This months elect bill!

[tstone]

Originally Posted by wheretogo

Anyone can really 'see' the difference after chaning to CFL bulbs ?
My new home has all builder installed standard bulbs everywhere but I am planning to shift to CFL gradually when they die. Just wondering is it worth the cost .

Yes and no. First thing, stick with the 2700k color temperature, "soft white." Higher numbers go from 3500k (warehouse white) to 6500k (bright blue).

With that out of the way, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference when the bulbs are in a fully enclosed translucent fixture, or in translucent chandelier "cups" that are turned up to the ceiling. The floodlight style, which have the curly bulb enclosed in a frosted glass casing are good, but they take a few minutes to warm up. Same goes for bathroom style globe lights. In there I have half incandescent, half CFL. Under a lampshade you should be ok too.

If the bulbs are bare, it looks harsh. In a case like this, I'd install a traditional bulb or a high-pressure (halogen) one on a $3 dimmer switch.

Here's an interesting article:
The Best Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: PM Lab Test - Popular Mechanics

I agree the Home Depot store brand are the best quality, and they last forever. I stick with that brand alone. Whatever you prefer, one brand for the entire house is best. For the incandescents, I prefer GE Reveal. They seem to blend with the CFL light the best.

[tdhg566]

Originally Posted by wheretogo

Me too wonder how people sleep at 80 ?...

Everyone focuses on the temperature and forgets about the humidity. Best indoor humidity level is 30-50%, with 45% being optimum. This morning the outdoor humidity is around 73%. If your a/c isn't running, your indoor humidity will be very close to that. In this mild weather, unless you crank your a/c down pretty far (low 70s) or have a dehumidifier, your indoor humidity will probably be above 60% in the afternoon.

[tstone]

My humidity stays a constant 55% in the summer.