DIYbanter - View Single Post - Compact Fluorescent Lamps Burn Out Faster Than Expected, LimitingEnergy Savings in California's Efficiency Program

Don Klipstein

In , wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:22:07 +0000 (UTC), (Don
Klipstein) wrote:

In ,
BobR wrote:

On Jan 21, 8:24Â*pm, Shaun Eli wrote:
Here's my thought:

Good CFLs last a very long time (I've had a couple for 20 years) and
WAY more than pay for themselves.

Crappy CFLs last only a couple of years but still more than pay for
themselves because the crappy ones cost a dollar.

I prefer to pay for the $3 or $4 ones that last a long, long time
because even if it's just unscrewing them and popping in another one,
for the extra $2 or $3 a decade, let's go with not having to bother.

So far all of the CFL bulbs I have bought have been the so called top
quality name brand bulbs and they have not lasted any longer than my
old bulbs.

You gotta be doing something wrong. I even use 13W twisties in a small
3enclosed ceiling fixture and a ceiling fan fixture and get around 4,000
hours of life out of them. I even use twisties in a bathroom and they
last longer there than incandescents did.

The savings if any have not come close to paying for the
difference in price. I will continue to try and use them but don't
expect me to buy the argument that they are any bargain.

In the unlikely event that one would run into incandescent-like short
life expectancy from a CFL, there is still the matter of electricity cost
savings.
My experience is even in a ceiling fan, CFLs fall significantly short
od incandescent life span. I generally get a minimum 9 months or so
out of standard bulbs in the ceiling fan. Some have gone well over a
year. - the first CFL out of the 4 has died at about 7 months.

I have CFLs lasting thousands of hours in a ceiling fan fixture. I
don't go over 13-14 watts because heat accumulates somewhat around the
CFRLs' ballast housings in ceiling fan fixtures.

I've finally gotten over 15 months on a PAR type CFL in my stairway
lamp, but it is now taking over a minute to get to full bright. It is
a sylvania that cost me over $8 - the previous 5 lasted significantly
under a year each - and were Philips (and cost about the same).

Sad thing about most PAR CFLs and in general CFLs with outer bulbs.
These generally have their mercury amalgam formulated to give the proper
concentration of mercury vapor when they reach their typically-higher
tubing temperature. Bare spiral CFLs are generally formulated to work
best at a lower tubing temperature than CFLs in outer bulbs are. Ones
with outer bulbs tend to start dimmer and to have more need to warm up.

One alternative: Philips SLS, with a snap-on R30 or R40 (where R40
fits) reflector. I think bulbs.com may still have those. These start
brighter and warm up faster than most CFLs with outer bulbs. And
non-dimmable Philips SLS up to 23 watts are overtly rated for recessed
ceiling fixtures, which I think of as "heat hellholes".

In the bedrooms I have one that is 4 years old (daughter's room -
she's been away at university/working in Africa etc for 6 years -only
been home a total of mabee a year all told) and one that is 2 years
old(gets used mabee half an hour a day, 3 or 4 times a week) that is
taking 2-3 minutes to get to full bright.

Does that one have an outer bulb? Most bare spiral ones get close to
full brightness in 1-1.5 minutes. Or Philips SLS with snap-on reflector
if the fixture is a recessed ceiling fixture.

In the third bedroom (spare
- virtually un-used) I have no date on the bulb - it still lights
slowly, but when I removed it to xheck for a date there are loose bits
of some sort rattling around inside it. These are all PAR type
pot-light bulbs. All of the above are mounted base up.

In lamps, base down, I gave up on CFLs about 3 years ago - and have
not replaced the conventional bulbs since. In a tall floor-lamp with
2 "globe" type cfls, one bulb lasted over a year (still going) while
the other has been replaced. In 25 years previous to gouing to CFLs I
may have changed those bulbs twice????

Does the floor lamp have a dimmer? Were the CFLs rated for dimmers?
--
- Don Klipstein )