Bill Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 I?ve got one of the new low energy ones on my stairs and it?s getting progressively dimmer. I turned it on last night and I swear the room actually went darker. It?s only been in for about two years and it?s not like it gets a lot of use so why is it failing so soon? So what?s the procedure now for disposing of these useless pieces of junk? I?ve heard we can?t just put them in the bin or throw them in the skip because they contain mercury. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 Isn't mercury valuable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 I'm stocking up on the incandescent ones so I have a supply when they stop being sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 If you look in my cupboard, you could be excused for thinking I?m stocking up on the newer one?s because businesses like supermarkets keep giving me the bloody things for free. I don?t mid them in some areas where I don?t spend much time but I wouldn?t use them say in the living room. In any case, most of my living areas are on dimmers and these thing won't work there. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 from the FAQ section of the energy saving trust web page. Don't CFLs contain mercury? And isn't that bad for the environment? Energy saving bulbs contain only tiny traces of mercury - imagine a pellet smaller than the tip of a biro. What's more, in the long term, CFL technology will actually help less mercury to pollute the air. This is because burning fossil fuels like coal is the biggest source of mercury in the air. And as energy saving bulbs use 80% less electricity than a traditional bulb, they mean far less mercury overall. Recycling your energy saving light bulbs Energy saving light bulbs are part of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) initiative which means that those who sell these products must provide information to the public on how they can be recycled. You could speak to the retailer you purchased your energy saving light bulb from about how to recycle it or alternatively you could contact your local authority to see if they will recycle energy saving light bulbs. If you don't know who your local authority is you can find this out at Directgov so when you next go to your local pound hsop they will know all about how to dispose of them(yeah right) or your local council will tell you,well maybe they will set up a committee to look into it and decide it is too costly so just put them in the normal bin for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Won't they be re-cycled like the rest of our IT waste - sent to Africa or China, cannibalised then burned on open air tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonF Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 I don?t mid them in some areas where I don?t spend much time but I wouldn?t use them say in the living room. In any case, most of my living areas are on dimmers and these thing won't work there. You can get ones that work with dimmers but they're a bit more expensive and therefore don't tend to be the ones which are given away. Have also found that the freebie ones aren't that good but you can get some very good ones which are find for any room in the house from supermarkets and DIY shops these days. It's just a pity that the early ones and many of the freebies are so poor as it puts a lot of people off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Warning - if you happen to break one http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-506347/An-energy-saving-bulb-gone--evacuate-room-now.html and hight UV readings / dangers (first 20 seconds are an advert but interesting after that ) http://www.globaltv.com/globaltv/globalshows/16x9/video.html?maven_playerId=16x9extralargeplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=b21903f607126ddafaf4a2be2fdd36c48e7fe239&maven_referralObject=3408462 Regardless of all this the energy saving ones are starting to get on my nerves now and I've replaced a few with the old style after a few months of perseverance, eye ache but mainly becasue they make my everywhere look cold, bleak and uninviting... even when the have reached full glow. Horrid things.... come on manufacturers make them better and put a hint of cosyness in them at least before we arel all forced to fill our loft space with hoards of the old type to last us for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Good old Dismaye'd broke the thread with a mega long link. Tip? Use the second URL option like this. Bulbs! Much nicer ?10 a go for a bulb that by all accounts doesn?t dim anywhere near as well as a normal bulb and reading up on the subject they may not even work at all with certain controllers. I have a total of 10 bulbs in my living room that allow me complete control over the lighting so to spend ?100 replacing bulbs and in return get a poorer quality of light with less control seems to be a complete no-brainer. My conservatory lighting also uses 10 similar bulbs so another ?100 needed there. Its all a bit academic as all the fittings are designed to accept the miniature format bulbs so the new stuff probably wouldn?t fit anyway. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Tried to edit it and it went wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Twice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 twice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 HELP I WAS EDITING MY POST BUT IT KEEPT APPEARING AS A NEW ONE...... Can one of you Admin Bods please delete all these before Bill has a go at me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Your once, twice, three times a lady..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Yep it?s a bummer when the edits don?t work. Bill Last edited by Bill on 31 Mar 2009 21:17; edited 1,356 times in total Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Too late, he's seen them. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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