[time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material

Didier Juges didier at cox.net
Sat Jan 30 22:46:44 UTC 2010


According to the paper that was linked earlier, there are 3 types of
fluorescent bulbs, some have no heater at all and are started with a high
voltage pulse that causes accelerated damage.
Those suffer from the most life reduction when cycled.

Those with the always on heater suffer the least, but are the least
efficient.

Didier

> -----Original Message-----
> From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com 
> [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Harris
> Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 4:23 PM
> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material
> 
> NeonJohn wrote:
> > 
> > Chuck Harris wrote:
> > 
> >> I have several rooms that are lit exclusively with CFL's, 
> and I find 
> >> that for best life, I have to leave them on all the time.  That is 
> >> what EPA has found too!  CFL's may take less power for a given 
> >> illumination, but the owners leave them on far longer than 
> >> incandescent, and the net result is greater power 
> consumption overall.
> > 
> > Here's an interesting bit of opposite experience.  When I had a 
> > restaurant, I had a walk-in freezer.  I wanted to know when the 
> > compressor was running so I wired a light socket across the 
> compressor 
> > contactor coil terminals and located it where I could see 
> it from the 
> > dining room where I sat when not busy.
> 
> Having looked at the circuitry, I can't see any real reason 
> why cycling would be hard on the usual CFL.  The filaments 
> glow red the entire time they are on anyway, and the inverter 
> is a simple FET multivibrator.
> 
> I think the reason people leave them on longer than the 
> equivalent incandescent is CFL's take a while to ramp up to 
> full brilliance, and they reason that at 1/4 the power draw, 
> they are essentially free to run.
> 
> In any case, I know I leave them on longer than I would if 
> they were instant on... for real, and EPA has noticed that 
> others do the same.
> 
> > I tried all sorts of light in that thing. Long life, rough 
> duty, pilot 
> > light, none of them could stand the 2-3 times an hour 
> cycling.  Then I 
> > installed a little 7 watt organ pipe CFL.  It lasted over 5 
> years and 
> > was still going strong when I closed the restaurant.
> > 
> >> Add that to the mandatory drop of mercury in each, and I 
> really can't 
> >> see how they can sell them at all.
> > 
> > Now Chuck, don't go getting all chemophobic on us now!
> 
> Me?  With my chemistry and nuke background?  Not likely!
> 
> I am just making a statement based on my observations of the 
> eco-hysteria the powers that be seem to exhibit.
> 
> >> I got two for "free" from my power company (They hid the 
> charge on my 
> >> bill, until the courts made them reverse it...) and 
> included with the 
> >> CFL's was an elaborate procedure for cleaning up a broken CFL.  It 
> >> involved opening all of the windows, and leaving the room for a 
> >> couple of hours, and then, with a gloved hand putting the 
> pieces on 
> >> newspaper, and folding the newspaper up and putting it in 
> a 1 gallon 
> >> zip lock baggie.  To clean up the broken bits, you are supposed to 
> >> vacuum the area with a fresh vacuum cleaner bag, and then put the 
> >> vacuum cleaner bag in a ziplock baggie, and take the 
> remains off to the hazardous waste disposal facility.
> > 
> > That's embarrassing to read, it's so stupid.  Like some meaningless 
> > worship ceremony to mother Gaia or something.
> 
> That's why I am sharing.
> 
> > Geez, there's less than 10 milligrams of merc in a "100 watt" CFL.  
> > That is a harmless amount, especially considering that elemental 
> > mercury is fairly harmless.
> 
> Yes, and no.  When mercury hits the ground, it splatters into 
> hundreds of miniballs of mercury.  When you walk on them, 
> they further fracture, and by the time you are done, you have 
> increased the surface area of the mini drop of mercury 
> greatly... probably thousands of times.  That increases the 
> mercury vapor emitted into the room.
> 
> Is it harmful?  Maybe.  Maybe not.
> 
> > What'll they come up with next, HAZMAT team if you spill 
> some paint thinner?
> 
> As the laws are currently written, if you intentionally pour 
> any amount of gasoline, or paint thinner onto the ground you 
> are committing a crime.
> 
> -Chuck Harris
> 
> _______________________________________________
> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com To unsubscribe, 
> go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
> 





More information about the Time-nuts_lists.febo.com mailing list