To my southern US readers...

[pyat]

So, y'all are having a cold snap! Congratulations!

Question for you - have you noticed that all your CFL bulbs (especially outdoor ones) take forever to light up?

Welcome to winter in Canada! Switch on the light, wait forever to see anything...

Comments

[asqmh.livejournal.com]

Nah, our bulbs are fine. Canada is just a black hole. :P

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Hmm... maybe you guys have NFL bulbs...? ;)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

It's all the cheap socialized light!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

More seriously, if you have any outdoor bulbs you can check, I'd be interested to see what happens! Our porch light can take 10 minutes to light up on a bitter cold night. 30 seconds to a minute is more typical, though.

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

Not that long, here. Now, I have noticed that it takes longer (I have 2 outdoor CFLs), but we're only talking a delay of about 2-3 seconds. Maybe 5 seconds on our coldest night so far, when it was about 2 degrees F outside.

[paka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you guys think you're so all that 'cause you have an actually democratic first world government and an okay standard of living. *thpppt*

[pyat.livejournal.com]

But light travels slower here!

[redregon.livejournal.com]

might want to tell Steven Harper that little nugget ;)

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

Either you have crappy bulbs or we have radically differing levels of patience. :)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Mm, no, I suspect you just don't have a porchlight, one or two poorly ducted rooms, or an unheated basement, like I do. CFL bulbs really do have greatly increased start up times in cold weather, and some even labelled with their minimum start up temperature. The basement ones typically take 20-30 seconds to get up to full brightness, and start out very dim indeed. The one on the porch can take 10 minutes on a cold night.

Still totally worth it, of course. I'm just wondering if it's something southern folk would have noticed before.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

You know, I should check if the floor lamp in our livingroom has a CFL bulb in it or not. I noticed the other day that it was dim and then later that it wasn't, and maybe that was what was happening and I just never noticed before.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I've found that CFLs take a bit to get to full brightness even in moderate temps. I've always kind of LIKED that, since I don't blind myself or walk around squinting when I first turn on the lights in the morning. By the time the lights are full-bright, my eyes are ready to cope.

[seritaph.livejournal.com]

They won't be able to tell through the fourteen layers of hats, sweaters, and hoods they've got on.

Southerners and cold = cocooning.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

They own all that stuff?

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

No, we run out and buy it (or if you're me, knit it yourself). :D You should've seen us trying to buy a pair of leather gloves for Bryan. We got the last pair of large gloves in Target.

Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

When you say southern do you just mean that we are south of you or do you mean Southern?

Southern meaning below the Mason-Dixon Line or The Southern United States.

Re: Just clarifying...

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Oh, actual Southern, where below freezing temps are unusual.

Re: Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Gotcha, I haven't watched the weather lately. It is 34° F here in Central PA. It is a veritable heat wave for January. ;-)

Re: Just clarifying...

[thebitterguy]

Wait, I thought the southern US was the part south of the Mason Disxon line?

Re: Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Right, which is what I said. ;-)

Re: Just clarifying...

[thebitterguy]

Right, but I read it as the or seperating the two phrases.

Re: Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Nope, just clarifying in two different ways in order to be very clear. I don't know how U.S. History is taught in Canada. I was covering both bases, so to speak.

Re: Just clarifying...

[thebitterguy]

Covering bases? Is that some sort of strange American saying?

Re: Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Baseball.

Re: Just clarifying...

[thebitterguy]

I was just dekeing you.

Re: Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Hockey. ;-)

Re: Just clarifying...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

I live above the Mason-Dixon Line, in case you thought I didn't know that. I teach U.S. History. I'd better know where it is. ;-)

Re: Just clarifying...

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

Not all of it. The Mason-Dixon line really just separated Maryland & Pennsylvania. Most Americans aren't going to suggest Maryland as a "Southern" state, whether in terms of temperatures or culture.

[saomigray.livejournal.com]

Now that you mention it, yes. We never had trouble with them before, but the one in the very cold staircase between downstairs and up takes several seconds to come on.

This being an old house, we figured it was electrical issue, but it did not start until it got really cold a week or so ago.

I'll mention it to the husband and see if putting an old school bulb there will help.

[shavastak.livejournal.com]

I have never had a problem with my CFL bulbs and our entire house is full of them. They aren't full brightness right to begin with but it doesn't take long.

And yes, we were having a cold snap. Yesterday when I left for work at 9:30 it was 12 degrees F. But it may be ending. Today when I left for work at 6:30 it was 30 degrees F.

[margaras.livejournal.com]

You're not crazy, but you can buy CFBs rated for colder weather areas.

http://saving-energy.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_downside_to_compact_fluorescent_bulbs

[kfops.livejournal.com]

When I was doing electrical with my Dad it was generally not recommended to use fluorescent in places that get fairly cold (like outside house lights or uninsulated shops). I believe the reason is that because the fluorescent bulbs are filled with gas that is reacts to the electrical charge the whole process is retarded by the cold, so if it is really cold you can have really slow start-up.

I still use incandescent bulbs for my exterior lighting, but I use CFL for most of my interior lighting needs. But one thing I've noticed is that all bulbs are definitely not created equally. In my landing I had a CFL that I recently replaced and the new one is visibly slower to start up than the previous one. I dunno if it was due to the old one being one of the "fatty" CFLs or if it is because it is a different brand. But there's definitely a difference... probably a good 10 seconds for this new bulb to get p to full brilliance.

So there's ya go!

[hannahmorgan.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have observed this...and had my husband change them out for regular light bulbs in the fixtures outside my front and back doors. If I hear scary noises on my back deck, I want to be able to see instantly the face of the scary, scary man trying to break in. I don't have to want to wait for my lightbulb to heat up while he smashes his axe through my door.

I'm being a little facetious (sp?) but you get my point.