Light Bulbs

[Allen]

We knew this day was coming. For most of us it doesn't matter but for those of us who sometimes use light bulbs as a heat source it does.

Maybe the government will pay out reparations to those who end up with frozen water well pumps, frozen pipes and animals due to not having a readily available heat source.

Stock up now.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/energy-dept-ban-sale-light-100351213.html

[dryheat]

I have bought a few dozen old time light bults at the thrift store for .25 cents each. I have saved over a billion dollars in cost.

[Allen]

I have bought a few dozen old time light bults at the thrift store for .25 cents each. I have saved over a billion dollars in cost.

The point is these old incandescent bulbs produce heat, sometimes needed heat. People use these bulbs to keep water well pumps from freezing, to heat small greenhouses plus many other heat needed uses.

The newer bulbs like the fluorescent and LED product little to no heat but they do last longer.

Also, from what I've read the LED bulbs are made from rare earth minerals that we buy almost exclusively from China.

[Art]

Incandescent bulbs have been on their way out for a few decades now. Their are, I think, two incandescent bulb left in our house, one in the garage and one in an ornamental lamp. All the 'gubmint had to do was let nature (economically speaking) take its course, but noooo. They just have to tell you what you can light your house with, or cook with or cool with or......well you all know the drill.

I suspect there will be a few exceptions like halogens for some of the uses Allen talks about but to me that's beside the point.

[mtnboomer]

Incandescent and fluorescent lamps will never completely go away. They will be regulated to specific uses, however.

LED lamps are great but have their limitations like all other forms of luminaries.

Has anyone else noticed that Walmart had stopped selling compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs?

[Allen]

Has anyone else noticed that Walmart had stopped selling compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs?

Yes. For a while now. I read today (because of this subject) that they were banned in 2022 by the biden adm because they use more current than the LED's. I've noticed them absent from the shelves for much longer though.

I started a thread here years ago that they could cause fires and caught a lot of flak over it stating otherwise. My experience came from seeing one of the twirly shaped bulbs burning out and shooting fire out through the broken or burned out glass.

Since then I've read about several house fires caused by them. I think this is the real reason they quietly disappeared overnight.

LED's are great as light sources as you know. We started using them on lamps that never get turned off and to replace bulbs that are hard to get to since they last longer. Now, of course, that's most all we buy.

[Major Tom]

I use LED 4 foot shop lights. Instant 'on' is great. Also in my unheated garage, they light up instantly at 0 degree temps unlike flourescent lights which do not.

[Johnny P]

Worried about light bulbs when he should be worried about oil prices. Empty the Strategic Oil Reserve and make ourselves dependent on the criminal regimes of the petroleum world.

[Allen]

Worried about light bulbs when he should be worried about oil prices. Empty the Strategic Oil Reserve and make ourselves dependent on the criminal regimes of the petroleum world.

Light bulbs he understands. Oil industry---no.

[Allen]

FYI, if anyone is interested. I went to WM tonight and looked at their light bulb section thoroughly. There wasn't a single bulb that wasn't an LED, even flood lamps and the small pointy bulbs made for chandeliers.

I looked about 6-8 months ago and there were plenty of incandescent's. Hard to believe they sold them all so quickly. I assume the WM corporate office had them all pulled.

I haven't checked places like Dollar Tree, local hardware stores and ebay yet.

While I no longer have a well pump to keep from freezing any more I do occasionally find other outside items that need some heat so I like to keep a small stash of these things handy.

[Art]

FYI, if anyone is interested. I went to WM tonight and looked at their light bulb section thoroughly. There wasn't a single bulb that wasn't an LED, even flood lamps and the small pointy bulbs made for chandeliers.

I looked about 6-8 months ago and there were plenty of incandescent's. Hard to believe they sold them all so quickly. I assume the WM corporate office had them all pulled.

I haven't checked places like Dollar Tree, local hardware stores and ebay yet.

While I no longer have a well pump to keep from freezing any more I do occasionally find other outside items that need some heat so I like to keep a small stash of these things handy.

Once the word goes out that anything will become unavailable people go out and buy a bunch whether they need them or not. One of the foolish aspects of human nature.

A word was said about the end of the CFL. CFLs were a stop gap at best. LEDs already existed and some of the anticipated problems with them were overblown. It was learned pretty quickly that CFLs would degrade the colors in pictures including expensive prints so there was some regret about that.... on the other hand house plants loved them. If I wanted light bulbs for heat for something like your pump I'd get myself a few Halogens. I suspect they'll be around for a while just because of that reason, they also crank out a lot of light.

[Allen]

Once the word goes out that anything will become unavailable people go out and buy a bunch whether they need them or not. One of the foolish aspects of human nature.

A word was said about the end of the CFL. CFLs were a stop gap at best. LEDs already existed and some of the anticipated problems with them were overblown. It was learned pretty quickly that CFLs would degrade the colors in pictures including expensive prints so there was some regret about that.... on the other hand house plants loved them. If I wanted light bulbs for heat for something like your pump I'd get myself a few Halogens. I suspect they'll be around for a while just because of that reason, they also crank out a lot of light.

I have a few stashed---I didn't wait till now to want them---just thought there would be a little more time. I found a few on ebay and the sellers are wanting a lot for them.

My situation on keeping things from freezing isn't going to change so I will always have a need for them. After visiting a few dollar stores and local hardware stores I will probably look into the Halogens.

[BuckeyeShooter]

Just a thpought.
https://www.chewy.com/kh-pet-products-perfect-bucket-heater/dp/190756?utm_term=
Many uses for a warm bulb. Gonna miss them.

[Allen]

I found a few today but not the 75w--100w standard bulbs I wanted. Got a few 60w and a few 150w bulbs for about $1.50 to $2.50ea. The discount stores wanted the most for them @ $5 to $6 ea and would have paid that except they were 25w and 45w.

The 60w I bought I think will do as I usually burn 2 bulbs at once in case one bulb burns out during the cold nights. Some are incandescent, some are halogen, some are flood lamps. I bought what I could get.

If anyone continues to make these they will be ID'd as specialty bulbs and cost a lot. For the most part I feel those that use bulbs for heat don't realize yet that LED's don't heat.