GE Floodlight Soft White R30 Compact Fluorescent Review

Some years ago I started replacing standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL).  Using less than 25% of the energy to produce the same amount of light impressed me.  Admittedly, the early CFLs produced an a cold bluish white light and were probably suitable only for industrial applications.

But I'm sure most of us know that these days CFLs are available that produce Soft White (warm) light that is indistinguishable from the more familiar incandescent light bulbs we've been accustomed to.

In every table lamp in the Xeno home you'll find a spiral CFL.  It's become the norm around here.

But living in South Florida, much of our lighting comes from high-hat recessed lighting calling for either flood or spot lights.  In our house, its not unusual to have a room with as many as 10 recessed lights.  Our kitchen is a perfect example.  So, if I'm in the kitchen I would be using about 650W to keep it lit.

But with  GE Compact Fluorescent R30 Floods in their place this is reduced to just 130W.  That's almost an 80% decrease.  These days, I don't miss an opportunity to save money.  I bet many of you are the same.

But here in South Florida where 24/7 air-conditioning is the norm, these CFL floods help you reduce your cooling bills as well.  You see, unlike conventional incandescent bulbs, CFLs produce almost no additional heat.  Even after they've been on for hours, they are merely warm to the touch.  If you've ever touched an incandescent bulb that had been burning for even a few minutes, you know what I'm talking about.

Drawbacks?

There are a few minor drawbacks with the GE Floodlight Soft White R30 Compact Fluorescent.  When lights are switched on, these bulbs take between 1 - 2 minutes before they achieve their maximum brightness.  In the kitchen, this is little more than a minor annoyance, but it does take a little getting used to.

This particular bulb is non-dimming, so it is not suitable to be used where dimming switches are used.  In our case, since we seldom dimmed the kitchen lighting, we replaced our wall switch to an on/off variety.  This was about a $4 and 20 minute DIY project.  While Dimmable CFL Floods are currently available, they are considerably more expensive than the GE Floodlight Soft White R30 Compact Fluorescent that are now available at cost that rival those of conventional incandescent bulbs.

Long Life

An added benefit of CFLs is their long life.  Where most incandescent bulbs seldom provide more than 1,000 - 1,500 hours of service, CFLs are rated at 8,000 hrs.  That reduces the amount of time I stand on ladders, and if you know me, you know that I hate ladders!

An Environmental Issue

CFLs contain a small amount of mercury in their glass tube.  These bulbs should not be tossed in the trash, but recycled.  Check recycling procedures in your community.

Where to Buy

These bulbs are available at almost any home or hardware store.  Currently,  Wal-Mart is the leading supplier of this and other CFL products and offers bulk packaging for the greatest savings.

My Viewpoint

We've been using GE Floodlight Soft White R30 Compact Fluorescents for the last couple of years.  They've saved us money while reducing our carbon foot print.  It's hard not to recommend such a product.

Rudi