsfolks · 4 months

Anything bulb related, you say?

Very well. I want to plant tulips. When is the best time to plant them (I live in the North East USA) and what is the ideal soil for them to grow in? Any particular tips on how best to care for them?

hobodan · 4 months

What is the best way to get rid of fluorescent light bulbs?
What are your thoughts on LED lighting technology? Is it the next big lightbulb craze?
Are LED lights better, or worse for the environment then fluorescent bulbs?

lets_discuss_ur_butt · 4 months

Should I be concerned if light bulbs faintly glow when I hold them?

nboylie · 4 months

Is it safe to crack open burnt out CFL bulbs and inhale the fumes?

hinterzimmer · 4 months

What can you tell us about planned obsolescence of light bulbs? Would it be possible to construct a long live (>5 years) bulb?

LeoPanthera · 4 months

[Coruscation needed]

AnonForSenate · 4 months

Is it possible to get compact florecent bulbs (or something equivalent) that doesn't have that weird "look" (kinda a blue colour that makes everything look a tiny bit gross).

I really like the light that comes off a standard bulb.

karthmorphon · 4 months

When I have an idea, I never get the light bulb over my head like on TV and in cartoons/movies. Is something wrong with my bulb? How can I fix it?

TiltedPlacitan · 4 months

When will american made LED light bulbs get competitive on price with CFLs?

I've ordered a number of LED bulbs from seemingly grey-market asian sources on eBay, and I've been quite pleased with the quality and price - though, of course, I wish it was cheaper. I use them in cold places, as CFLs take a while to warm up.

sasquatch987 · 4 months

How reliable are LED light bulbs? In theory they sound great but if they aren't manufactured well could they fizzle out after a year and wipe out all the cost savings?

strong_grey_hero · 4 months

Ok, clear up the confusion for us. Are incandescents being outlawed? If so, which ones? When does this ban take effect?

Second question: Are there CFL's or LED's that can compete with incandescents in terms of light "quality"? I realize that's a vague question, but I'm looking for an opinion from an expert.

[deleted] · 4 months

Why do my incandescent bulbs in my two kitchen ceiling fans last a couple of weeks at best with limited use?

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiij · 4 months

Is it true that a light bulb has hydrogen in it to stop it from lasting forever?

Drakosfire · 4 months

Whatever happened to the idea of using the flicker of fluorescent bulbs flicker to transfer data? How much does the average household spend in electricity lighting with incandescent vs CFL?

nycbuilder · 4 months

If I cut a ballast out of a fixture and wire directly to the fixture in order to power an LED bulb that has its own driver will the UL rating be void and or would it be Illegal in NYC?

lightbulbsfolks · 4 months

[deleted]

ceeman · 4 months

So why did the fancy bulbs I bought 7 years ago still work and the ones from 2 months ago already go out?

Cyber_Cowboy · 4 months

I suffer from very bad migraines, incandescent lights never caused problems but florescent bulbs, tube or CFL, aggravate them. I keep hearing talk about legislation to do away with them, and it is definitely getting harder to go into stores and get incandescent bulbs. Am I doomed to having my head explode when I can't find them anymore?

Jew_Crusher · 4 months

Whats the best priced, longest lasting, most energy efficient light blubs I should put in my lamps?

Blakrat · 4 months

Whyyy oh WHYYYYYYYY is there two (or more) different ways to screw in a bulb! why not just ONE way to screw in a bulb!

jonathanrdt · 4 months

1: With the recent announcement that funding to enforce the 2007 Legislation, which outlaws the 100w incandescent light bulb as of 1/1/2012, what does that actually mean? Will I still be able to buy 100w incandescent bulbs? Can companies still make and/or import them?

2: Are full spectrum 100w incandescent bulbs exempt from the legislation? (Not sure if they count as 'colored'.)

Piratenerd · 4 months

So if I were to build a watercraft to travel all the major waterbodies on the planet with, lets say me and my friends had a cranium and two crossed femurs below it as logo and we were searching for a container filled with circle shaped metal objects with great value, what kind of light bulb would you recommend to install in previous mentioned watercraft? We're looking for some high end gear so that our potential isn't held back by faulty equipment. Thanks in advance.

godhelpmenow · 4 months

Regarding legislation: the enforcement for the 2007 energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs has been de-funded, how will the industry react? Is the de-funding expected to be permanent? Will all of the investment in new technologies be wasted only to have incandescents imported from Asia?

I've heard a lot about the new "Switch" LED bulbs (http://switchlightbulbs.com/). Are the bulbs as good as they are portrayed in the media? When can I buy one?

Earthstripe · 4 months

My home has one of these weird bulbs in the fixture in the 'office' and my bedroom. It claims to be a 200w equivalent, and I must say it brightens the room quite nicely, but no retail shops in my area seem to sell them. Not Warlmart/Target, nor Home Depot or Menards (They sell other round fluorescents, but not this type). One listing I found for it referred to it as a 'commercial' grade light or something of that nature.

My question is - what is this thing and how did it end up a main fixture in my house? Were they big for a while and now not carried? Are they generally just a commercially-used fixture, but for some reason the previous owner installed one?

It's a nice bulb, but I'm not a fan of paying $15-$20 for a replacement.

jnulynne · 4 months

What are easy bake ovens going to be powered with in the future? I bought my niece one in 2010 and had a hard time finding the correct light bulb for the oven then, the higher wattage bulbs.

sardonicsalmon · 4 months

I have an old floor lamp that I bought at an estate auction. The buld's base is larger than normal bulbs. Can you ID this for me and better yet, point to to somewhere that I can buy a couple of them?

Thanks for your consideration on this.

sagapo3851 · 4 months

How would one light a bulb wirelessly, without having electricity shooting through the air?

What is the proper way to clean up from a broken fluorescent (3') bulb?

I hear there are certain times when using a compact fluorescent is bad?

NoUmlauteAllowed · 4 months

How dangerous is one broken CFL if it's not taken care of.

I want to hear the facts not the better safe than sued talk.

PucktheFauxlice · 4 months

I am a photographer looking for GU10 LEDs that simulate as close to natural sunlight as possible.

Does this exist? would you mind pointing me to some ?

If not, what would be the next best option in terms of 1) Longevity 2) Energy Efficiency

thank you

Altavious · 4 months

Why are Ceramic Metal Halide bulbs not more commonly used for grow lights?

lighting_design_dude · 4 months

When will OLED technology become commercial and affordable?

pmarani · 4 months

LRC Rensselaer ? I'm on the west coast so I'm curious as to where abouts you guys are at?

Ill_shoot_anything · 4 months

Are you members of the light bulb cartel that controls and sets the amount of hours a bulb can be used before it burns out (planned obsolescence)? relevant

finally_cracked · 4 months

I'm looking into getting some black lights for parties and such, any recommendations between incandescent and florescent?

And by that I mean which would you recommend for getting the better "black light" effect?

shirebrew · 4 months

I understand that if you use a dimmer, you're still using same amount of power because the rest is turned to heat by the dimmer. Is this true?

swabbie · 4 months

Any thoughts on the Google Light Bulb?

I haven't heard much about it since it was announced last May, but the idea of getting home automation tech downsized to utilize an individual LED light bulb is amazing to me.

Kripposoft · 4 months

Why do my bulbs burn out like once every month in my bathroom when they work for way longer in other rooms?

metalhead · 4 months

I have track lighting with four lamps in my living room. They take the flood light type bulbs. I switched to CFL flood lights a year ago. The bulbs for two of the lamps have burned out in a matter of months when they should be lasting 5+ years according to the package. Is it just bad luck with the bulbs or could there be a problem with the fixtures?

one_is_enough · 4 months

Are there any scenarios in which a typical CFL will last the 5 years claimed by the replacement guarantee, or do the manufacturers just know that very few people will keep receipts that long and/or bother to claim the replacement?

They do last longer than incandescent but not enough to offset the price difference, in my experience.

[deleted] · 4 months

Favorite color temperature

GianterGinger · 4 months

How do I get free bulbs legally? Will you give me free bulbs?

mkultra123 · 4 months

As I understand it, CFL bulbs contain mercury. Isn't that, you know, bad?

I know people are supposed to recycle them, but let's be realistic: A significant percentage of CFL's are going to end up in landfills because people either can't or won't recycle.

Are we saving energy but adding mercury to the environment?

Followup question: How bad is it really if I break a CFL in my home?

jpxxx · 4 months

Are (generally-non-smokable) plants able to utilize non-growlite artificial lighting? Is there any benefit to one type or another?

faultlessjoint · 4 months

Is it true that CFLs should not be installed in any fixture in which the bulb does not sit upright? I've heard that it is actually a fire hazard for a CFL to be pointed downward.

you_are_shelfish · 4 months

how bad are CFLs going to be in landfills. I know you are supposed to recycle, but I seriously doubt more than 2% ever will.

Shaysdays · 4 months

We have a lamp that seems to wear out bulbs MUCH faster than they're rated for- I know I should probably throw it out, but how does that happen?

Also, how many times do you accidentally type 'blubs' in an average week?

hgpsycho · 4 months

I just wanted to say that this is a great post, you really brightened my day.

sula_nebouxi · 4 months

Is it true that leaving lights on will use less electricity than turning them on and off when leaving the room?

anelectricmonk · 4 months

I work in the cosmetology industry as a hair stylist/colorist. Any and all salons I've worked with have major lighting problems - too warm, to dim... Their main goal has alway been to be able to get the truest sense of color when coloring a clients' hair, while still maintaining lighting that will not stray TOO far from what the client will be seeing in their car mirror once they get outside into natural light and start checking themselves out. Do you have any suggestions?

thinkswithportals · 4 months

I have a contractor telling me there's a significant difference in the heat output of T5 bulbs versus T8 fixtures. Is this true? Also, is LED or halogen preferred for lighting of artwork for galleries?

4 months

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GooseZen · 4 months

What's the most energy-efficient type of lighting that can safely be used outdoors in extremely cold winter conditions, such as the Canadian prairies?

I've got motion-activated lights on my house, and if I use CFL's that are supposedly rated for outdoor use, they take quite a while to warm up to produce light when its -10ºC, and I'm lucky if they turn on at all when its -35ºC. I've got a sheltered light housing, but that doesn't seem to do anything to help them. Halogens seem to use almost as much power as incandescents, and I don't know how they're rated for winter conditions.

Thanks for the AMA, and any input you can provide.

PopesMasseuse · 4 months

How many lightbulbs should I eat before I start glowing?

Ilovebobbysinger · 4 months

Are you electricians/engineers?

Petit_Hibou · 4 months

This isn't a question, just a gripe. The reason I won't buy anything but the antiquated eco-terrorist incandescents is because the light from the other kind is horrible. It is blue (or bluish-white at best) when all anybody wants is warm yellow-white light. I want my house to look like a home, not the forensics lab of an alien spaceship. Why on earth can't this be resolved?!

Pointy130 · 4 months

Why is it that my CFLs never last as long as my Incandescents? I have incandescents that I've only replaced once in the ten years I've lived here (and with other incandescents, which are still fine) which get regular use, but I have to replace my CFLs every few months under the same usage. As far as I know, my house has standard wiring, so I doubt there's an issue there.

Zeretul4 · 4 months

My chem teacher told me those spiraly "green" lightbulbs are actualy much worse for the environment because of the chemicals inside them, and we are only using them because they are the best alternative to the tungsten filament kind since we are running out of tungsten. is this true? (not about tungsten running out, i already know that.) ive been wondering this but keep forgetting to google, and figured i may as well ask you when i saw this.

ceestep · 4 months

I often go long periods of time without coming up with any really good ideas. The ones I do come up with are relatively dim. Is it possible to use fluorescent or LED light bulbs in the socket that appears over my head? I would like to have bright ideas again. Thanks.

me_thats_who · 4 months

If I throw away a bulb in a trash can....will it explode and cause a fire? And or just plain cause a fire?

moorechez67 · 4 months

Who is making money off of recycled CFLs?

maharahji · 4 months

I'm someone with frequent migraines and am looking for ways to light some of my rooms with very soft ambient light. Preferably with the direct light source being hidden being an object.

This brings to mind fully enclosed lamps, but finding bulbs that can emit a very soft (almost frosted) sort of light is quite difficult.

I've had some success using christmas lights strung up around, but it just looks goofy.

Can you recommend any very soft/dim lightbulbs or lighting solutions? I've got 40w incandescents in many of my sockets, but even those feel way too bright at night.

kivarenn82 · 4 months

This is more a question of efficieny, heat and hydro costs than ACTUAL lighting.

I live in BC and it is currently winter (well as winter as it gets in victoria).

I typically use CFL in my home since they are reputed to be the most efficient choice for lighting.

However, since it is winter, along with the current state of hydro being cheaper than gas, would it be a better solution to switch to incandescent bulbs to supplement my house heating?

KrunoS · 4 months

What can you tell me about the lightbulb conspiracy theory? Otherwise known as planned obsolescence.

There are documents pertaining to a steep drop in the useful life of lightbulbs from about 25 thousand hours, to 1 thousand in a matter of around 3 decades.

dogasus · 4 months

Thanks for the ima a few light bulb questions:

I have crappy light fixtures with fluorescent light bulbs could i replace them with 3-5set of track lighting would that be enough light? (Livingroom, kitchen,dining room, bedroom)

Recently ive bought 15 to 30 watt bulbs ge/sylvania etc they keep going out after a few months, why ? i have some old no name ones that have been working for about two years.

Do you see led bulbs as a viable alternative if so when will the price go down?

Thanks again,

yarpirate · 4 months

This is probably the most interesting IAmA I've read in a while. Thanks for doing it!

My question:

I have a 3-socket light fixture attached to a ceiling fan in my room with CFLs in it. Recently, one burned out. I unscrewed it to find the glass tube near the ballast seemed to be "bubbled" out. These were hanging at about a 45 degree angle relative to the ceiling and wall, so they weren't hanging straight down. Is it possible the heat generated was enough to melt the glass, or is it more likely that it was simply a factory defect? I remember buying Phillips bulbs, because I assumed they were a quality brand when I bought them.

Thanks again!

YearsWithoutLight · 4 months

You know these things? Do they exist for PL-9 bulbs?

ropers · 4 months

I have a sort of fundamental question:

I'm sort of familiar with the electromagnetic spectrum, and I understand that colours correspond to frequency/wavelength, and that the overall light output of a lighting fixture, to be fully described, would need to be represented by a graph like the ones in this picture. After all, some lamps emit most of their photons at a certain wavelength where as others emit photons more broadly spread, all over the spectrum.

So why is that not done? Why doesn't every bulb have such a graph on its packaging, and maybe some reference graphs, so people can see how this current lamp's emission curve compares to e.g. your average 60W incandescent lamp?

What I'm instead finding on the packaging is lumen and "colour temperature". I don't fully understand these. How do they correspond to the aforementioned graphs? What part of the information do they represent? Is lumen just a total count of photons from anywhere on the visible spectrum, regardless of wavelength/colour? I'm particularly hazy on what the colour temperature can tell you as compared to the aforementioned graphs.

PointyOintment · 4 months

What do you think of my idea for a (hopefully) immortal lightbulb?

I started by looking at how fluorescent bulbs fail. From Wikipedia, the main failure modes (not including the ballast) seem to be sputtering of the electrodes/burning-out of the filaments and absorption of mercury vapor into the phosphor.

Sputtering/burnout can be solved with an electrodeless (induction) lamp, because there's no electrode/filament to sputter/burn out.

Then to prevent absorption of the mercury vapor, I'd put a layer of glass/plastic/other material inside the phosphor layer, so all three parts are isolated. (Though Wikipedia says that mercury can be absorbed by glass too…) I haven't looked into what kind of glass would be good for that, but I don't think Wood's glass (used in older blacklights) would be a good choice because it transmits UV less well after long-term UV exposure (solarization) and is susceptible to thermal shock. In the Wood's glass article it says that modern blacklights use non-filtering glass (for strength) with filtering enamel, so I guess glass like that would work. It doesn't need to filter out visible light anyway. This glass-phosphor-glass sandwich would probably be difficult to manufacture, unfortunately.

Then the final problem is degradation of the phosphor with age. I don't know how this happens or how to fix it, and I don't know if encasing it in glass would help at all. Maybe it could be avoided with proper phosphor selection.

Obviously this needs more work, but do you lighting experts (or anyone else) think it's a good idea so far?

ut000tu · 4 months

what is the biggest light bulb ever created? is there a simple way to replace a light bulb once it goes out?

itsEDjustED · 4 months

I just changed a bunch of 48" florescent tubes. Throw the old ones in the trash or place in the recycling box?

platipress · 4 months

It seems that every light fixture that is hooked up to a dimmer switch makes a high buzzing sound when dimmed. Is this just inherent in the design, or is there a way to fix this?

SwimmingNaked · 4 months

I'd like your take on an idea I've had...

I'd like to create (if it doesn't already exist) a screw in device that charges a battery attached to a ring of LEDs, and the center of the device is bulb receptacle. So, if the power goes out, the ring circuitry detects that, and lights the LEDs for emergency lighting. You could screw this into any standard receptacle and the limitation is just that if you have a globe covering the fixture you'd have less space. This would alleviate the need for separate emergency lighting on generator or UPS power.

[deleted] · 4 months

There is an odor-eliminating bulb? Seriously?!

Siurrose · 4 months

So everyone knows it takes more energy to turn light bulbs on and off than it does to keep them running. I would like to know long a light bulb will run for on the same energy it takes to turn it on. This will help make the decision weather to turn it off or leave it on when your not using it for a short while. Thanks.

yeshmin · 4 months

What are the advantages of an LED over a CFL bulb, and what are its disadvantages (aside from price)?

whatevrmn · 4 months

Why are bulbs smaller than they once were? Why does my kitchen fan work properly with incandescent rather than florescent? The fan is a year old and requires those bulbs that are small. When I put florescent bulbs in they flickered too much. Now that I have incandescents in it works better, but it lights up really good for the first 5 seconds and then dims a bit. It's been doing that since I put the fan in. It's a Harbor Bay if that mean anything to you.

uneoneuno · 4 months

I once added a second cap, in parallel, to a S51 ballast in order to overdrive a Metal Halide - HPS (a Ushio S400D to be exact) blub from the standard 400w to around 430w. Increased light output, more heat, shorter bulb (possibly ballast) life. Think the cap was 7.5uF.

Would it be unsafe to do the same with a Phillips 400w CMH (ceramic metal halide) bulb running on the same S51 ballast? I understand that new ceramic metal halide bulb's arc is under some pressure and has been prone to explosions. Would adding a second cap to the ballast adversely effect this bulb-endangering safety-or should I go for it?

spicymeataballa · 4 months

Why is it that HIDs use less energy than halogen lights but produce more light?

adnan252 · 4 months

If I, hypothetically, sat on a a light bulb and it, hypothetically, got stuck in my rectum, what would be the best means of removing it?

datac3210 · 4 months

I ordered some full spectrum light bulbs from Amazon to get a natural look in my living room... but everything looks too "blue-y". Why is that? Shouldn't it look more like sunshine.../yellow-y?

On a related note, I used to have an awesome 1000w halogen lamp in University that was the best for reading... apparently they don't make those anymore (too much fire hazard?) how can I get sunlight style light in my house?? I want it bright!

_shaman · 4 months

hey OP check out what I'm working on. www.arva.us. View the catalog. Energy efficient lighting is the future.

EDIT- I know I didn't ask a question, just giving a nod to members within my industry.

[deleted] · 4 months

I have no windows at work. Where can I get a cheap full spectrum florescent tube-style bulb, about 3' long or so?

Would such a thing be useful?

Arkki · 4 months

Film "The Light Bulb Conspiracy" blamed the light-bulb industry for intoducing concept of blanned obsolence abd of reducing the life-time of all light bulbs to rouchly 1000 hours. What is your view on this issue?

Are there any companies that give, say 50 000 hours lifetime for normal 40w light bulb? Engineeringwise, how could their life time be increased?

valupaq · 4 months

I have a large light I've mounted on the back of my house. I think it is a sodium bulb, it gives off a super bright very yellowish light, but it seems to " cycle". It will work for 4-5 min at a time then shut off and flicker back on as if I had just turned it off and back on at the switch. Any ideas on what to replace?

FSMCA · 4 months

Why do my recessed lighting bulbs burn out in about 6 months or less? 75watt incandescent.

-edit- also what the hell is with all these CF bulbs saying they are = to a 100 watt bulb, but really seem to put out what looks to be a 60 at most. I end up just buying the biggest CF that will fit, is there any problem with that?

nofxortiz · 4 months

I'm a student and I'm trying to set up a good study area in my apartment. I'm wanting to buy the type of lights they have in libraries and classrooms, I think they're all-spectrum bulbs?? If you have any idea as to what type of bulbs or lighting I would need and how expensive it is I'd appreciate it.

[deleted] · 4 months

I stocked light bulbs at Lowe's for a while and there were literally hundreds of different kinds of light bulbs that were, to my untrained eye, wholly indistinguishable. Why is that?

vintrexsyrax · 4 months

How you make acl lamps so bright?!?!?

Bootyndabeach · 4 months

What kind of lights would you recommend for a film student who is in need of cheap lights to light my sets with?

GueroCabron · 4 months

What kind/amount of pollution is involved in creating/destroying compact florescent bulbs?

rainydayman15 · 4 months

If i were to insert a standard 60W light bulb into my anus is there any health implications ?

Franglais · 4 months

Does GE having a monopoly, discourage any technological advancement on the lifetime of a light bulb?

I heard one of Thomas Edissons light bulb is still running after creating it.

CokeCanNinja · 4 months

How many PSI does it take to shatter a common CFL bulb?

mr_orpheus · 4 months

There's one episode in the television series Scrubs where Dr. Cox, Turk, and Janitor are trying to remove a (what I guess is a standard shaped incandescent) lightbulb from a patient's rectum. Janitor's remark of said bulb being stronger around the top but weaker around the base leads to the doctors' using the solution of inserting some type of balloon up and behind the bulb and inflating it to push the bulb out the patient's rectum. Is Janitor's statement true? A lightbulb is stronger around the top compared to its base?

I saw this on the IAMA frontpage and Scrubs was all I could think of. Thought I might as well.

BuckyLaGrange · 4 months

I got some light bulbs from philips that claimed to look like daylight. They are literally just blue light bulbs, nothing at all like any daylight i've ever experienced. I checked for a sticker that might be protecting the surface of the bulb that needed to be peeled, but no such thing existed. Why did Philips sell me blue light bulbs? Is there a legitimate reason they were so far off? Or are they just idiots?

snottgorilla · 4 months

Can I use a regular halogen bulb from walmart instead of a halogen bulb from petsmart for my pet turtle?

this_is_your_dad · 4 months

How come the incandescent bulbs I bought 20 years ago lasted years and now they only last months. Is it greed or sloth?

captainmiggles · 4 months

Is there some device that would allow an older lamp shade to wrap the new energy saving spiral bulbs as if it were a normal light bulb? Im having to put my lamps in corners and lean the shade against the walls ...

mvw2 · 4 months

Are there any new technologies on the horizon that you in the industry are hearing about?

user2011 · 4 months

Can you recommend an led lamp for growing dutch tomatos?

[deleted] · 4 months

I'm setting up an office at home in my basement with very low natural lighting. What is the most awesome lighting I could get to enjoy my days in my new office.

spazbucket · 4 months

for some reason any bulb type other than incandescent burn out at a high rate in our home what could this mean?

bluelyon · 4 months

What's the bed bang for my buck in the bulb world?

PointyOintment · 4 months

A few years ago, when we had our house renovated, we bought and moved into a small house several blocks away. When we moved in, we found lightbulbs with strange power ratings in the fixtures, e.g. 81 W. The house was older (~1950s) and I don't think the bulbs had been replaced in a while. Do you know anything or have any information about these? Is it likely that they were 130 V bulbs that somehow got printed with their 120 V wattages?

201smellsfunny · 4 months

What's your take on "dirty electricity" with CFLs?

Retuna · 4 months

How well do LED bulbs handle the cold? I just started installing LED MR16s outdoors in a recessed fixture. It doesn't get directly exposed to moisture but it'll definitely get cold in winter. The box says maximum operating temperature is 50C, but what about the minimum?

tacosofdeath · 4 months

Where can i buy the brightest light bulbs for my room that will fit in a standard light bulb socket

manbearpigboy · 4 months

To be frank, my bulbs are shit. Watt do you recommend?

grodasy · 4 months

How many certified lighting experts does it take to change a lightbulb?

InvalidWhistle · 4 months

Do you ever see a time in the future when household light bulbs are a thing of the past?

ickpoo · 4 months

What is the light bulb that looks like a compact fluorescent but doesn't have a screw in bottom instead has two prongs?

glschoen · 4 months

Is it true a light bulb can be made to last forever?

FreestyleDoctoress · 4 months

Does your company make lightbulbs like this?

IastE · 4 months

can LED lights be recycled?

cheechwizard · 4 months

because of this thread, i just bought
10 x 100W Light Bulbs Standard Bayonet (BC) Fitting

ninjagrover · 4 months

Is planned obselence still big in the industry?

CalebEast · 4 months

What is the best bulb I could use as a crack pipe?

Shepy · 4 months

Have you ever had to deal with a similar situation to this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My5BQTKsa0w

use2diggit · 4 months

Does a T3 and T8 Florescent bulb require different types of ballasts?

Jaduardo · 4 months

How regulated / reliable is the "hour rating" on light bulbs?

I recognize that the failure rate is statistical... bell curve... etc., but I replace a lot of lightbulbs while saying to myself, "There is NO WAY that bulb saw 2000 hours of use since I last replaced it."

pomegranati · 4 months

what's the best method to extract an intact incandescent bulb out of a rectum?

[deleted] · 4 months

I hope you're still here OP, what are your experiences on lifetime and efficiency of fluorescent tubes and different temperatures?

I heard that the smaller ones (like T5) need higher temps to work efficiently. But what is the max. temperature at which they loose efficiency or lifetime?

I'm building my own fixtures with different colour temperature flouros to simulate the natural sunlight over a day (with a micro-controller and dimmable ballasts to switch bulbs from dawn to dusk) so I'm interested in how to enclose the bulbs to gain the optimal temperature...

It's a hobby project at this time with a few prototypes, but I believe this kind of product can be very useful to people with an irregular day/night cycle.

enzo32ferrari · 4 months

are lightbulbs really designed today to fail so you keep buying them?

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