Reveiw: GE 13255 40W Incandescent LIGHT Bulb
Wait a minute. Isn’t there already a review of a 40 watt incandescent light bulb from General Electrichere? Well, yes, there is. But that light bulb is the consumer standard “soft white” bulb. This one is a bit different.
One of the reasons GE has been a force in business for more than a century is that they’ve tinkered with their existing products and worked to develop entirely new ones. The GE 13255 40W Incandescent was an innovation too.
This light bulb is a slightly harsher – and therefore more brilliant -- variation on the standard consumer “soft white.” You can think of it as their “industrial,” or “hotel grade” 40W bulb. I like to think of it as “the 40W bulb you want to put in a shade-covered fixture.” Doing that gave two benefits at once: One is that the enclosing shade would soften the “direct, unfiltered light” a bit. The other is that direct, unfiltered light would be less affected by the shade. It would give you a bit more light, or clearer light, through the shade.
The GE 13255 is also one of the bulbs we used to use by the dozens, before the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 took effect. Now that it has, “general service incandescent lamps” – regular light bulbs -- sold in the U.S. that produce between 310 and 749 lumens must now consume no more than 29 watts of electricity. These light bulbs put out 505 lumens, so that qualifies them for that category. And, of course, they consume 40 watts. That’s why you can’t find them in the store anymore, and you’re having to shop for a non-incandescent replacement light bulb instead.
The 505 lumens is also, by the way, about three percent more than the “soft white” GE 13257 puts out. That’s an indication of the “direct, unfiltered light” given off by this bulb.
You’ll save money – significant money, over time. One of these bulbs cost more than $6.00 per year to own and operate, based on average usage and utility costs and the bulb’s rated life, and you had to replace them in less than a year. With a good, properly priced LED light bulb, you should be able to cut that cost by 80 percent or more. That’s right, from $6.25 to $1.25 or less. Plus, you can often get a better quality light, and you won’t have to change the bulb for more than 20 years.
So why is there a review of this light bulb? Because it’s not only one of the baseline 40W light bulbs, it’s also an interesting variation within that group. Knowing about this light bulb -- what made it similar to and different from other 40W incandescent light bulbs – can help inform the choice of a satisfying replacement
Here’s what the GE 13255 looks like by the numbers:
Product Name: GE 13255 40W Incandescent
Analysis
The GE 13255 was and wasn’t a “regular” light bulb. It had a lightly frosted shell, which let more light through, and filtered it less, than the frosted shell on a standard soft white light bulb did. It had the same tungsten filament and nitrogen atmosphere inside, but it filtered it less, so you got more of that lovely white-hot glow more directly. It could appear a bit glaring if it wasn’t inside a shade.
The 13255 did produce nearly 13 lumens per watt. But, at 40 watts, that still cost you nearly $5.00 per year in electricity. That’s probably the best reason to replace them with higher-efficiency bulbs. And they cost $1.43 per year to buy. The total cost per year was $6.25 per bulb, every year.
Just remember that these bulbs gave a nice, bright light that came on at full brightness, and they were fully dimmable. That also meant that they worked as expected with special controls, such as motion sensors, which didn’t necessarily provide full power at startup.
Keep those characteristics in mind as you’re looking for a replacement for a bulb that’s going in a shaded fixture.
One of the reasons GE has been a force in business for more than a century is that they’ve tinkered with their existing products and worked to develop entirely new ones. The GE 13255 40W Incandescent was an innovation too.
This light bulb is a slightly harsher – and therefore more brilliant -- variation on the standard consumer “soft white.” You can think of it as their “industrial,” or “hotel grade” 40W bulb. I like to think of it as “the 40W bulb you want to put in a shade-covered fixture.” Doing that gave two benefits at once: One is that the enclosing shade would soften the “direct, unfiltered light” a bit. The other is that direct, unfiltered light would be less affected by the shade. It would give you a bit more light, or clearer light, through the shade.
The GE 13255 is also one of the bulbs we used to use by the dozens, before the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 took effect. Now that it has, “general service incandescent lamps” – regular light bulbs -- sold in the U.S. that produce between 310 and 749 lumens must now consume no more than 29 watts of electricity. These light bulbs put out 505 lumens, so that qualifies them for that category. And, of course, they consume 40 watts. That’s why you can’t find them in the store anymore, and you’re having to shop for a non-incandescent replacement light bulb instead.
The 505 lumens is also, by the way, about three percent more than the “soft white” GE 13257 puts out. That’s an indication of the “direct, unfiltered light” given off by this bulb.
What’s the Upside?
You’ll save money – significant money, over time. One of these bulbs cost more than $6.00 per year to own and operate, based on average usage and utility costs and the bulb’s rated life, and you had to replace them in less than a year. With a good, properly priced LED light bulb, you should be able to cut that cost by 80 percent or more. That’s right, from $6.25 to $1.25 or less. Plus, you can often get a better quality light, and you won’t have to change the bulb for more than 20 years.
So why is there a review of this light bulb? Because it’s not only one of the baseline 40W light bulbs, it’s also an interesting variation within that group. Knowing about this light bulb -- what made it similar to and different from other 40W incandescent light bulbs – can help inform the choice of a satisfying replacement
Here’s what the GE 13255 looks like by the numbers:
Just the Facts
Product Name: GE 13255 40W Incandescent
- Type: Incandescent A-line
- Voltage: 120V AC
- Wattage: 40 watts
- Size and Shape: A19
- Base/Connection: Medium screw (E26)
- Dimmable? Yes
- Cost: $1.31 US
- Rated Life: 1,000 hours
- Life in Years (based on three hours of use per day): 0.9 years
- Replacement Cost per Year: $1.41 US
- Energy Consumption (kilowatt hours per year): 43.8 kWh
- Energy Cost/Year (based on $0.11 US per kilowatt hour): $4.83 US
- Total cost/year: $6.25 US
- Initial Light Output in Lumens: 505 lumens
- Efficiency (lumens per watt): 12.63 L/W
- Color Temperature: 2800 degrees Kelvin
- Color Rendering Index (CRI): Not available
Analysis
The GE 13255 was and wasn’t a “regular” light bulb. It had a lightly frosted shell, which let more light through, and filtered it less, than the frosted shell on a standard soft white light bulb did. It had the same tungsten filament and nitrogen atmosphere inside, but it filtered it less, so you got more of that lovely white-hot glow more directly. It could appear a bit glaring if it wasn’t inside a shade.
The 13255 did produce nearly 13 lumens per watt. But, at 40 watts, that still cost you nearly $5.00 per year in electricity. That’s probably the best reason to replace them with higher-efficiency bulbs. And they cost $1.43 per year to buy. The total cost per year was $6.25 per bulb, every year.
Just remember that these bulbs gave a nice, bright light that came on at full brightness, and they were fully dimmable. That also meant that they worked as expected with special controls, such as motion sensors, which didn’t necessarily provide full power at startup.
Keep those characteristics in mind as you’re looking for a replacement for a bulb that’s going in a shaded fixture.
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