Dimmable CFLs

At last they’ve arrived! CF bulbs you can safely use with dimmers. Warm-glow, 23W, standard-fixture spiral bulb is the equivalent of a 65W incandescent. Rated at 6,000 hours. Warm-glow 16W reflector floodlight is designed for recessed ceilings, high hats, track lights, and similar uses that require R30 reflector bulbs. 23W dimmable and R30 floodlight dimmable bulbs can dim down to 20%.

On rare occasions, the bulb can fail dramatically just before it burns out. It can flash and make noise or smoke. Underwriters Laboratories, which investigates products for safety, says UL-listed CFLs are not a fire hazard. Manufacturers say they are making circuitry changes so that dramatic failures won't happen in the future.

• Turn off the power to the bulb.
• Let it cool.
• Then remove it by grasping from the base and not the glass part of the bulb. CFLs do contain small amounts of mercury. So if a bulb breaks, follow the guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency:
• Open the windows and leave the room for at least 15 minutes.
• On hard floors, do NOT use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb.
• Instead, scoop up the pieces with cardboard, wearing disposable gloves.
• Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels.
• To remove broken CFL pieces from a rug, use sticky tape.
• Place all debris and cleaning materials in two sealed plastic bags.