Posted By John Donaldson If you go to the HPA web site and do a search on Compact Fluorescent lamps If you go to the HPA web site and do a search on Compact Fluorescent Lamps you will see that the HPA have issued precautionary advise. Alternatively cut and paste this Link http://www.hpa.org.uk/we...34061375?p=1204186170287 The research report which is referred to is a priced publication

Posted By Chris Packham These energy saving light bulbs are really a miniature form of fluorescent tube. Many years ago I had to work in Germany in an environment with no natural light. After a few weeks I started to suffer from headaches and sore eyes. I went to an optician who took one look at my eyes and stated: "You work under fluorescent tube lighting." He prescribed tinted lenses for my spectacles and this resolved the problem. I also was in a workplace there where we had an accident due to the stroboscopic effect of the fluorescent tube. The equipment was rotating at the speed where this effect made it appear as if the rotor was stationary. An operative put their hand out...you can imagine the rest. Chris

Posted By Ian Blenkharn There is also a considerable problem in the making from the mercury content of these bulbs. This makes them anything but an environmentally sound option.

Posted By clairel I don't know the science but personally I think they give a headachhe becuase they are so dim! By the by have you noticed you can't get more than 60watt normal light bulb now (non-industrial). What's that about? I'm not a fan of energy saving bulbs at all and completely agree with the whole disposal problem counteracting the postitve effects argument. On a personal level, we don't use them.

Posted By philly boy thank you all for taking the time to contribute regards Phil

Posted By John Donaldson I am sure that someone with a greater knowledge of electrical supply will correct me if I am wrong. But I did comment on the need for florescent lamps to be on different phases to stop the Strobing effect. The other reason was to ensure the load was balanced and Power Factor Transformers were also used as well to balance loads. This in turn reduced energy consumption. If the public suddenly start using very high numbers of florescent lamps and the energy companies do not start to balance loads, the energy saving potential will take a big hit.

Posted By Zorro Thanks for this posting, my daughter has been suffering with migraines over the past year or so, mostly Sundays, (did check it wasn't a problem she was having at school and we monitored her diet. once I read the post it always appears to be after she has spent prolonged periods in her room. It may be that the lighting is dim. But I will change the light bulb and see.

Posted By John Donaldson Yes homes are single phase but I think I am right in saying that its 3 phase up to the local substation. In rural and other areas you will see 3 phase and neutral power lines, 1 phase and the neutral is then taken to the property to provide a single phase supply. I threw this in as I am, in my own mind, not sure that CFL’s are the wonder solution to energy conservation that they are being promoted as.

Posted By John Richards Since they use less power than an equivalent light-output incandescent lamp they obviously save on power use, irrespective of the heat radiated by the incandescent lamp contributing to the heating ! The cfl units rectify the 50hz ac to dc and then the electronics chop it to [about] 40khz to drive the clf tube. I cannot comment on the use of 3-phase local subs...other than to say that they obviously balance the load on the transformer by allocating so many properties to each secondary output. Since all houses are going to be using approximately the same amount of cfl's, I see no problem arising. In any case, there seems to have been a rather striking bit of research that gets much more light out of an incandescent lamp than the present ones, more than twice as much, and the current stays the same.... Win-Win ? http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3385