In article , Ozzie wrote:
I've been reading some of the recent posts, on CFL's. Maybe I haven't read
enough of them, to find the same thing, which happened to mine.

First, I'm really disappointed, they don't have the life span, as normal
bulbs. My packages claim to have a life span, up to 7 years. That's
probably the "got cha", the "up to". But, I've never had to replace my
bulbs, as often as I do these. I've now replaced a grand total of 14, which
failed prematurely. This is in a 5 month time span. These are/were the
dimmable mini's, 75 watt, with a power factor of 0.90. They are listed as
UL, and energy star, and claims to use only 15 watts.

Can you describe these and tell me what brand? I am unaware of any
15 watt CFLs that achieve 75 watt "incandescent equivalence", and I am
unaware of any making that claim and having the "Energy Star" logo.

Also, what kind of fixtures are you using them in? Many CFLs overheat
easily in small enclosed fixtures and recessede ceiling fixtures.

Something else about these things. I've now had 3 of them go out, which let
out a puff of smoke. It's a foul smelling odor. Exactly what is being
released?

Usually any smoke from a failing CFL is mainly smoke from burnt epoxy.
Smells foul, but have low expectation that even being in a telephone booth
with a CFL failing in such a way is even as harmful as smoking one
cigarette.

CFLs failing from overheating can have an electrolytic capacitor blow -
that has mainly been a complaint from the 1990's to around 2002.
However, this may still occur if a CFL is operated in a small enclosed
fixture or a recessed ceilingh fixture, or manages to last long enough for
that part to fail first from old age. The main ingredients are typically
water and either boric acid or sodium borate ("borax"). Sugars or other
antifreeze ingredients such as ethylene glycol may be there. Since that
entire capacitor including its aluminum foil "wound plates" and its
aluminum "can" and plastic coating and wire leads only weighs 2-5 grams or
so, I would think you would almost have to put it and your favorite
beverage into a blender and then drink the result or grind it up and mix
it with your pipe tobacco to make yourself sick from it.

- Don Klipstein )