ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Stocking up on 100-Watt Bulbs

As always, late again. However I was just reading in a trade magazine. I think it was a Sept. issue that said that the gov. is not getting rid of incandescent bulbs, but that the are just requiring them to be more efficient. You can still make them, but they have to use less wattage and give off more lumens. ( I believe that is what the article said.) I kept the issue, so I can always go back and find it.

yes the halogen bulb will still be around

Yes, I was aware of that, but when I'm buying bulbs for a specific purpose I want the full-wattage 100W not 90W ES bulbs or 52W ES instead of 60W. Also the A-19 and A-21 120V rough service bulbs are supposedly exempt, but they are an already overpriced bad joke and really do not last at all. I find it is much better and more cost effective to go with standard 100W 130V A19 bulbs. The light output is lower at 120V, but the bulbs can last a very long time in the caged string lights, even when they get bumped around while energized. If someone else wants to spend the money to buy LED, CFL or Halogen temp job lighting or bulbs just to have them get destroyed, I say good for them.
3-Way bulbs are also exempt for now, but they will eventually be addressed by this stupidity and are also already overpriced for how poorly they are constructed and how short of a life span they have. I already switched years ago from the 50/100/150W to 30/70/100W A-21 bulbs and I’m not willing to go any lower than 100W at the upper setting.

First it was the temperature that affected them... pay the price for a decent CFL - IE Panasonic, which are rated for running in cold temperature.

Second, it was "colour rendering"... there is nothing wrong with the CRI of a CFL... the colour temperature of the CFL will affect how different colours look under the light... 27/2700K is similar to incandescent.. 35/3500 - close to halogen.. 41/4100K - cool white.

Incandescent lamps are not going to go away. The wattages changed and were lowered slightly to get around the legislation

You know, the other day I was in BJ’s, which a big warehouse grocery chain around here is, and they didn’t have a single package of 100-Watt bulbs anywhere on the shelves, just the new CFL stuff.

Home Depot is closing them out too. They were selling 100w bulbs dirt cheap.

Costco has about 1/2 an aisle full of LED bulbs, no incandescents, one variety of CFL.

Blister pack LED (3) at 2.5 watts, for lamps, wall brackets, etc., non-dimable. Some 1 pack PAR/R replacements, and a 2 or 3 pack of G-20-ish globes.

Maybe you can still order them from a local electrical supply house?

This is going to be one of those things that as long as they have them, you can buy them. They are not making any more. High volume people like HD are just trying to close out the inventory.

The good news, at least for me anyway, is that HD supply is going to continue carrying the standard Phillips 120V/100W/A19, which are being made in Mexico and the Phillips 120V/100W/A19/LL Long Life bulbs that are being made in China as well as the Feit Value Light brand standard 120V/100W/A19 and clear 120V/100W/A19 which are also being made in China. They also currently have the Sylvania 120V/100W/A19, which are being made in the USA and the Decade brand Long Life 120V/100W/A19, which are being made in China, so at least one of my regular suppliers has no qualms about continuing to stock several brands of them, even if it later ends up being only the imported stuff. The 130V/100W/A19 are still available from these same manufactures, so thankfully no problems getting those. Now that I know this, I really couldn't care less what the local supply houses or Big Box stores in my area do.