Have you ever found yourself in the dark about properly storing your light bulbs? Let us shine a light on the best practices for storing light bulbs, whether incandescent or LED.
It’s easy to overlook the importance of proper light bulb storage until you have a mess of shattered bulbs. With their fragile nature, it’s crucial to handle them with care. Fortunately, there are specific tips that you can follow to help prevent any damage. And now, with the recent Incandescent Light Bulb Ban in effect, safeguarding your remaining incandescent bulbs has never been more critical, as they’re no longer available for purchase.
Whether you’re seeking general light bulb storage advice or information on navigating the ban, we’ve got you covered. Join us as we walk you through everything you need to know about light bulb storage, with insights on how to store your banned bulbs and where to find replacements in Central Texas.
Light Bulb Storage Tips
Budget-friendly light bulb storage shouldn’t require additional purchases beyond what you already have at home. Everything you need to store your light bulbs safely can be found at your fingertips. Many simple solutions, whether repurposing household items for recycling or utilizing storage bins, are available. Let’s explore how you can make the most of these everyday items:
- Bubble Wrap
Protect all angles of your light bulbs by carefully wrapping them in bubble wrap. This method is an effective way to prevent any breakage or damage to each individual bulb. You can either decide on individually wrapping each light bulb or keeping them in their original container and bubble wrapping the packaging. Adding this protective layer will ensure the bulbs remain securely in place and are less likely to tumble around. - Egg Cartons
One of the most affordable and environmentally friendly solutions is to place each light bulb in the egg-shaped spaces of an egg carton. The rounded shape and the carton’s lid offer excellent protection against damage and dust accumulation. You can easily label or gently stack the cartons for convenient storage access. - Plastic Storage Bins
Everyone has at least one plastic storage bin around the house or garage. Utilize these bins with other storage tips to add a layer of protection to your light bulbs. Storing them in a covered bin simplifies transportation to and from storage and ensures that dust won’t accumulate on the bulbs over time. - Ornament Organizers
Just as ornament organizers securely hold your most fragile and cherished childhood ornaments, they can also serve as excellent storage solutions for your light bulbs. These organizers have specific designs to accommodate multiple delicate items, ensuring they remain intact. Since they can store numerous lightbulbs in one container, people will only need to get one of them. - Plastic Cups
For an affordable DIY solution, small plastic cups make a perfect holding space for each light bulb. Simply arrange the cups side by side within a container and place each light bulb in its own cup. If you have many bulbs to store, then add a sheet of cardboard over the cups once you’ve filled a bottom row to create an additional layer for more storage space.
Incandescent Light Bulb Ban
As This past August, the Biden administration began enforcing a nationwide ban on incandescent light bulbs. This ban has been in the making since 2007, when the Energy Independence and Security Act was passed. The law required the Department of Energy to evaluate whether efficiency standards for light bulbs needed to be set and to require a minimum standard of energy efficiency of 45 lumens per watt to be considered. As a result, the 2007 law set a decade-plus-long legislative path to determine a new energy efficiency standard to go into effect by January 1, 2017. Still, it was interrupted by the Trump administration. The Biden administration resumed the process by April 2022, and by August 2023, they began a progressive enforcement of their 45 lumens per watt law.
Enforcing the light bulb ban encourages the sale of energy-efficient light bulbs. According to the Department of Energy, this ban can save consumers nearly $3 billion annually on utility bills and cut carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years. These savings would equate to the emissions equivalent of 28 million homes generated in a year.
While this seems like a positive development, some people are still hesitant about the ban as they don’t like the glow and yellow filaments in the new LEDs. Some have even gone to the extent of collecting outlawed bulbs. One man in New Hampshire stockpiled nearly 5,000 outlawed incandescent light bulbs and intends to use them. This stockpiling shows that not everyone favors the light bulb ban but must follow it or risk facing a $542 fine for selling it.
Incandescent Light Bulbs vs. LED Bulbs
Are you wondering why there’s such a big fuss over some light bulbs and the differences between incandescent and LED light bulbs? Believe it or not, LED bulbs significantly affect energy efficiency, cost, and lifespan. Across the board, LED light bulbs outperform incandescent ones, making them the obvious choice to reach for in the store. And now, with the recent incandescent light bulb ban, they are one of the few options you can still grab.
While both types of light bulbs light up a room, they are composed differently. Incandescent light bulbs have a thin wire filament in a vacuum-filled glass envelope that is heated by electricity until it glows. On the other hand, LED (Light Emitting Diode) light bulbs use electrons to flow throughout the bulb and create photons, which are the light we can see. LED light bulbs function by sending an electric current through a semiconductor, prompting electrons to emit light energy. As a result, LED light bulbs produce long-lasting illumination without using as much energy or generating additional heat as incandescent ones.
Let’s take a closer look at some other differences between incandescent and LED light bulbs:
Incandescent Light Bulbs:
Having been around since Thomas Edison patented the light bulb in 1879, incandescent technology remains relatively unchanged. It’s a simple technology that has stood the test of time. However, there are drawbacks:
- They waste a ton of energy as heat.
- They can pose a fire hazard by burning anything that comes into close contact.
- Typically, they produce a warm, yellowish light.
- Light bulbs with 45 lumens per watt or less are banned in the U.S.
LED Light Bulbs:
In contrast, LED light bulbs offer several advantages:
- They use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.
- Since photons generate almost no heat, LEDs require less energy to produce light.
- They last significantly longer than incandescent bulbs.
- LED bulbs produce the same amount of brightness.
- They require minimal maintenance since they rarely need replacing.
- LED bulbs offer multiple lighting options, allowing for a white hue or colored lighting.
- Generally, they are more durable than incandescent light bulbs.
Where to Buy Light Bulbs in Central Texas
If you find yourself in need of a replacement light bulb in the Central Texas area, then consider checking out the following stores that carry lighting supplies:
Circle Hardware Supply
- Address: 2504 LaSalle Ave. Waco, TX 76706
Website: https://www.circlehardwarewaco.com/electrical-supply.html
Texas Bright Ideas
- Address: 300 Millers Crossing Harker Heights, TX 76548
Website: https://texasbrightideas.com/
Dealers Electrical Supply
- Waco Address: 1418 Franklin Ave. Waco, Texas 76701
- Temple Address: 4013 Bell Dr. Temple, Texas 76502
- Killeen Address: 405 Commerce Drive Killeen, Texas 76543
Website: https://www.dealerselectrical.com/lighting.html
Home Depot
- Temple Address: 3550 South General Bruce Dr. Temple, TX 76504
- Killeen Address: 3201 E Central Texas Expy Killeen, TX 76543
- Waco Address: 5605 W Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76710
Website: https://www.homedepot.com/s/lightbulbs?NCNI-5
Lowe’s Home Improvement
- Temple Address: 605 Sw H.K. Dodgen Loop, Temple, TX 76502
- Killeen Address: 2801 South W.S. Young Dr. Killeen, TX 76542
- Waco Address: 201 North New Road Waco, TX 76710
Website: https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=light%20bulbs
Walmart
- Temple Addresses: 3401 S 31st St, Temple, TX 76502 and 6801 W Adams Ave, Temple, TX 76502
- Belton Address: 2604 N Main St, Belton, TX 76513
- Harker Heights Address: 2020 Heights Dr, Harker Heights, TX 76548
- Killeen Address: 3404 W Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen, TX 76549
- Waco Addresses: 4320 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76710 and 600 Hewitt Dr, Waco, TX 76712
Website: https://www.walmart.com/cp/light-bulbs/1228347
Resources:
- https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-begins-enforcing-nationwide-light-bulb-bans-backlash-gop
- https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/02/biden-rule-banning-incandescent-light-bulbs-now-fully-in-effect.html
- https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/nh-man-stockpiles-nearly-5k-outlawed-bulbs-biden-ban-america-freedom
- https://www.spectrumelectricinc.com/blog/2021/four-simple-lightbulb-storage-hacks.html
- https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/sustainable-living/led-vs-regular-lights
Light Bulb Storage Solutions | Amy’s Attic Self Storage in Texas
For 20 years and counting, Amy’s Attic Self Storage leads the community in both residential and business storage solutions. Our facilities are accessible, secure, and clean. If you are interested in renting a storage unit, then please visit our website at https://www.amysatticss.com.
