Review of GE Lighting 74726 Energy Smart CFL 20-Watt (75-watt replacement)

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I bought these glass light bulbs since I find that 'bare spiral' type CFL bulbs emit lighting that's too harsh. Also, the 'bare spiral' shape is just not suited for pendant light fixtures.

This GE Energy-Smart Covered Glass CFL Light Bulb (with its tiny electronic ballast) looks like a regular incandescent light bulb but has all the advantages of fluorescent lighting. The GE 75-watt Equivalent uses only 20 watts effectively an energy reduction of over 70% great!

Since fluorescent bulbs do not generate as much heat as regular incandescent light bulbs, I find this GE CFL light bulb ideal for the pendant light fixture above my kitchen table.

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The color temperature of this CFL glass light bulb is 2700K the same color temperature of a regular incandescent light bulb. The light produced by this CFL bulb appears yellowish white so you get the same warm glow of an incandescent lamp with less than 30% of the energy! That = $avings! :))

A FURTHER NOTE ON BULB COLOR TEMPERATURE: As the color temperature increases to 3000K 3500K, the color of the light appears less yellow and more white. A bulb with a color temperature of 5000K or higher, produces light that appears bluish white this is the color temperature of daylight.

ABOUT THE BULB'S WARM UP PERIOD: Compact fluorescents in general require a warm-up period to reach peak luminous power. Although this is an inherent issue with current CFL technology, many reviewers cite the long 'warm up period' as a negative ... and indeed it is, especially with this bulb's tiny electronic ballast. It takes longer to warm up than regular CFL bulbs with bulky ballasts.

I conducted my own 'tests' on the 'warm up period' of the GE 20-Watt Energy-Smart Covered Glass CFL Light Bulbs. When switched on, this CFL Light Bulb starts up at about 40% brightness and reaches its peak brightness after about 2.5 minutes. I took out one star for the long 'warm-up' time.

Being a long time user of CFL bulbs, I have since adjusted to their quirky 'warm up' issue. Nowadays, the only place I recommend using incandescent light bulbs is in your bathroom. You certainly don't want to take a nasty tumble there in the middle of the night!

ALSO RECOMMENDED: The lower wattage GE CFL Light Bulbs, 40-Watt Equivalent is suitable for your Vanity Light. Also, the GE CFL Light Bulbs, 60-Watt Equivalent provides adequate lighting for a small room.

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The long warmup time is for real. I have some uses that can tolerate that quite well. In one room, the light goes on at dark and off at 10:30PM. This works well for that. Not usable with dimmers or electronic timers. A lampshade that clips onto a standard incandescent will fit and hold on this "bulb', but it is a tight fit. The curly lamps will not hold such a shade and require a harp shade. This lamp serves some purposes well. Not well suited for some other purposes.

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This is the future of home lighting. Get used to it. In a few years, the old style light bulbs will no longer be sold. It's not how long it takes to warm up, it's how much energy you save, and how much money you also save on your electric bill. I just put one of these in, it's fine. A 100 watt version would be nice, I don't know if they make them yet.

Honest reviews on GE Lighting 74726 Energy Smart CFL 20-Watt (75-watt replacement)

I purchased this package of bulbs, along with another item. The 'other item' was a large dehumidifier that weighed over 40lbs. An Amazon doo-fus packed these light bulbs in the same box (yes, I said that...the same box) as the 40+ lb dehumidifier. You guessed it...the bulbs were crushed to white powder upon delivery. The package was there, but full of powder. Bizarre. Apparently, one can't call Amazon. So, I attempted to get a replacement. They wanted me to 'return' the white powder...I did not, as my explanation clearly explained the details of the damaged package and white powder. Now, Amazon is charging me a second time for the replacements they sent me. Very frustrating. One of the pitfalls of ordering through Amazon. I spend, conservatively, $1,000 year on this site over dozens of orders each year. This is the first mess I've encountered with Amazon, so I'll continue to order. BUT, I'll refrain from ordering light bulbs at the same time I order anything else.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for GE Lighting 74726 Energy Smart CFL 20-Watt (75-watt replacement)

i'm using these in my kitchen and when u turn them on it takes a few minutes to get fully bright. once they finally become fully bright, they look like a regular bulb. i'm looking for other bulbs to replace these with because i don't like waiting until i can fully see. when i am ready to cook, i'm ready to cook.