CFL bulbs

[therevjay]

Like a lot of folks I bought into all the hype about CFL bulbs and replaced every incandescent bulb in the house with those things. Within a few months they began to fail at a cost of about $7 each! I did some online research and found out that there is a lot of difference in the quality of CFL's and they don't do well in applications where they are turned on and off frequently - you know, like in your house! Apparently I needed to buy even more expensive CFL's and leave them on all the time to "enjoy" all the benefits of this new technology. Now when one burns out, it gets replaced with one of those old fashioned, inefficient, cheap incandescent bulbs.

All true but the key pharse here is, "they don't do well in applications where they are turned on and off frequently".

I've had one in the garage that has burned constantly for 5 yrs. The front and back porch lights (CFL's) have lasted 3 yrs, so far.

Kitchen and bathroom where they get turned on and off alot? They last about 2-3 weeks. (same brand as outside & porch lights)

 

[Snapping Twig]

CFL's = emperor has no clothes.

What a waste of mental acuity and degradation of performance!

Harsh light, early failure, high cost, ecologically hazardous, Rube Goldberg complication over incandescent lights.

People use incandescent for heat in areas where pipes freeze, CFL won't work there.

I use a 300w incandescent in my garage over my workbench slightly behind me for back light as well as 4' fluorescents for direct light. I have CFL's, but they are weak and anywhere I need dependable light I use incandescent. Can't take the harsh light inside my house. The soft glow of a regular bulb is right for me.

 

[Harrison]

What are we going to do in a couple of years when they quit making-selling the old fashioned kind that work? All the CFLs seem to come from the Chicoms. If they cut us off, we will be in the dark. I read where the only light bulb manufacturer in the US folded up shop a few months ago.

We can thank our congress critters for the light bulb mess.

 

[Bob R]

What are we going to do in a couple of years when they quit making-selling the old fashioned kind that work?

Start stocking up now, of course.

In Europe incandescents have alread been banned as a light source, but one enterprising fella skirted that by selling them as "heat balls". IIRC he sold out pretty quickly.

Skirting EU law: The rebranding of incandescent bulbs as "Heat Balls" | MNN - Mother Nature Network

bob

 

[Walter Rego]

I put a CFL in a bathroom combo fan/light fixture. I tried it mainly because when I put a bright enough incandescent bulb in there, the heat discolored the plastic fixture lens after a few months. The CFL is mounted horizontally, gets turned on and off numerous times a day, and is in a humid environment. I have not changed the bulb for over 5 years. Maybe I'm lucky. In general though I'm with the rest of you. I don't like them.

 

[cp1969]

CFL's may be the greatest thing since sliced bread but what galls me is being FORCED to use them.

If they're a good thing, we people will figure that out and start using them voluntarily. We don't need people in Washington to make our low-level decisions like that for us. In fact, I would prefer they made no decisions at all.

 

[dmar]

I buy my CFLs at Costco, and they have worked great. I've replaced all of the light fixtures that we use a lot; kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, outdoor lighting, etc. So, I've had these bulbs exposed to all sorts of temperatures, humidity, and frequent on/off cycles, and have not had any burn out 'prematurely.' Some of these CFLs burn 12+ hours per day, and a couple have lasted 3 years, the others are 4 years and still going... Maybe I've just lucked out, or the ones from Costco are better quality than some of the others out there...?

I have seen some CFLs that are too 'harsh' (white), but the ones I have don't seem to have this issue. I actually like them as well as my regular incandescents. I believe there are different CFLs bulbs you can choose to suit your light application (soft, bright, etc...).

 

[LVSteve]

The early CFLs were only available in bright white and many folks did not like the colour. These days they come in a more incandescent like soft white. I have CFLs in the outside lights for my house on a photocell. With the extremes of heat and cold we get here, they seem to last about 2.5-3 years. Incandescents made it 9 months if I was lucky.

 

[blujax01]

The incandescent bulb is already banned in the EU, will be banned in Canada in 2012 and will be banned in the USA in 2014. Exceptions will be for special applications like appliance bulbs and spot lights. Better get 'em before the hoarders do!

On another note, not only is there concern with the mercury levels of the CFL's, now safety agencies are looking into the retina burning properties of the LED's. Stay tuned ...

 

[truckemup97]

Better get 'em before the hoarders do!

Too late! I've been buying some every time I go to Wally World for the last year.

 

[loknload]

Originally Posted by blujax01
Better get 'em before the hoarders do!

Been stocking up on the old fashioned bulbs as well!
I will not use CFL's in my home.
A recent Safety Bulletin that I recieved at work shows them to be Fire Hazards due to Internal Electronic Ballasts, specificaly those coming from China!
I will probably have enough to will my kids,,,but in the great scheme of our Elected Elite they probably will mandate away any lamps or light fixtures that will except a standard screw base bulb!

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Congressional report on CFL's:

YouTube - Important information about energy saver light bulbs

 

[johngalt]

I just used the first of my free CFLs, a 13W (equivalent 60W) in my floor lamp. The lamp uses 3 60W bulbs, I replaced one burnt out 60W with the CFL. The quality of the light is better than I expected, it is a soft yellow that looks very similar to the incandescent bulbs next to it. It isn't that harsh blue that you often get with fluorescent tubes.

I'm opposed to the mandates, but if used in a light with a good shade or glass globe, it would probably be hard to tell the difference.

 

[blujax01]

...I will probably have enough to will my kids,,,but in the great scheme of our Elected Elite they probably will mandate away any lamps or light fixtures that will except a standard screw base bulb!

This is already mandated in the PRK (Peoples Republic of Kalifornia). Per the Title 20 Legislation that became effective 01/01/2010, all new portable table lamps shall include a screw based CFL lamp or have a GU-24 type bayonet base or a dedicated 2 or 4 pin socket. Due to the added cost and fragile shipping issues if a lamp is included, guess which is the only practical option?

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Remember you will have a Haz Mat situation if you drop and break a CFL bulb.

Yea...well you technicaly have a Haz Mat situation when you spray 2-4-D and diesel along your fence lines too. So what's your point

 

[Rule3]

We have them just about everywhere in out house. I only buy the daylight spectrum bulbs 6500K or higher. It's a bright bluish glow and great to read by. Same as the expensive OTT light. We put 6500 k long florescent in the kitchen. Between those and all my fishtanks, looks like a Grow house at night.

No sense stocking up on incandescent bulbs as pretty soon everything will be LED just like TV's and Monitors.

 

[Andy Griffith]

I don't think CFL's or LED's will work in the oven.

 

[Rule3]

Yea...well you technicaly have a Haz Mat situation when you spray 2-4-D and diesel along your fence lines too. So what's your point

2-4-D will only kill broad leaf weeds. Your better of with Roundup (Glyphosate) or 2-4-5-T. Unless you are igniting the diesel fuel.

 

[cp1969]

Diesel fuel by itself will kill most vegetation. It was the original Roundup.

 

[Rule3]

So will salt and and a whole slew of other things, Depends on how many times a year you want to do it.