Tuesday, January 28, 2014

60/40

My name is Lorraine (or LL or Lorna) and I am a light-bulb hoarder.
I know that incandescent light bulbs are not energy efficient, but guess what?  I don't care!  That sounds terrible, I know, especially since I'm a person who believes in BEING energy efficient, with wind and solar energy vs fossil fuel) and I recycle, and re-purpose and all that good stuff.

But when it comes to light bulbs, I want my incandescent bulbs.
In winter, I WANT a bulb that gives off heat. Heck, my office drops down to 55 at night (it's the room farthest from the furnace). I have a brass floor lamp that stands low by my computer desk. That 40 watt bulb heats the area around my desk.  I like it.  If the lamp would handle it, I'd put a 60 watt bulb in there.

I do have an electric heater, but it takes about two hours to bring the temp up to 70 degrees. The lamp that shines on my right arm and shoulder warms me long before that happens.

I want to know who determines that incandescent light bulbs last only a year or less.  Heck, we've got light bulbs in fixtures that have been here since before we moved in (21 years ago), and they get used every day.  And what about these new-fangled bulbs?  The ones that have MERCURY in them.  That you're supposed to take to a qualified recyclyer.  Only no one has told us who that might be or what we do with such bulbs in the meantime?  I don't want mercury going into the landfill.

When my supply is gone, I'll be forced to use one of those new bulbs.  (Not all fixtures will take an LED.)  I sure hope by then that recycling them will be easier.

Do you have a stockpile of light bulbs?