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Tip of The Week
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August 25, 2007
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This week’s
tip comes from our “Make your house light, not your wallet” file.
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There’s
lots of talk these days about the environment and with any topic open for
debate you can bet there will be lawyers and politicians swarming to make money
and win votes. No matter where you fall
in the global warming debate it is just plain good stewardship of our natural
resources and our money to be respectful of the environment.
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There are lots of simple things you can do that
are good for the environment and save money too. That’s a double win. One of the things you can do for the
environment and your wallet is to replace your regular incandescent light bulbs
with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s).
CFL’s use less energy to provide the same amount of light as a regular
bulb. For example, a CFL that produces
as much light as a regular 75 watt bulb only uses about 17 watts of
electricity. What’s even better is that
they last 10 times longer. Let’s do some
quick math. A CFL that puts out as much
light as a 75 watt bulb will cost about $6.00.
Over the life of the bulb it will save about $45.00 to $46.00. That means about $40.00 back in your
pocket. Sounds like a “no brainer” but
here are some facts you should understand as you chose your bulbs and start
saving money: |
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- 1) Watts is a measure of electricity
not a measure of brightness.
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- 2) A lumen is a measure of how
bright a light bulb is.
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- 3) The most energy efficient bulbs
put out maximum lumens and consume minimal watts. If your one of those people who used to
amaze your friends in grammar school with feats of amazing mathematical
skills you can check out the label of a light bulb and calculate the
lumens per watt right there on the aisle in the store. Wow! If you’re on
the singles circuit, bring a bulb package to the club with you and try
this pick up line…”Hey beautiful, how about I light up your life with
fewer watts per lumen?” Sorry, I
digress. Back to the facts:
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- 4) A 100 watt conventional bulb
uses 100 watts of electricity and generates 1,690 lumens.
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- 5) A CFL that puts out 1,690
lumens uses about 23 watts of electricity.
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- 6) A conventional 100 watt bulb
will last about 700 hours. A CFL
will last about 7,000 hours.
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- 7) If
you have a dimmer on your fixture you may not be able to use CFL’s as the
typical CFL is not dimmable. Check the
label to see if the bulb is dimmable.
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A common sense way to tell that CFL’s save money
is to check out the bulbs in the halls and rooms of most hotels these
days. They are all CFL’s. Companies that have to watch dollars and cents
know that for as many bulbs as they use they can save big money fast.
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Thanks for visiting Ask John and Dave.com and we’ll see you
on the air,
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John and Dave
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If you would like to comment on this article or
have an idea for our Tip of the Week, contact us
at:
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questions@askjohnanddave.com
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