My church underwent a relighting back in 1992 and they were selling these fixtures for $7 each. So I snatched this one up repainted it and replaced the socket and wiring. I had this light for well over 22 years. Right now, I have one of the two GE 500 watt PS40 Silvered bowl lamps in it.
Yeah cool light! My aunt and uncle's church is loaded with these in the basement. Probably just under a dozen or so with mogul base silverbowl 300W lamps.
Well my aunt and uncle's church WAS filled with these but apparently they got an energy grant and the regular medium base fixtures all got LEDs, their oil furnace was replaced with a new gas one, the T12 rapid start wrap lights were replaced with T8 programmed start, and unfortunately the 300W 3-ring lights were replaced with one 2X F32T8 programmed start wrap light each. They're nice looking wrap lights but man I was upset to find out they were taken down.
But I was even more upset to find out they had all be DESTROYED! Since it's a grant, they have to totally obliterate everything that gets taken down so they don't remain in circulation. I find that totally stupid. The company affiliated with the grant and the replacing should donate these fixtures to a Goodwill or ReStore or Salvation Army or something. These are historical pieces and worth a considerable amount! It's just not right to crush things like this to bits! That's why i hate grants like that. The waste that comes from them! Like with the T12 wraps. There was no reason why those couldn't have been saved. they looked like new and were installed about 10 years ago. Diffusers all in great shape and everything. But no, they had to replace them.
Well consider that the aluminum and copper from the fixtures can be recycled. And incandescent bulbs are considered ordinary glass waste so they too can be recycled. Fluorescents, on the other hand, that's a different ball of wax. But yes, it is a stipulation of the Federal grant. Old fixtures have to be destroyed.
True, they can be recycled. It's not lilke these are getting thrown out with the trash. The reason they don't want these "ending up back in circulation" is because they don't want the client (in this case the church) making any money by reselling the old lights, since the new lights were installed free to the church or close to free. So the reason they refuse to let the old lights stay is so they can fill their pockets scrapping them. So the scrapping money helps pay for the grant but still, it's so rediculous! These are historical pieces, and lighting is a big part of history. Plus these are very cool looking. I'm sure they could have been used elsewhere.
Actually, the grant "body" could probably make more money auctioning off these old lights rather than scrapping them but the member from the church I talked to said that the lights were destroyed on site because when they disconnected them they just dropped them to the ground and then they were thrown off the deck right into their dumpster. I pretty gruesome sight if you're a "light person". Glad I wasn't there. I wouldn't have wanted to see that and it's not like I'd have been able to walk away with anything.
The church saw the historical part of these lights and wanted to save just one and put it on display but even a top-dollar offer was refused! (which is still asinine since the chuch OWNS the lights to begin with, though with the grant part of the contract is probably that the old lights are no longer the client's property).
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But I was even more upset to find out they had all be DESTROYED! Since it's a grant, they have to totally obliterate everything that gets taken down so they don't remain in circulation. I find that totally stupid. The company affiliated with the grant and the replacing should donate these fixtures to a Goodwill or ReStore or Salvation Army or something. These are historical pieces and worth a considerable amount! It's just not right to crush things like this to bits! That's why i hate grants like that. The waste that comes from them! Like with the T12 wraps. There was no reason why those couldn't have been saved. they looked like new and were installed about 10 years ago. Diffusers all in great shape and everything. But no, they had to replace them.
It's like the gov't is making you feel shame for having these.
And what about all this landfill waste it generates hmm, what about that? How is that better for the environment?
Stupid congress.
Actually, the grant "body" could probably make more money auctioning off these old lights rather than scrapping them but the member from the church I talked to said that the lights were destroyed on site because when they disconnected them they just dropped them to the ground and then they were thrown off the deck right into their dumpster. I pretty gruesome sight if you're a "light person". Glad I wasn't there. I wouldn't have wanted to see that and it's not like I'd have been able to walk away with anything.
The church saw the historical part of these lights and wanted to save just one and put it on display but even a top-dollar offer was refused! (which is still asinine since the chuch OWNS the lights to begin with, though with the grant part of the contract is probably that the old lights are no longer the client's property).