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CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs)
- What are CFLs?
- Why should I use CFLs?
- What kinds of CFLs should I buy?
- Where can I buy CFLs?
- What about the mercury in CFLs?
- What should I do if I break a CFL?
- How do I recycle my CFLs?
What are CFLs?
CFL stands for compact fluorescent light bulb. CFLs are made up of two components: a gas-filled tube and an electronic ballast. CFLs are small or compact versions of the long fluorescent tube lights use in stores and warehouses. They are made to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs for almost every type of lighting fixture.
Energy Star qualified CLFs use approximately 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs, which will also save you money. The chart below compares the electricity usage of common wattages of incandescent bulbs and CFLs.
Energy Savings for Energy Star qualified CFLS |
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Incandescent |
CFL |
Savings/Year |
Savings/Year (4hrs/day) |
100 W |
32 W |
74 kWh |
99 kWh |
100 W |
25 W |
82 kWh |
110 kWh |
100 W |
23 W |
84 kWh |
112 kWh |
75 W |
25 W |
55 kWh |
73 kWh |
75 W |
20 W |
60 kWh |
80 kWh |
60 W |
15 W |
49 kWh |
66 kWh |
60 W |
13 W |
51 kWh |
68 kWh |
40 W |
9 W |
34 kWh |
45 kWh |
| This chart shows the energy savings for just one bulb, per year. | |||
What kind of CFLs should I buy?
Not all CFLs are created equal. Make sure your CFLs are Energy Star rated to achieve maximum energy savings.
Also, unlike incandescent bulbs, CFLS must be matched to a compatible light fixture. Some CFLs are made specifically for can lights or for reading lamps. Be sure to read each package for instructions on the correct usage. Never install a higher wattage bulb of any kind than the fixture calls for. Misuse of CFLs can result in a shorter lifespan and your dissatisfaction.
The following manufacturers are leaders in the CLF market:
- Feit Electric
- GE Consumer & Industrial
- Greenlite Lighting
- Osram Sylvania
- Philips Lighting
- Technical Consumer Products
- Westinghouse Lighting
CFLs are now available at almost all home improvement and hardware stores and well as general retail stores like Wal-Mart. The following are leading retailers of Energy Star qualified CLFs:
- Ace Hardware/Do It Best/True Value
- Costco
- Lowe's
- Menard's
- The Home Depot
- Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
What about the mercury in CFLs?
CFLs do contain small amounts of mercury in gas form. It is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. Incandescent bulbs create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. A fluorescent bulb, on the other hand, contains a mercury gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is excited by electricity. The UV light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes it into light you can see. Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.
On average a CFL contains 4 milligrams of mercury which is sealed inside the glass tubing. In comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams.
Most of the mercury vapor inside the CFL binds to the inside of the bulb as it is used. EPA estimates that 11% of the mercury in a CFL would be released into air or water when a broken bulb is sent to a landfill. This is why SMPA encourages you to recycle your burnt out or broken CFLs.
What should I do if I break a CFL?
The mercury inside of a CFL is not released when bulbs remain unbroken. Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should a bulb break and it's cleaned up properly. You can minimize any risks by following these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:
- Air out the room before clean-up and shut off the central forced-air heating/conditioning system.
- Clean up hard surfaces by scooping up glass fragments and powder using stiff cardboard or paper and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid or sealable plastic bag (use sticky tape to pick up small glass fragments and powder).
- If clothing or bedding comes in direct contact with the broken glass or mercury-containing powder, it should be thrown away. Do not wash the clothing or bedding because the mercury may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
- Place all clean-up materials in a sealable container or bag and put them in a trash container outside your home. Take the bulb contents to your local bulb recycling center.
- Additional information available from the EPA.
Unbroken, burnt-out CFLs can be easily stored in 5-gallon PVC buckets with sealable tops until you are able to take them to your local bulb recylcing center. You can recycle your bulbs by bringing them in to either SMPA office in Ridgway or Nucla. We realize it is not always easy to bring your bulbs into our offices. We are currently working on a program to place recycling buckets throughout our service territory in the local hardware stores. Thank you for your patience.
