01/01/2014, incandescent bulbs phase out in US

[vagreys]

We've known this was coming since 2007, when the bill was signed into law, but the deadline is fast approaching. Energy efficiency requirements that kick in for incandescent bulbs mean that, for all practical purposes, there will be no more 40 or 60 watt bulbs made in or imported into the US, as of 01/01/2014. Suppliers like Target and big-box hardware stores have been stocking up, so sales will continue for months after the cutoff, but sale of the old bulbs will come to an end by about mid-year, as stocks disappear.

For those in the US who currently use these bulbs in their curing/maturing chambers, it's time to start altering your systems to use alternative sources for low-energy heat sources. One that has come to the forefront is the ceramic heater for reptile terrariums that screws into a standard light socket, and can be controlled with a rheostat. There may be other alternatives out there, but the cutoff approaches. so it's time to adjust your designs, if you haven't already done so.

[Thewitt]

The next major crisis in the US caused by the government doing stupid things will be the poisoning of the water table due to land fills leaching mercury from the millions of old CF bulbs that will simply be thrown into the trash rather than disposed of as hazardous waste....

Is anyone going to do this: http://www2.epa.gov/cfl/cleaning-broken-cfl .....

[Snags]

Got cut off in Australia about 5 years ago (might have been longer I remember they gave us free flouro globes at the post office)
I found a few of the old globes in the back of the cupboard a few weeks back .

[RodinBangkok]

It's pretty much a no brainer to switch, given the life of the bulbs and power savings. We've slowly transitioned to LED as they go out or added, and love it. Our next mobile kitchen will be 100% LED lighting, also converting the trucks lighting. PTC Heater elements are good choices to replace bulbs, as they self regulate to a preset temp, no regulation required, just 2 wires. This might be what's in reptile heaters listed above.

[wheels]

I use on of these for chamber heating:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HETH451.html?

For lighting, many here are looking to using LED lights. What the environmental impact of those is, I have no idea. What I do know is that at a time of fast rising fuel prices, they are cheap to run.

Does anyone have more info?

Phil

[RodinBangkok]

The company we work with for our mobile company has a site with a lot of products:
http://www.vintechstore.com/category.php?id_category=16
All made in China, the prices are Thai Baht.

Ikea has said they've set a date to sell only led lighting, not sure what that date is:
Their Thai site:
http://www.ikea.com/th/en/catalog/categ ... oom/20515/

Amazon carries a lot, also note that the multi color units have remote dimmers and color control, so you can set the mood lighting and intensity.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LED-Bulbs-Bayon ... 1260573031

For our truck we can get 12 v led lights with the standard automotive socket bases, so we will convert all those also.

There will be much less impact when converting from florescent, as there is no transformer.