7 tips for handling fluorescent lights

Fluorescent lights are attractive for their brightness, low heat emission a low energy consumption. Save money and keep the lights on with these seven tips.

• Just one CFL in every house would eliminate 800,000 cars worth of greenhouse gases a year.
• CFLs screw into a regular light socket, use 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and last 10 times as long.
• They are also getting cheaper, and now come in a variety of sizes and wattage equivalents, as well as in three-way and dimmable versions.

• Turning off lights doesn't always conserve energy; turning a fluorescent light on and off frequently wastes power and shortens bulb life.
• If you're going to be out of a room for less than half an hour, leave fluorescent fixtures on. (The same applies to compact fluorescent bulbs.)

• The replacement process depends on the type of tube.
• To remove a double-pin (rapid-start) tube, give it a quarter turn so that the pins line up with the slots in the sockets, then gently pull the tube out.
• To remove a single-pin (instant-start) tube, press the tube toward the spring-loaded socket and gently pull the opposite end out.

• Fluorescent tubes contain trace amounts of toxic mercury. When a fluorescent bulb fails, recycle it.
• Check with your county or city for nearby recycling centres.

• You can get more natural lighting with fluorescents by choosing tubes according to their colour temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Light from high-temperature bulbs (4000K and above) contains a high proportion of blue, which is harsh and cool.
• Light from lower-temperature bulbs contains more red, which is warmer and softer. A 3500K tube provides the most accurate rendition of colours. Light from a 2700K bulb most closely resembles that given off by a regular incandescent bulb.

• Fluorescent tubes start up slowly when the temperature is below 50°F (10°C). If you have fluorescents in the garage or in a workshop that gets cold, install a bulb rated for low temperatures.
• If the problem persists, replace the ballast with a low-temperature one.

• Fluorescent bulbs last longer than other bulbs, but they have a few quirks that may fool you into thinking they've gone bad when they're just fine: A cold room, a faulty ballast, or even a bulb that's slightly askew can make you think the bulb is bad when it really isn't.