Incandescent Lamp Ban?

What This Means, How to Handle It

New file 8/24/2008, minor update 5/26/2009.

This article is in reference to USA Federal legislation that will ban *SOME* *but not all* household incandescent lamps in two stages in 2012 and 2014.

The news is not all that bad, except maybe for California which has its own restrictions and plans for more.

The good news is that the USA Federal 2012/2014 bans have a lot of exemptions.

The portion of the ban scheduled to go into effect in 2012 affects household lightbulbs with light output around that of 75 and 100 watt ordinary "standard" incandescents, and on the low side of output typical of 150 watt ones.

The portion of the ban scheduled to go in effect in 2014 affects light bulbs with output typical or on the low side of usual for ones of 40 and 60 watts.

EXEMPTED FROM THIS BAN:

1. Light Bulbs for Designed Usage at Voltages Over 130 or Less Than 110 Volts:

Flashlight lamps
Automotive bulbs
28 and 14 volt aircraft bulbs
Bicycle light bulbs
Most vehicle light bulbs in general
Nearly all electronic equipment indicator lamps
Most halogen lamps 35 watts or less
Nearly all halogen bulbs 20 watts or less
All other low voltage lamps in general
230, 240, and 277 volt lightbulbs

2. Light Bulbs Outside a Certain Range of Light Output

Incandescent lamps producing (at 120V) less than 310 lumens (slightly more than all common 25 watt 120V lightbulbs)
This exception includes all common exit sign lamps, night light bulbs, indicator lamps and other 120V incandescents of wattage 25 watts or less.
Incandescents producing (at 120V) more than 2600 lumens (slightly less than the output of a "soft white" 120V 150W 750 hour lightbulb)
This includes most photographic, projector, and stage lighting lamps.

3. Light Bulbs Exceeding an Energy Efficiency Standard

Ones producing at least as much light as a "usual 100 watt light bulb" (I somewhat think at least 1600 lumens) with no more than 72 watts of power
Ones producing at least as much light as a "usual 75 watt light bulb" (I somewhat think at least 1100 lumens) with no more than 53 watts of power
Ones producing at least as much light as a "usual 60 watt light bulb" (I somewhat think at least 800 lumens) with no more than 43 watts of power
Ones producing at least as much light as a "usual 40 watt light bulb" (I somewhat think at least 440 lumens) with no more than 29 watts of power

Incandescent lamps that meet this energy efficiency standard are already on the market. These include the Philips "Halogena Energy Saver" 40 and 70 watt (60 and 100 watt equivalent respectively), already available at Home Depot. Similar GE light bulbs and ones of other wattages are already in the works.

UPDATE 5/26/2009 - Several months ago, someone e-mailed me something about the standard for efficiency. If the one who e-mailed me is correct, then the 70 watt Philips Halogena "Energy Saver" will need just a little tweaking to meet the standard - but the 40 watt version already meets it.

4. Ones With Bases Other Than E26/E27 "Medium Screw"/"Edison Screw"

This exemption from the ban includes most projector lamps, exit sign bulbs, and many decorative and low voltage bulbs and indicator lamps, whether or not they are excluded from the ban for other reasons. Most light bulbs for microwave ovens, sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, night lights, and nearly all halogen lamps without an outer bulb and "xenon" under-cabinet bulbs are exempted from the 2012/2014 USA Federal ban on this basis, in addition to mostly also being exempted on basis of light output or design voltage.

The 40 watt "intermediate screw" "high intensity" bulb that is about the size of a ping pong ball is also excluded on this basis.

MR11 and MR16 pin-base units are exempted on this basis, whether or not they qualify for exemption on basis of low voltage or "specialty lamp".

5. Many Specialty Types

Specifically *NOT EXEMPTED* from the ban on this basis:

"Modified Spectum" such as GE's "Reveal" and other neodymium bulb lamps, and "Daylight" incandescents with bluish glass.

Exempted from the ban on this basis:

appliance
black light
bug
coloured
infrared
left-hand thread (used where lamps may be stolen)
marine / marine signal
mine service
plant light
reflector (including BR, PAR and R type floodlights and spotlights)
rough service / shatter-resistant / vibration service
sign
silver bowl (reflectorized over the tip hemisphere of the bulb)
showcase
3-way
traffic signal
G & T shape (includes most refrigerator lamps and "globular" /spherical "vanity light" bulbs often used in home bathrooms)
AB, BA, CA, F, G16-1/2, G-25, G30, S and M-14
S includes most theater marquee lamps and a slightly-common 40 watt "high intensity" desk lamp bulb.
F includes most flame-shaped decorative lamps of affected wattages.

Credit To:

Paul Eldridge, for posting most of this in a January 18 2008 posting in the Usenet newsgroup alt.home.repair, in article (message ID) <2n12p3hhhjb104qjfuhvnf2o8r39ldmpi6@4ax.com>

Written by Don Klipstein.

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