Is it unethical...

[daepp]

To purchase varying wattage bulbs (fluorescent) to try in your home, returning the ones you don't want? From Lowes for example.

I have quite a few applications in my home that I want to try to light with fluorescents. For example, we have 8, 120W floods in our kitchen, and I'm hoping to find a suitable replacement. However, they are not cheap, and I do not know what wattage will be "enough"or whether I'll like that kind of light.

What sayeth the ethical minds of PPOT?

Obviously, the returns would have to be in their undamaged original packaging and able for the store to resale.

[Heel n Toe]

I don't know if they'd take them back, but regardless, I would just say buy the closest wattage equivalent in the fluorescent and live with them until they burn out, or if they're not bright enough, just use them in lamps and get something else for the kitchen.

[Gogar]

When the retailer determines their return policy, they take care of the morality for you! You're not abusing their policy if you follow their rules

[M.D. Holloway]

Lowes will take them back without questions. I have seen people bring things back that have been used and abused and they get credit as long as you have the receipt (sometimes you don't even need that).

They most likely will not resell them - more like pitch them even it they are fine. There is no way of telling what happened to them after the box was open.

If you want to compare your incandescent now to a fluorescent then you should look to compare performance:

Look at Luminance - measured in candelas per meters squared or candelas per feet squared is the measurement of the ratio of the intensity of light produced by a surface by a surface in a given direction to a projected area of the emitting surface.

Luminous Flux - measured in Lumens, it is the amount of light generated without regard to the direction of the light beam.

Candlepower - measured in Candelas (cd) measures of the intensity of the light source in a given direction.

Illuminance - measurement of the amount of light calculated by dividing the number of lumens by the surface area. Illuminance can also be calculated by the candlepower of the light divided by the square of the linear distance between the two points multiplied by the cosine of the angle between the light source and the normal surface. If the area or distance is measured in square feet the metric is Lux. If the distance is measured in square meters the metric is Footcandles. There are 10.16 Lux per 1 Footcandle. This measurement is a common standard of light quality.

Equivalent Sphere Illuminance (ESI) - measurement of how visible something is with a specific light source compared to the light generated by a uniform hemisphere light standard. This metric is often used when comparing various light sources. Computer programs are required for this measurement due to the complexity of the calculations involved.

Relative Visual Performance (RVP) - measurements which describes the potential of performing a visual task accurately under a very specific set of criteria. The measurement is expressed in percentage that predicts the probability of successfully performing a task where speed and accuracy are the performance metric. The users age, the reflectance characteristics, distribution of the light, viewing location, and orientation.

Visual Comfort Probability (VCP) - measurement in percentage of the relative brightness according to a specific angle resulting in the likelihood that the light source will provide comfort to the viewer. The baseline data is derived from lensed fluorescent lamps. Extrapolation of data for other systems can provide spurious results.

Exitance - the measurement, expressed in Lumens per unit surface of the total quality of light emitted, reflected and transmitted through a surface.

Although these terms may seem somewhat confusing they are nonetheless very important parameters when defining a specification for lighting.



Is it unethical? I guess that is for you to decide.

[onewhippedpuppy]

If you have to ask.......... Seriously, are you really THAT cheap? Buy a pack and try them. Replace one, unscrew the others, then turn it on at night to see how much light it puts out and how it compares.

[daepp]

I don't want hose the retailer. I also don't know the specs of the bulbs I ahve in their now.

Plus, isn't there a qualitative issue here with respect to how they look?

[daepp]

Dude - they're expensive. And I need a lot of them. And I hate waste. Not necessarily just in an environmental way.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by daepp

I don't want hose the retailer. I also don't know the specs of the bulbs I ahve in their now.

Plus, isn't there a qualitative issue here with respect to how they look?

I don't think you're "hosing" the retailer at all... it's not like you're breaking them and returning them.

If you're not sure about it, just ask if it's OK. I've bought car parts before and if there are two versions and I'm not sure which one I need, I'll buy both and return the one I don't use. They don't have a problem with that, I don't see how this is any different.

[nostatic]

Buy them to try them. Donate the ones you don't like to a shelter or non-profit of your choice.

[tcar]

Try something like 26 watts. Just buy one or two and see if you like them. They're really expensive.

Ask if you can take them back before you buy them. Many places (Lowe's) will let you return.

Also, if you have the lights on for long periods, they will save money. If they are turned on and off several times a day for only a half hour or so, they will not be nearly as energy efficient.

If they are turned on for a few minutes to see what's in the fridge, they will be pretty dim and will actually use more power than incandescents.

Make sure they are dimmable, if that's important - standard ones are not. I believe you need a special dimmer, too.

[dad911]

Buy a few different wattages, try them in various spots in the house, then buy more of the ones you need.

FYI Fluorescent lights use special dimmers, and are dim when first turned on, then get brighter. For this reason we don't use them in the bathrooms.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Buy them to try them. Donate the ones you don't like to a shelter or non-profit of your choice.

pretty liberal of you Todd! I'm glad someone has all sorts of money to be throwing at non-profits! Next thing you'll suggest is to have him buy candles instead and take the monyy he would have spent on those bulbs and send it Investment Bankers Relief Fund.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Just go take the ones out of the vacant foreclosure houses in your neighborhood.

Ethical dilemma solved!

[LeeH]

We did this with Costco, but not intentionally. The ones we bought were just way too bright. They took them back with no question and said it was common for people to bring them back with the same compaint.

[UconnTim97]

I do this all the time at the Home Depot around the corner. Nothing wrong with returning something in it's original packaging. I keep anything I open, or install and it does not work for me. Any extras that are not opened get returned.

[nynor]

i find that the florescent bulb replacements are not as bright as the equivalent wattage for incandescent bulbs. also, the light seems off and they have a high frequency flicker. i use them in some places in my house, but not very many. i am fairly sensitive to that flicker.

[DByers]

daepp,
Take a picture of the lights in your kitchen and post or email them to me. If you are really running 120W lights you could drop down to a halogen lamp to save energy and get the = light output. Also by using a dimmer on your inc. lamps you will extend their life. Less light output is not a problem if the distribution is good. Using a flood or wide flood helps eliminate dark spots.
Using CFL is one way to go to save some energy in areas where the lights will be used for longer periods of time like dad911 mentions. Some CFL that are retrofits can be dimmed with standard dimmers, or so they say on the package. We have never had good luck with them below 50%. A real good system will require a special ballast and dimmer.
Title 24 in CA now requires a source the meets a lumen per watt spec that only fluorescent can meet in kitchens. There is some great LED product on the market now, but is pricey for the ones that really work. Dimming down to 50% is achievable but below that is dicey. Once LED's have a standard they will meet Title 24 with no problems. I have done several LED retrofits in both commercial and residential applications with great success. Amazing what a 15w LED lamp will do when placed in a properly engineered package.
You can PM if you want some more info. Might even be able to sample you some CFL or halogens.

[David]

I tried the flood type CFL bulbs in some of our can ceiling lights. It looked terrible. Maybe the technology will get there in the floods, but it wasn't there last year when I tried it.

[968rz]

Also take in to account that the CF bulbs do not do well with dimmers (been there, tried that, didn't work).

[Henry Schmidt]

Hi David
You know the answer to this question. How would this behavior make you feel? If it feels smarmy it is smarmy. You be the judge. The store won't care.
Consider it a learning experience. Education has cost. The more it cost the more you learn.
Case in point, you own a Porsche.

Who knows, by the time your done you could sell your services as a lighting expert.

Cheers