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| CFL Tips |
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Buying and Proper Use We’re not exactly experts, but from our research and personal experiences, we have learned a few things. Here are a few handy tips that we think every proud new owner of CFLs should know:
* Soft white CFLs produce light most similar to incandescent bulbs and are generally best for typical home use.
* For 3-way lamps and lights attached to dimmer switches, be sure to use 3-way and dimmer CFLs, respectively
* CFLs perform best and last longest in areas that you keep lit for more than 15 minutes at a time or several hours per day, such as kitchens, hallways, family &/or living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and outdoor lamps. CFLs are still a good choice for other locations, but replace the bulbs in high-use areas first; then move on to lower priority locations like closets and bathrooms.
*
Since CFLs last up to 10-times longer than conventional
incandescent bulbs, replace hard-to-reach and/or hard-to-change bulbs.
*
CFLs take a minute or so to 'warm up' to full brightness, so they
may seem a little dim when you first turn them on.
Don't worry; they'll get up to full brightness in no time.
* "I installed CFLs in my home and one of them burned out after just a few months! I thought you said they would last years." Early burnouts do happen. Some CFLs might last 6 months, some can last 6 years. 10,000 hours (compared to 1,000 hours for incandescents) is only a rough estimate of the expected lifetime of properly-used and installed CFLs. On average, CFLs will last much longer than incandescents, but there are always a few bad apples in every bunch (whether it be the bulb or a particular socket in your home).
* Which CFL you should use to replace which incandescent? Most CFL packages have labels like “60-watt replacement,” but here’s a handy reference table to help you choose the right CFL (data from Energy Star website):
* Still puzzling over which CFL is right for you? Check out the Energy Star CFL buying guide
* Learn still more about CFLs at the Energy Star CFL FAQ page.
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