Looking for ways to save money? Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) save money and energy without sacrificing the quality of light in your home or office. Many consumers are unfamiliar with CFL bulbs, so many questions must be answered. The following are the most frequently asked questions about CFLs:

Q. Why should I pay so much more for one CFL bulb when I can buy four general purpose bulbs for under $1?

A. The initial outlay for a CFL is really an investment. By simply using this bulb in place of a regular household bulb, you will use 75% less energy and save up to $75* in the costs of energy over the course of the bulb’s life. Since this bulb will outlast a regular bulb by up to TEN times, you will save on the costs of replacement bulbs in addition to energy costs.

*Savings will vary depending on wattage and energy costs. $75 is the estimated dollar savings of a 25W vs. 100W at $0.10 per kWh over the course of the bulb’s life.


Q. These bulbs look like they are for some industrial purpose. Can I use them in my home?

A. CFL bulbs serve as direct replacements for most bulbs around the home. They now come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are specifically designed to take the place of regular bulbs.


Q. If a fixture requires a bulb with a maximum wattage of “60W”, which wattage of CFL do I choose?

A. You can choose a 13-15W CFL (60W eq.) or for more light output you can choose a 23-26W, which is a 100W equivalent. These bulbs run cooler and therefore do not surpass the thermal restrictions of the fixture.

Q. How do CFL bulbs work?

A. The technology is simple. CFL bulbs provide the same light output as regular bulbs but use 75% less energy. This is due to the powder used inside the CFL tubes. It glows brighter at a lower wattage than a regular bulb. So you would only need a 23W CFL to replace an equivalent 100W regular bulb.


Q. Can CFLs really save me money?

A. The dollar savings add up quickly by using CFLs.

1-Select the top 10 most-used bulbs in your home and replace with CFLs.
2-The average use for bulbs is 4 hours per day, totaling 120 hours per month.
3-Assume you want to change all 10 bulbs to 100W equivalents (which would be equivalent to 26W CFLs).

The operating cost for ten 100W bulbs over the course of 1 month=$12.00 (based on an energy rate of $0.10 kWh).

The operating cost for ten 26W CFL bulbs over the same period = $3.12
This represents a monthly savings = $8.88
This represents a yearly savings = $106.56

Consider that these savings will be repeated each year for the life span of the bulb (up to 5 years).
This is a potential saving of over $532.80!


Q. Do I have to change my fixtures to accomodate these bulbs?

A. While there are some general guidelines specific to CFLs (ie: if you intend on using them with dimmers, you need to buy ‘dimmable’ CFLs), they are as versatile as most any regular bulb. They can be used in lamps, ceiling fixtures, ceiling fans, recessed fixtures, outdoor lanterns and more.


Q. Can I use them outdoors?

A. CFLs can be used in outdoor fixtures provided that they are not exposed to the elements (rain or snow). They can also operate in temperatures as low as –15oC (-5oF).

Q. Can a CFL be used in an enclosed fixture?

If a CFL is used outdoors, it should be used in an enclosed fixture.  The only exception is the BR38 (Globe item # 07442).  This bulb may be exposed to directly to rain or snow.

If used indoors, some CFLs can be used in an enclosed recessed fixtures, some cannot.  If a CFL cannot be used in an enclosed recessed fixture, the marking on the plastic base will specify “not for use in totally enclosed recessed fixtures.”  This is a UL safety requirement.

Q. Can a CFL be placed base up, down or sideways?

A. A CFL can be used base up, down or sideways unless the marking on plastic base or packaging expressly states a specific position.

Q. Do CFLs last as long if they are used base up?

A. Typically the heat that rises from the tubes will flow back to the ballast, thereby wearing down the internal components and thus shortening the life.

Q. Does the moisture in a bathroom affect the performance of a CFL?

A. If conditions are excessively wet (ie. the bulb is directly exposed to water), CFLs should not be used.  The only CFL bulb that can be directly exposed to water is the BR38 (Globe item #07442).  For any other model, if there is direct exposure to water, the lamp should be within an enclosed fixture.

Q. Does a CFL use more energy when it is switched on than a standard neon, halogen or incandescent bulbs?

A. With today’s electronic ballast, the energy consumption to start up a lamp will not exceed that of an incandescent, halogen or neon bulb.

Q. What are the color temperature and the color rendering index (CRI) fir CFLs?

A. Color temperature refers to the color of the light.  Soft white (also known as warm white, or 2700k) has similar light color to sunlight.  Daylight (6500K) is on the opposite end of the spectrum with a much whiter, more sterile color.

CRI represents how close the color of an object under the light is to the true color of the object.

Sunlight has a CRI of 100, meaning the color of an object under sunlight is the true color of the object.  The higher the CRI, the closer it will be to natural sunlight.  Globe enersaver CFLs have a CRI of higher than 80.

Q. For what type of fixtures can a CFL not be used?  (timers, garage door openers, dimmers, vanities, stove tops)

A. CFLs can work with mechanical timers only.  Digital timers may cause interference with the electronic ballast.

Fixtures with a photocell (motion sensor, or light sensor) may also cause interference, leading to possible problems with the bulb performance.

Non-dimmable CFLs cannot be used with a dimmer.  Only Globe dimmable enersavers (Globe item # 07307) are designed to be used with dimmers.  Only Globe dimmable enersavers (Globe item # 07037) are designed to be used with dimmers.

Garage door openers are not recommended, as excessive vibrations may damage the internal circuitry and render the bulb inoperable.