Lamp replacement guide 2013
Way back in 2007, Congress enacted legislation called the EISA (Energy Independence Security Act), stating that “all light bulbs be 25 to 30 percent more efficient by 2012″. This is our lamp replacement guide to help you figure out how to make the change to more energy efficient light bulbs (and linear and circline fluorescent tubes).
As of 2012, all phased out light bulbs and other lamp types are required to be replaced by energy efficient light bulbs, at the U.S. manufacturing and distribution level. This doesn’t mean you necessarily need run out right now and buy new replacement bulbs, it just means that when an old bulb or fluorescent tube burns out, you might be hard-pressed to find an old incandescent type light bulb or older T12 type fluorescent tube.
There are many simple ways to determine what type of replacement light bulbs or tubes you convert to, for your existing lamp holder/ fixture. The most common, ‘Edison’ or E61 screw base light bulbs will be replaceable by a simple trip to the hardware store and buying new replacement bulbs — whether these are moderately more efficient and expensive halogen type, triple-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL), or quadruple-efficient LED’s that also last 10x longer, or more.
Fluorescent lamp upgrades can be a little trickier, since they may require a coordinating ballasts upgrade. Depending on how many fixtures you will be re-lamping in the next year or two years, you’ll want to strategize your transition rather than spend money on intermediate technologies that become obsolete as fast as they’re installed. Expect to cut your lighting energy consumption by more than 20%, whatever change you make, and consider making a single change all at once, rather than pay a premium on labor for multiple service calls for as-it-fails type reactive maintenance.
Most recently, beginning January 2013, old style incandescent PAR lamps (specially-shaped bulbs with ‘paralax’ optical reflectors behind the filament, as one often sees in recessed lights) no longer may be manufactured for new distribution in the United States.
Commercial Replacement
Larger lighting areas like commercial (office) and industrial work spaces may best tackle the transition period by looking forward to energy/cost savings as payment for the benefit of an upgrade to compatibility with widely-available modern lamp types. We recommend never replacing an out-dated T12 (1-1/4″ or 12/8″ diameter; phased out mid-2012) linear fluorescent lamp. Upgrading the ballast and switching to modern T8 tubes will pay for itself in a year or two. For some buildings or large lighting areas, total fixture replacement with T8 or T5 linear fluorescent type, or very-long-lasting LED-capable fixtures may be a smart investment in savings on longterm lighting costs, as well as reduced cooling costs from the more-efficient lamps/fixtures.
At the minimum, upgrading from T12 linear fluorescents requires a fixture retrofit (usually replacement of the transformer-starter, or ballast, that ignites the gas inside fluorescent tubes) to accommodate T8 (1″ or 8/8″ diameter) lamps. Since T12 fixture ballasts will be old and likely near the end of their life today, and the newer ballasts start rapidly and operate with lower flicker, it often makes sense to replace T12 ballasts preemptively, rather than seek out phased-out T12 lamps and wind up with a mix of T12 and T8 fixtures, as the T12 ballasts fail sequentially across a lighting area over a period of months.
Lamp Replacement Resources
There are plenty of online resources to help you make the switch from the old to the new, some are listed below along with a FAQ to help you trouble-shoot your own particular situation:
Natural Resources Defense Council Replacement Guide and Charts
FAQ
Q: Will I be fined or punished for not replacing my bulbs?
A: No, there are no repercussions keeping old incandescent bulbs aside from the fact that manufacturers may not distribute the older lamp types in the U.S., and they may become increasingly expensive.
Q: Don’t the newer bulbs or fluorescent tubes cost more?
A: Often, they do. Yet when you factor in longevity and efficiency, the bulbs and tubes pay for themselves through reduced energy and re-lamping labor costs. See the NRDC article and chart listed in this posts Resources section.
Q: What if I don’t like the look of florescent light bulbs?
A: There are plenty of options such as halogen bulbs and LED lights that give off more of a natural light than a CFl light would.
Licensed Electrician Robert Monk Lamp replacement guide, Energy Efficiency for 2013 Copyright Robert Monk, 2012
Source: http://www.phillylicensedelectrician.com/lamp-replacement-guide-for-2013/
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