| ||||||
| | | | | | |
| ||||||
| | | | | ||
| ||||||
| ||||||
| | |||||
How should I dispose of a broken CFL? A spill of the amount of mercury found in household products, such as CFLs does not usually pose an immediate health risk to you or your family. However, proper clean up and disposal is required. You can minimize any risk of mercury contamination by following these basic guidelines: When a CFL breaks on a hard surface:
When a CFL breaks on a carpet:
All of this can be done by oneself – no need to call in a hazardous waste team. What is the correct way to dispose of compact fluorescent bulbs? Just like paint, batteries, thermostats and other household chemicals, compact fluorescent bulbs should be disposed of safely. Homeowners are encouraged to take advantage of local disposal programs for CFLs, where available. Governments are working with CFL manufacturers and major Canadian retailers to expand recycling options. Many municipalities have programs that accept household products that contain mercury. Some have implemented collection programs specifically for mercury-containing switches such as those found in your car, while others collect mercury-containing products as part of their household hazardous waste programs. Contact your municipality to find out about local disposal options. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs have a warranty. If the bulb fails within the warranty period, return it to your retailer. Does the mercury contained in compact fluorescents make incandescent bulbs better for the environment? No. Although compact fluorescents (CFLs) contain small amounts of mercury, they are far more energy-efficient compared to incandescent bulbs. This means CFLs reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electrical generating stations powered by fossil fuels, as well as the need to build new power generating stations. And because CFLs last about 8 times longer, fewer bulbs and far less packaging ends up in landfills. Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my home? CFLs are safe to use in your home. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when handled properly. An extremely small amount of mercury, an average of five milligrams, is sealed within the glass tubing. For a basis of comparison, there are about 500 milligrams to two grams of mercury in your average home thermometer. It would take between 100 to 400 CFLs to equal that same amount of mercury! What is my health risk should a CFL break in my home? Actually, your greatest health risk is getting cut from glass shards. Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should the bulb break, especially if cleaned up properly. Please follow the procedure described below. What does the mercury in a CFL look like? It may be difficult to see the mercury for several reasons. Simply put, there's just not much there to begin with. Five milligrams – the average amount in a CFL – is about the size of the very tip a ballpoint pen. Additionally, the mercury will be in vapor form or absorbed on the lamp walls, the metal lamp ends or other bulb components. At the end of a bulb's rated life, very little of the mercury is available for release into the environment. Is a CFL harder on the eyes than an incandescent light? No it's not. Some of the older models of fluorescent tubes would sometimes flicker and cause some people to have headaches. However, the light emitted by a CFL is a little different than that of an incandescent; this does not change the fact that the “lumen” output is the same when comparing equivalent products. Comparing intensity or powerAmbience or task lighting? What colour of light should I look for when purchasing CFLs? ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs are available in many of the same colour temperatures as regular bulbs. Choose the colour that works best for the room and for the specific application you have in mind. Whether you are trying to create a warm, cosy ambience, simulate natural daylight or provide effective task lighting, choosing the right light colour can make all the difference.
Different fixtures need different types of bulbs. Using the chart, find your fixture and then see which bulbs will work best. 
When I replace my incandescent lamp with a CFL, and the fixture indicates a maximum wattage of 60 W or 40 W, should I worry about using a CFL with a lower wattage then what is cautioned? No. There is no minimum value for the wattage used in these fixtures, only a maximum. Depending on your needs, consult the CFL equivalency chart (link) to either keep the same light output (measured in lumens) or to increase it. Is there a CFL equivalent to an incandescent tri-light of 50-100-150? Yes, however, the wattage equivalency for a specific CFL may vary slightly between manufacturers. Also, there are different ranges of wattage for CFL tri-lights. How does a CFL do in areas where power surges occur, such as rural areas? CFLs may not hold up to the stress of power surges. So using them in areas such as workshops may not be advisable. Does the wattage indicated on the package of a CFL include the wattage necessary to run the ballast? Yes it does. Why do CFLs use less energy than incandescent bulbs? Fluorescent technology is much more efficient at converting energy to light. Standard incandescent bulbs, which have been produced the same way using the same materials for more than 100 years, waste 90% of their energy by producing heat, not light. Will my home energy costs increase if I switch to CFLs? The answer to this question may vary from one part of Canada to another, depending on the type of fuel used for home heating, the efficiency of your heating system, local climate and other factors. As a general rule, however, the following applies. Incandescent lamps are only 5 to 10 percent efficient, which means that most of the energy they consume is converted into heat energy rather than light. Depending on where the bulb is located and the time of year, your home heating system may have to replace this heat when you switch from an incandescent bulb to a CFL. The cost of replacing the heat will depend on the efficiency of your heating system, the fuel source and the price of the fuel. Having said that, most homeowners in Canada will save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to energy-efficient lighting. This is because the impact of incandescent lights on the heating load is negligible in most homes, and any additional cost is usually more than offset by the energy savings from using CFLs. Installing CFLs will also reduce the load on cooling systems for homes that have air conditioning. Switching from incandescent bulbs to CFLs can also make homes that do not have air conditioning more comfortable during hot weather, as less heat will be generated inside the home. PriceGiven their higher purchase price, do CFLs really save money over their lifecycle? Absolutely! ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use only about one-third as much electricity as a conventional bulb to produce the same amount of light. Although they cost a bit more, ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs are rated to last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. The combination of energy savings and long life means CFLs will pay for themselves many times over, especially since their purchase price has declined significantly in recent years. CFLs are now often available for as little as $2 per lamp. How much can consumers expect to save by switching to high-efficiency lighting? The proposed phase-out of inefficient lighting, when fully implemented, could save consumers up to $60 a year on their electricity bills. In residential lighting alone, replacing conventional incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs could save Canadian consumers almost $600 million a year on their electricity bills. What accounts for the price difference in CFLs? CFLs come in a wide range of designs and shapes, and some are specifically made for tri-lights and dimmers. Prices may vary according to these characteristics and according to the manufacturer. Why should I buy a compact fluorescent light bulb? To save energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, use only one quarter of the energy of standard incandescent bulbs. A 15-watt CFL produces the same high-quality light as a typical 60-watt incandescent bulb. Why are CFLs more expensive? Because they are a better product. Production costs for CFLs have dropped a great deal in the last 10 years, and manufacturers and retailers are passing these reductions on to consumers. But CFLs still cost more because they are more expensive to make than standard incandescent bulbs. The CFL manufacturing process is more complex, requiring more electronic materials and higher product-inspection and quality-control costs. How much will I save by using CFLs? An average Canadian home has 30 light fixtures, indoors and out, that consume close to $200 of electricity every year. Replacing just five bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs in high-use areas can save up to $30 a year, depending on location and amount of time used. That means you'll pay off the added cost of the bulbs in less than two years, and they last for at least five. Better still, you won't have to change them as often! QualityWhy choose an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL? On CFLs, the ENERGY STAR symbol means that the product meets strict specifications for quality, including long life, colour and brightness as well as energy savings.
The packaging for ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lights will give you all the information you need to make a true comparison with other bulbs. On each package, look for:
Remember, the wattage rating listed on light-bulb packaging is a measure of the power used, not the light output. CFLs use much less energy to deliver the same light output as incandescent bulbs. Replacing even one 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 15-watt CFL in each of Canada's 12 million households could save up to $73 million a year in energy costs. It would also reduce GHG emissions by approximately 397 000 tonnes – the equivalent of taking more than 66 000 cars off the road each year. What is ENERGY STAR? ENERGY STAR is an international symbol that will help you quickly identify products that reduce energy use in your home. When you see the ENERGY STAR symbol, you can be sure you're looking at the most energy-efficient products on the market. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The ENERGY STAR name and the ENERGY STAR symbol are registered trademarks of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and are used with permission. | |||
| | ||
|
Return Home
Residential
Questions and Answers on CFLs
How do I compare incandescent light bulbs with CFLs?