Inefficiency Has Its Benefits

Years ago we replaced incandescent lights throughout the house with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Since the packrat in me can never bear to discard perfectly working equipment, I saved a half dozen 60- and 75-watters. Good thing, too, because they were needed on Friday.

After last week’s rains a wet spot had appeared on the ceiling [investigated later—see post below], and the plaster needed to dry out before the next storm rolled through. The cool-burning CFLs had no effect, but the old incandescent lights did the trick, warming but not over-heating the plaster.

Sometimes (energy) inefficiency has its benefits.