I have made what I hope will be the last bulb purchase for a long time. Since 1993, I have been using fluorescent light bulbs. My house has 60 bulbs. Several years ago, I switched every bulb to 5000 k bulbs. 5000 k bulbs are known as daylight bulbs. They simulate the sun. Most bulbs are in the warmer end around 2700 k. They are very yellowish. We do not like them. They are especially nasty in the winter. The color is too yellow. In the Northwest, the closest one can come to sunlight, the better.
Anyway, the 5000 k bulbs are great, however like most fluorescent bulbs, they last about two years. This is five years shy of their warranty. Keep those receipts for times when the bulbs stop functioning. Every time I replaced a bulb, I would write the date on it. Bulbs going bad were brought back to the store. That is really fun by the way. You sit there looking like an idiot returning a bulb. I have a receipt from two years ago with crossed off bulbs that have been returned. Eighty percent of those bulbs were burning out in two years or less.
Recently I have tested two 5000 k (daylight) LED bulbs in my office. The ones that I found are made by CREE. These bulbs are assembled in the United States. LED bulbs are expected to last 10 – 25 years. They reach full brightness instantly unlike fluorescent bulbs. They are dimmable. They can be switched on and off without damaging a filament. They are awesome. I bought and installed 60 of them today.
