Lightbulbs: An energy-saving story about how I spent New Year's Eve and Day
Well, I just rang in the new year by changing 15 out of 16 light bulbs in my apartment. Why so many? Well, it started with the living room, when my last bulb burned out at 10:30 last night. I went to CVS a block away (this just after coming back from the store!) and spent the extra money on those seven-year energy-saving bulbs that are spiral-shaped and really cool-looking. Lo and behold, they work freakin' well! Instead of 3 60-watt bulbs (180 total), I had 3 13-watt bulbs (39 total). That should save me lots on my electricity bill, especially with the rate hike kicking in today. It also cooled down rather significantly in the room, another great thing.
Then I figured, I have a burned-out bulb in the kitchen, another in the closet, and one in the entrance. I first went to the entrance. Removing the fixture was a slight challenge. As it came off, the one working bulb EXPLODED and burned my finger badly! I assume the previous tenant's bulb was broken in the socket already, and that it was only working due to fortunate placement. Still, what a fire hazard! I saw the cool bulbs I had bought would not fit into the fixture, so I decided on two 40-watt bulbs, though the fixture said it could handle 60-watt bulbs. Then I went to the kitchen. The cool bulbs would fit in that fixture. I noticed something though. Instead of 60-watt bulbs like the fixture stated, my kitchen had 100- and 75-watt bulbs, and they looked burned. Working or not, those bulbs had to go. So, after changing 3 in my living room, I now needed to change 6 more bulbs.
Worried about these burned bulbs, I checked the other locations. The bathroom, which is always hot when I have lights on, turned out to have one 100-watt, two 75-watt, and one 60-watt bulbs. The fixture clearly stated no more than 60-watts. The bulbs were nearly blackened, and there was a large burn mark in the wall behind the fixture. I was up to 10 bulbs to change, 13 within a 24-hour period. At this point I said screw it, all are going, working or not. The remaining bulbs turned out to also be of outrageous wattage except one, which I decided to change only because the packaging would leave me with an extra energy-saving bulb. That bulb was the only one that was not blackened or coated in white paint, and was the only 40-watt bulb in the apartment. (I later saved that bulb for just in case.) My burned-out closet light, which I never changed since moving here, turned out to not be burned out. It needs a pull chain, though, so I left #16 in the apartment alone... for now.
So now, I have reduced my wattage in each room by over 75%, and each room is now actually brighter, except the bathroom, which had been far too bright and hot, now it is normal. The entrance is also dimmer, but that is because I just do not trust that fixture with even a 60-watt bulb. The brightest bulbs in my apartment are now 40-watt, in the entrance and closet (why use an expensive energy-saving bulb in a closet?). Every other room has mere 13-watt bulbs, and it is freakin' BRIGHT in here!
Now to see what the next electricity bill will be... At least I do not have to go through that mess again for a while, and I do not have to sweat in the bathroom each time I crap. 52-watt vs. 310-watt... yeah, I would have to say that is rather significant...
Then I figured, I have a burned-out bulb in the kitchen, another in the closet, and one in the entrance. I first went to the entrance. Removing the fixture was a slight challenge. As it came off, the one working bulb EXPLODED and burned my finger badly! I assume the previous tenant's bulb was broken in the socket already, and that it was only working due to fortunate placement. Still, what a fire hazard! I saw the cool bulbs I had bought would not fit into the fixture, so I decided on two 40-watt bulbs, though the fixture said it could handle 60-watt bulbs. Then I went to the kitchen. The cool bulbs would fit in that fixture. I noticed something though. Instead of 60-watt bulbs like the fixture stated, my kitchen had 100- and 75-watt bulbs, and they looked burned. Working or not, those bulbs had to go. So, after changing 3 in my living room, I now needed to change 6 more bulbs.
Worried about these burned bulbs, I checked the other locations. The bathroom, which is always hot when I have lights on, turned out to have one 100-watt, two 75-watt, and one 60-watt bulbs. The fixture clearly stated no more than 60-watts. The bulbs were nearly blackened, and there was a large burn mark in the wall behind the fixture. I was up to 10 bulbs to change, 13 within a 24-hour period. At this point I said screw it, all are going, working or not. The remaining bulbs turned out to also be of outrageous wattage except one, which I decided to change only because the packaging would leave me with an extra energy-saving bulb. That bulb was the only one that was not blackened or coated in white paint, and was the only 40-watt bulb in the apartment. (I later saved that bulb for just in case.) My burned-out closet light, which I never changed since moving here, turned out to not be burned out. It needs a pull chain, though, so I left #16 in the apartment alone... for now.
So now, I have reduced my wattage in each room by over 75%, and each room is now actually brighter, except the bathroom, which had been far too bright and hot, now it is normal. The entrance is also dimmer, but that is because I just do not trust that fixture with even a 60-watt bulb. The brightest bulbs in my apartment are now 40-watt, in the entrance and closet (why use an expensive energy-saving bulb in a closet?). Every other room has mere 13-watt bulbs, and it is freakin' BRIGHT in here!
Now to see what the next electricity bill will be... At least I do not have to go through that mess again for a while, and I do not have to sweat in the bathroom each time I crap. 52-watt vs. 310-watt... yeah, I would have to say that is rather significant...