Light Bulb Ban

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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I use incandescent bulbs in my reptile enclosures to provide a warm lit basking area. I've done this since the 80's. I've enjoyed a wide variety of shapes and sizes over the years, and these bulbs have done their job well for me. Time marches on and technology advances. We now have cfl and LED bulbs that are much more energy efficient and much longer lasting. I like these bulbs and have them all over my houses and properties for lighting purposes, but they aren't suitable for what I need for my reptiles, or my chick brooders. For some specialty purposes, I need the heat generated by the old style incandescent bulbs.

I think it is FANTASTIC that we have these new energy efficient bulbs and I've been happy to buy and use them, but now the California government has decided that I will no longer have a choice about which bulb to buy. Now they have decided for me that I'm not allowed to purchase the bulbs I need for my reptiles and chicks. In January of 2018, they said the stores could sell of their remaining inventory, but not buy any more. As of January 2020, it is against the law to sell an incandescent bulb in CA. I knew the stores were phasing out the incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy efficient newer models because they've been getting harder and harder to find. I thought this was a market driven consumer choice. I wasn't too worried because I knew I could order my bulbs on Amazon or elsewhere on-line. Nope. Amazon won't ship them to me. Its ILLEGAL to purchase them in CA. They are BANNED. Against the law. Contraband.

This, frankly, is BULLSH**!!! They didn't tell anyone they were doing this. It wasn't on the news or in the papers that I saw. We didn't vote on this. They didn't even ask for public opinion. They just took away a small piece of our freedom whether we like it or not, and there is no legal recourse. Two groups tried to fight it, and the higher courts upheld the ban. Like every other stupid law, I will find a way around this law, but I should not have to. They are slowly but surely eroding our freedom in this country. If you haven't noticed that we are losing our freedom and our country to this sort of government over reach, you are in for a rude awakening.

If you live in CA and want to keep your reptiles warm and lit, you better make friends with someone in a free state that can receive them and forward them to you. What a pain in the arse!
 

Relic

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538
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Here
Tom, several years ago, perhaps 6-7, I saw Lowe's was moving all the incandescent bulbs of various wattages to an aisle end-cap and marking them down. I did some quick internet research and saw Uncle Sam was forcing us away from them and making us go to curly fluorescents, that subsequently gave way to LED. Being of the type constitution where I hate being told what to do (unless it's my wife speaking, then I must listen attentively), I drove back to Lowe's and loaded up two baskets. I've got well over 200 bulbs from 60 to 100 watts, and I sleep better at night knowing I've got them. I use them in my attics. The old fluorescent bulbs took so long to warm up on winter days that I lost patience and put good old fashioned, instant-on, incandescent bulbs all over the attic. And in closets. And reptile cages are also on my list of approved uses.

My rule of thumb is as soon as I hear the government is forcing the abandonement of some product, I hastily buy as much of it as I can safely store. (I just wish I had snagged a half dozen "full flow" toilets before they vanished...)
 

Tom

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I notice even here in ma they are getting harder to find on the shelves.. lots of led
I like that. LEDs make much more sense, and I have no problem with anyone encouraging their use. But to tell people that they are NOT ALLOWED to buy something else that better suits their needs is unacceptable.

I have solar panels on my house. Its none of their damn business if I want to use all high wattage incandescent bulbs and run my AC while doing it to cool the house down from all the incandescent heat. They have NO right to tell me what bulbs I can or can't buy.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Tom, several years ago, perhaps 6-7, I saw Lowe's was moving all the incandescent bulbs of various wattages to an aisle end-cap and marking them down. I did some quick internet research and saw Uncle Sam was forcing us away from them and making us go to curly fluorescents, that subsequently gave way to LED. Being of the type constitution where I hate being told what to do (unless it's my wife speaking, then I must listen attentively), I drove back to Lowe's and loaded up two baskets. I've got well over 200 bulbs from 60 to 100 watts, and I sleep better at night knowing I've got them. I use them in my attics. The old fluorescent bulbs took so long to warm up on winter days that I lost patience and put good old fashioned, instant-on, incandescent bulbs all over the attic. And in closets. And reptile cages are also on my list of approved uses.

My rule of thumb is as soon as I hear the government is forcing the abandonement of some product, I hastily buy as much of it as I can safely store. (I just wish I had snagged a half dozen "full flow" toilets before they vanished...)
You are smarter than me! I knew we were being offered a better product that makes much more sense for most applications. I just didn't know that other options that are more suitable for other applications were going to be made ILLEGAL.
 
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Messages
60
Location (City and/or State)
Salisbury
I use incandescent bulbs in my reptile enclosures to provide a warm lit basking area. I've done this since the 80's. I've enjoyed a wide variety of shapes and sizes over the years, and these bulbs have done their job well for me. Time marches on and technology advances. We now have cfl and LED bulbs that are much more energy efficient and much longer lasting. I like these bulbs and have them all over my houses and properties for lighting purposes, but they aren't suitable for what I need for my reptiles, or my chick brooders. For some specialty purposes, I need the heat generated by the old style incandescent bulbs.

I think it is FANTASTIC that we have these new energy efficient bulbs and I've been happy to buy and use them, but now the California government has decided that I will no longer have a choice about which bulb to buy. Now they have decided for me that I'm not allowed to purchase the bulbs I need for my reptiles and chicks. In January of 2018, they said the stores could sell of their remaining inventory, but not buy any more. As of January 2020, it is against the law to sell an incandescent bulb in CA. I knew the stores were phasing out the incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy efficient newer models because they've been getting harder and harder to find. I thought this was a market driven consumer choice. I wasn't too worried because I knew I could order my bulbs on Amazon or elsewhere on-line. Nope. Amazon won't ship them to me. Its ILLEGAL to purchase them in CA. They are BANNED. Against the law. Contraband.

This, frankly, is BULLSH**!!! They didn't tell anyone they were doing this. It wasn't on the news or in the papers that I saw. We didn't vote on this. They didn't even ask for public opinion. They just took away a small piece of our freedom whether we like it or not, and there is no legal recourse. Two groups tried to fight it, and the higher courts upheld the ban. Like every other stupid law, I will find a way around this law, but I should not have to. They are slowly but surely eroding our freedom in this country. If you haven't noticed that we are losing our freedom and our country to this sort of government over reach, you are in for a rude awakening.

If you live in CA and want to keep your reptiles warm and lit, you better make friends with someone in a free state that can receive them and forward them to you. What a pain in the arse!
I am quite a new tortoise owner, so for my tortoise I use the split bulbs(can’t remember the exact type) I think that it is ridiculous to take something away without telling someone! Especially if you have been using them along time. I live in the uk though, so I don’t know if there band here. I understand why they did it though, as leds are much more power efficient, sustainable etc.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Messages
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I understand why they did it though, as leds are much more power efficient, sustainable etc.

You understand why they banned a perfectly useful item without even asking us? You understand why it is now illegal for me to buy the product I need to maintain the health and well being of my animals?

As I said, I can understand encouraging the use of LEDs for general lighting purposes. I use and like them myself. What I can't understand is making alternatives illegal, whether we like it or not. That is not freedom. That is a dictatorship. We don't have a king or queen here. We are supposed to have a government that serves us. They are supposed to bend the knee to us, not vice versa.
 

Viola B

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Jul 13, 2018
Messages
234
Location (City and/or State)
Idaho Falls, Idaho
I use incandescent bulbs in my reptile enclosures to provide a warm lit basking area. I've done this since the 80's. I've enjoyed a wide variety of shapes and sizes over the years, and these bulbs have done their job well for me. Time marches on and technology advances. We now have cfl and LED bulbs that are much more energy efficient and much longer lasting. I like these bulbs and have them all over my houses and properties for lighting purposes, but they aren't suitable for what I need for my reptiles, or my chick brooders. For some specialty purposes, I need the heat generated by the old style incandescent bulbs.

I think it is FANTASTIC that we have these new energy efficient bulbs and I've been happy to buy and use them, but now the California government has decided that I will no longer have a choice about which bulb to buy. Now they have decided for me that I'm not allowed to purchase the bulbs I need for my reptiles and chicks. In January of 2018, they said the stores could sell of their remaining inventory, but not buy any more. As of January 2020, it is against the law to sell an incandescent bulb in CA. I knew the stores were phasing out the incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy efficient newer models because they've been getting harder and harder to find. I thought this was a market driven consumer choice. I wasn't too worried because I knew I could order my bulbs on Amazon or elsewhere on-line. Nope. Amazon won't ship them to me. Its ILLEGAL to purchase them in CA. They are BANNED. Against the law. Contraband.

This, frankly, is BULLSH**!!! They didn't tell anyone they were doing this. It wasn't on the news or in the papers that I saw. We didn't vote on this. They didn't even ask for public opinion. They just took away a small piece of our freedom whether we like it or not, and there is no legal recourse. Two groups tried to fight it, and the higher courts uphelban. Like every other stupid law, I will find a way around this law, but I should not have to. They are slowly but surely eroding our freedom in this country. If you haven't noticed that we are losing our freedom and our country to this sort of government over reach, you are in for a rude awakening.

If you live in CA and want to keep your reptiles warm and lit, you better make friends with someone in a free state that can receive them and forward them to you. What a pain in the arse!
 

Markw84

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Grow lights for plants are exempted under this law. Bulbs specifically manufactured and marketed exclusively for special use as opposed to general lighting - has the Grow lights currently under this category. I think brooder lights and possibly reptile lights may fall under this category. Then we have to deal with 3x the markup and manufacturers who only seem to offer "spot" and high intensity basking lights.

totally agree this is a bad law and erosion of personal freedom. A myopic look at the energy concerns without considerations of other needs for incandescent.
 

JTH

Member
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Joined
Jun 4, 2018
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
East Lansing, MI
I use incandescent bulbs in my reptile enclosures to provide a warm lit basking area. I've done this since the 80's. I've enjoyed a wide variety of shapes and sizes over the years, and these bulbs have done their job well for me. Time marches on and technology advances. We now have cfl and LED bulbs that are much more energy efficient and much longer lasting. I like these bulbs and have them all over my houses and properties for lighting purposes, but they aren't suitable for what I need for my reptiles, or my chick brooders. For some specialty purposes, I need the heat generated by the old style incandescent bulbs.

I think it is FANTASTIC that we have these new energy efficient bulbs and I've been happy to buy and use them, but now the California government has decided that I will no longer have a choice about which bulb to buy. Now they have decided for me that I'm not allowed to purchase the bulbs I need for my reptiles and chicks. In January of 2018, they said the stores could sell of their remaining inventory, but not buy any more. As of January 2020, it is against the law to sell an incandescent bulb in CA. I knew the stores were phasing out the incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy efficient newer models because they've been getting harder and harder to find. I thought this was a market driven consumer choice. I wasn't too worried because I knew I could order my bulbs on Amazon or elsewhere on-line. Nope. Amazon won't ship them to me. Its ILLEGAL to purchase them in CA. They are BANNED. Against the law. Contraband.

This, frankly, is BULLSH**!!! They didn't tell anyone they were doing this. It wasn't on the news or in the papers that I saw. We didn't vote on this. They didn't even ask for public opinion. They just took away a small piece of our freedom whether we like it or not, and there is no legal recourse. Two groups tried to fight it, and the higher courts upheld the ban. Like every other stupid law, I will find a way around this law, but I should not have to. They are slowly but surely eroding our freedom in this country. If you haven't noticed that we are losing our freedom and our country to this sort of government over reach, you are in for a rude awakening.

If you live in CA and want to keep your reptiles warm and lit, you better make friends with someone in a free state that can receive them and forward them to you. What a pain in the arse!

I don't know whether CA is very different, but here in Michigan the stores sell mostly LED and CFL bulbs now, but the (heat-producing) incandescent bulbs are available but as "specialty" bulbs, at much higher prices than formerly. In fact you can get special "reptile heat" bulbs locally and on-line very easily. Does CA bar you from ordering specialty "reptile" bulbs from the hobbyist suppliers?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
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Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I don't know whether CA is very different, but here in Michigan the stores sell mostly LED and CFL bulbs now, but the (heat-producing) incandescent bulbs are available but as "specialty" bulbs, at much higher prices than formerly. In fact you can get special "reptile heat" bulbs locally and on-line very easily. Does CA bar you from ordering specialty "reptile" bulbs from the hobbyist suppliers?
According to everything I have read, all incandescent bulbs are banned from sale in CA. I've tried to order from multiple sites and they won't ship them here. I don't know what Petco and all the reptiles stores are going to do about this. I'll bet they just keep on selling their expensive reptile bulbs in the packages marked for reptiles, and no one will enforce this.

We were going the same way as you for the last couple of years. Mostly LED and CFL bulbs on the shelves, but we were still allowed to buy incandescents if we wanted them. As of January, were are no longer allowed to buy them, and stores cannot sell them. I haven't found the actual text of the law yet, so I'm not sure about possession. I sure hope the flight bulb police don't come and arrest me for being too inefficient...
 
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