Compact Flourescent Lamps
Disadvantages
The biggest factor that dissuades people from making this
purchase is initial cost. Most people can't imagine paying two to eight dollars
for a single light, when the standard bulbs can be bought at four for a dollar.
This factor is being remedied by many companies the world over, and many government agencies and activists are doing what they can to encourage the adoption of these clearly superior devices. (See Wikipedia link for a list of various organizations.)
Ballasts, such as the image to the right, are one of the two main parts of a CFL. One problem with low end CFLs is that the ballast is destined to fail before the burner (the other part of the CFL.) However, in high quality CFLs, the burner is almost always the part to blame. This means that half of the device is still capable of operation in either situation, yet it gets disposed of regardless.
Another issue people had with CFLs was their notoriously long 'warm-up time'. They used to require up to 30 seconds to reach full brightness. Due to various regulations and advances, this is being remedied and most modern CFLs do not have this problem.
The Mercury
Another concern many feel is hard to ignore is the mercury
involved in manufacture. This mercury also means users must take note of where
they dispose of these devices. Due to the mercury content, these devices should
be returned to a recycling facility or the store where they were purchased.
Some companies, such as Philips and GE, are doing what they can to make very
lower mercury content CFLs. The mercury required to manufacture CFLs is also
one of the factors affecting cost. The retail price includes an amount to
cover the costs of recycling, and manufacturers are obligated to recycle CFLs.
When Not to Use a CFL
• If used in a motion sensor, such as a porch or garage, the average CFL may burn out in a few weeks. CFL life spans are based on the number of times it is turned on, rather than the amount of time it is left on.
• Some uses for incandescent lamps in electrical circuits require particular parameters electrical parameters, which differ drastically from their CFL counterparts. This means that for some uses only an incandescent will work.
• CFLs do not work for stage lighting, where fast lighting and rapid dimming is required. Additionally, a CFL is very difficult to focus into a smooth pool of light. Another factor is the rarity of higher wattage CFLs. CFLs rated greater than around 25 watts can be very hard to find, yet incandescents with ratings of 150-200 watts are relatively common.
| Advantages of CFLs |