Use the LLF LED bulb for your 6" cans. They're more energy efficient, more environmentally friendly, can be dimmed and will last 50k hours. The color quality is great as well. They don't have a 4" version yet. So you're out of luck there. As for the CFL's. You'll most probably have to take out your dimmer if you use them. Even if you don't dim it, you can have some problems. The can you have is probably rated for at least a 100 watt bulb. A 40 watt fluorescent should be fine. Can't help you with #1 or 4 though. Sorry. Anyway, go with the LLF. It's pricey (try calling the places rather than ordering online, you might get a better price), but it's so worth it. They only have one product now- the LR6. But I tell you, it's fantastic. Here is a link that might be useful: LLF's website.

Been trying to tell people this for a long time mote, but seems curious that people go Chicken Little on one thing and ignore a far more serious danger. And amazingly, people will recycle pop bottles and tuna cans, but won't recycle light bulbs. I truly wish I could understand this fear of change. Personally I think the life span of the CFL bulb useage as a whole will be short in the grand scheme of things, all things considered, as I believe the LEDs will be soon taking over with even better savings. However, people will still put crosses in their windows and sprinkle salt at their doors at that time too I imagine. Somewhere in the future there's going to be a lot of peoples' estates given the chore of disposing of all these hoarded light bulbs too I suspect! I will say that there are some differences in color temperature on bulbs and certain bulbs won't seem as bright as others. I find this true with streetlights when you compare sodium vapors with mercury vapors. (Oh heavens!!! MERCURY!!! Our towns are now hazardous waste sites as are many warehouses, even stores. What will we do?) The lamp next to my recliner had a 100w bulb and 2-60w bulbs. I'd use a 60 for general lighting and if company were here, all three would be on, and for reading the newspaper or something the idea was the 100w. It got to the point with incandescent, I needed the 100w with a 60 for comfortable reading. I switched to a 23w and two 13w CFLs. For reading now I only use the 23w (100w comparable) so in reality, during those times, I'm using 23 watts instead of 160. And there were times I'd burn the 3rd bulb so even to offset the occasional use of two at once, it's still clear about the savings. I can't understand how anyone would think a $5/mo variance in a $30 bill with rates and general useage would not be noticible! So it's no sense trying to discuss it. Question for you hersraterdave: If you had the same failure rate on a single particular brand of incandescent bulb, let's say a batch of Binford brand had similar failure, would you quit incandescents and start using candles? Or might you consider another brand or source? Or some other cause of the trouble? I'm just curious. :) Seriously though, although I'm not pleased with the dimming on the dimmable bulbs I put in the kitchen, I am pleased that I'm using 75watts instead of 225 watts and getting more light in the process. That's the result I wanted anyway. But to be fair, I wasn't pleased with the flickering of incandescent in the same fixture on the dimmers either. Given the energy use, I don't feel bad about leaving it on for a while since it's still cheaper than the incandescent. It remains to be seen how long these will last, but (knock China-made wood) so far, so good.

We switched out all of our incandescent r-30 bulbs from our recessed lights to these for another reason: The room gets too hot in the warm months with regular incandescent bulbs. I found I was leaving the lights off all summer, because the heat produced from regular light bulbs was immense. These dimmable CFLs are much, much cooler. The other reason I posted this, is because I was under the impression that these types of dimmable CFLs were over $10 each.

(Pardon my cross posting, but I know there's more traffic here. I am also going crazy because GC B is coming tomorrow to do lights and I still don't even know what I want) GC A told me-- Homedepot is clearing out Lithonia 6-inch dimmable cfl recessed XXXXX at an incredible price. So, after N hours of reading on web and doing my homework, I am still not sure, as I have not seen these units in person. (That's why I put XXXX). He is NOT talking about the bulbs, so I assume he is probably talking about these http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary_02.aspx?id=844 (I will check with him but he is not in right now) Does anyone have experience with these? I always thought you could just use dimmable cfl bulbs, clf switch, with a regular cfl recess housing. I also thought the "ballast" was in the light bulb itself, man. I really need to know if I should install these instead of regular can/housing units (we don't have any recess lights now). Help!