End of an era - GE closed last light bulb plant in US

[Mitchell Andrus]

GE closed the last incandescent light bulb plant in U.S. Once the stock is exhausted, it will be impossible to buy U.S. made incandescent light bulbs. We can however still import them, for a while anyway. Soon, even the imports will be unavailable.

Last one out, turn out the lights.

I'm buying a few cases. I've got dimmers all over the place.
.

[Dan Hintz]

A number of fluorescent bulbs (and most of the recent LED versions) will work with dimmers. Some of the LED bulbs on the market (though still difficult to find at the local BORG) are high quality with a great light output, and this will only get better in the next few years. By the time the bulbs are no longer available and stock runs out, LEDs will be where we need them to be.

Even today, an LED bulb will set you back about $25-30... considering they have 30+ times the life of a fluorescent, they are at least on par with quality fluorescents in terms of cost. To replace a 60W bulb, look for an LED bulb (from a reputable manufacturer) that specifies an output in the 800-900 lumen range. If I find some time later this afternoon, I'll try and post some links where you can purchase them. Remember, the price will be much higher per bulb than most are used to, but these are near-lifetime purchases.

[David Weaver]

GE closed the last incandescent light bulb plant in U.S. Once the stock is exhausted, it will be impossible to buy U.S. made incandescent light bulbs. We can however still import them, for a while anyway. Soon, even the imports will be unavailable.

Last one out, turn out the lights.

I'm buying a few cases. I've got dimmers all over the place.
.

I've got tons of them, too. I have no dimmers. I'm dim on my own.

If anyone wants to practice some fit of government defiance, come over to my house. I have a few that came in fixtures and machines that are full size and say nothing but CHINA on them, and that produce a crappy amount of light for the amount of electricity they consume.

We can turn them all on, maybe smoke some cigars and drink some bootleg whiskey. Once I get you all drunk, we'll build a small shed without obtaining a building permit and put oil lights in it that run by burning melted styrofoam.

And maybe build an outhose close to the neighbor's property (or on it) and poison some suburban squirrels (which I would LOVE to do) that reside near my bird feeder, as shots in the back with a wrist rocket don't seem to deter them for long (actually, they're starting to watch for the shots, and if they're close, they duck and dodge them).

[Mitchell Andrus]

.... with a wrist rocket

Slingshot
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[Charles Wiggins]

I keep thinking about situations where you might WANT the inefficiency of an incandescent bulb to create a little heat, like a coffee can dryer for dowels. I had a friend who used a light bulb for heat inside his well pump cover so the pump wouldn't freeze up in the winter.

[Dan Blackshear]

I keep thinking about situations where you might WANT the inefficiency of an incandescent bulb to create a little heat, like a coffee can dryer for dowels. I had a friend who used a light bulb for heat inside his well pump cover so the pump wouldn't freeze up in the winter.

Amen, we use a 100w bulb in the chicken coop to keep the water from freezing (put it under a coffee can and put the waterer on top of the can). Don't have to worry about burning down the coop. Guess I better stock up

[Mike Cutler]

If someone can point me to CFL's that turn on instantly at -10 degrees, I'd appreciate it. Until then, it's an incandescent for the stairs to the back door.
I have them just about everywhere else in the house though.

They don't work in the shop too well under 20 degrees either. Yep I do work in the shop/garage at those temps.

[Pat Germain]

What about track lights? Aren't those incandenscent?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The CFLs I have purchased don't work well at 70º F. You turn them on and wait for minutes.

We have a light at the bottom of our stairway. I used a CFL in there once. Same problem. CFLs there will get somebody killed coming down the stairs.

They don't work well at all outside on my carport.

I don't mind using something that is more efficient but let's don't overstate their capabilities.

[Matt Meiser]

They closed one in Cleveland over 20 years ago. A family friend worked there until it closed and he's retiring after 20 years at his second career at the end of the year.

The new CFL's are much, much faster at room temp than the ones from a couple years ago. The floodlights we have in some track lights are older and pretty slow, except for one replacement that is faster. I had some outside in an automatic post light that went bad after about 2 years of Michigan weather which I didn't think was bad considering incandescents were only lasting 6mo or so. My guess is heat is a killer there since the top is completely enclosed. I replaced them with the same. They warm slooooowwww but since it turns on before it is completely dark its completely not a problem. The ones we have in some lights by the back doors are also very slow but we live with it.

I even went to a flourescent "yard light" on my shop. I calculated the energy savings to be something like $60/year based on an average of 10 hours/day of darkness over the old sodium vapor light. However the first fixture went bad after about 2 years, probably something in the non-replaceable ballast. We'll see what happens with this one. If that's the life expectancy, I'll go to a big CFL in a standard fixture.

One big problem is that they don't seem to make a dimmable, candelabra base, decorative bulb yet. But that's exactly what you need for almost all new ceiling fans if you use a remote.

[Chris Padilla]

Is there a version of the T8 in a CFL configuration? Those are nearly instant on and are supposed to do well in low temperatures.

[Dan Hintz]

Chris,

First hit on Google...
http://www.elightbulbs.com/library/l...8_lighting.cfm

[Joe Pelonio]

My problem is the 3-way bulbs for my wife's reading lamy next to the sofa. They make a CFL but it won't fit in the space allowed in that loop
of metal that the shade attaches to. Maybe I'll get a case of the GE incandescents. I find the imports last just a few weeks.

[David Weaver]

Sounds like a woodworker's invitation to do some metalwork with the frame of that lamp.....a coat hanger and a mapp torch

[Bryan Morgan]

I bought a bunch of them when I heard they were going to be "banned" and the local Walmarts and Targets were getting rid of them for almost nothing. I always buy up as much as I can of anything that is on the upcoming "ban" list. Ever cracked open a small fluorescent bulb? The manufacturing of all those electronic components can't be good for the environment. Don't they also have mercury in the actual bulb part? I harvest the parts and use them in guitar circuits.