premium price for energy inefficient incandescent bulbs

[dinges]

I wanted to react to the post too;

It upsets me when people make such ridiculous comparisons: a 3$ part, as opposed to:

1. driving to the customer
   
2. doing a DIAGNOSIS of the problem
   
3. ordering (or having in stock) the part
   
4. performing the repair
   
5. checking whether the repair was succesful/cured the problem (i.e. was the diagnosis right)
   
6. feeding back to the customer
   
7. driving back to the office or next customer.
   
   

For 99% of people, the 3$ part isn't the problem, it's the correct diagnosis, followed by proper repair.

From experience, every TV I've serviced only had a $.10 part defective (excluding flybacks in tv, or heads in VCRs). So, all tv's should be fixed for that $.10? Or, perhaps with 1000% markup, for $1,- ?

Apples and oranges.

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[Don Cackleberrycreations]

Sorry to have offended so many

Im just a poor redneck  If something needs fixed I fix it or do with out .

jan 1 2005 the thermocouple on our furnace went out . -5 degrees 11pm and no heat .

a two and a five year old to keep healthy . choices try to tough it out till the next day  or take the thermocouple out of the water heater and use it on the furnace. guess what cold water but a warm house. when the transformer on the furnace went out  by passed it and used the batteries from my 24volt  drill till one came in.

   As for the cost of advertising  I live in an area where if you need to advertise it generally means your either just starting out or you do shoddy work. For twenty years I never advertised and always had more than enough work. All of which came from recommendations of customers, other builders, and lumber yards.

   Yes a persons time is expensive Yes there is overhead

Im not against anyone making a living . It just seemed a very expensive serice call .

[dinges]

No offence, but something that struck me as an unfair comparison.

In your case it may be true, that for you the cost difference would be between a 3$ part or having the job done by someone else.

For most other people (I include the ones on this board to be like 'us', I mean you and me) this isn't the case.

As to the price, 125$, I don't know if it's below or over average in your side of the world. A lot of money, sure. Then again, living in the cold and having cold water (had the problem myself 2 years ago; and since they delivered the wrong water heater, I had to wait another week (2 weeks total) till they solved their error and I could install the heater). A good reminder of the luxuries (hot water is luxury) which we take for granted. Showering with cold water is not something I enjoyed doing. In fact, I think I saved a lot of water during those 2 weeks

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[wildbill hickup]

They have some new CFL's (I've never seen them before) at wally world or homedepot I can't remember which 5 watts for a 40 watt(incandecent eqivilent) output, I beleive a 6-pack was 10 bucks. Didn't have the money damn!! My buddy could use those. It really is pretty bright in his kitchen. Have to remember to tell him next time I see him.

Wildbill

[elvin1949]

right Peter

 Apple 1 piece    Orange 5-to-7 piece's

Apple business .10 cent part-you go broke.

Orange business    .10 cent part + expences

  YOU make a living.

later

elvin

[finnsawyer]

There's more to this than an isolated repair.  A water heater should last twenty five years with no problems.  Any kind of failure within 5 years is unacceptable and should be covered by warranty.  If the manufacturer can't put in a long lasting thermocouple, than it needs a different system.  I have no problem with repair men making a living, but the same outfit that installed the unit did the repair.  They should be giving the customer value for his money at the time of sale and not be looking toward doing repairs in a few years.  I'm really skeptical about that gate valve.  Leaking in four years?  No excuse for that.

[Bruce S]

Norm;

If it's anything like the bulbs I got from you he's probably still running around with his new toy:-)) showing it off to others and telling them how much longer the batteries seem to last; if not then ohh well atleast you tried.

To add my well rested finally got 10 days off without a cell phone ringing 1/2cents worth.

A lot have already said it in many different ways. Most of this standards vs CFL vs LEDs comes down to knowledge .

How many people know that you can even get adapters so that if you buy candelabra CFLs to use them in standard based lights? or that there are now dimmers specifically for CFLs? Also, the sizes seems to be changing again. Those nice 7watt CFLs that are shaped like a teardrop, now are as bright as many 60 watts bulbs now. And our indoor plants are loving them, the light is shifted to the blue which enhances the leaf production.

Another point would be education, how many out here, have that nice little satisfied feeling inside once you've taught someone how to easily save money on a little thing like a light bulb. I was able to teach a handful of quilter ladies where the average age is 87, all at the same time and increase the available light.

People around St. Louis can get the CFL bulbs free, just have to go ask downtown and prove your under a certain income bracket or above an age bracket.

  That's tax money I don't mind giving up....

Do to my job, I get to meet quite a few of the local and state G-people as well as the big FDA groups. You'd be surprised to know how many are doing the same to save on their utility bills as well, they too only need to be educated to new lighting possiblites.

Cheers y'all

Bruce S

[ghurd]

It is suprising to me how few people know what an LED is, especially people who should know.  

Apparently they are not yet on US Customs lists, because they called me a couple weeks ago to ask what my shipment of "LEDs" were, and if I believed they had any duty or tariff due. LOL.

Try explaining what an LED is to a secretary who does not speak electricity.

G-