In article , amdx wrote:

The CFL's are supposed to be long life, but those I use in my ceiling
fixtures with the base up, in a glass globe open on the down end seem
to fail sooner than expected. I think the heat collects in the globes
shortening the life.

Whether CFLs have any particular issues being used base-up or
base-down seems to depend on the specific manufacturer.

According to one U.S. Government document I read yesterday, CFLs which
have the Energy Star labeling are required to work equally well in any
orientation, *unless* the manufacturer specifically labels them
otherwise.

Wouldn't surprise me if this isn't very well enforced, though. I've
had some fairly poor-lifetime results from some of the cheapie CFLs,
no matter what orientation we use them in. And, it's quite
disconcerting when their failure mode involves a hot base and
nasty-smelling smoke. :-(

Has anybody come across a good source for good LED-based ceiling
fixtures? Seems to me that the real "win" for LED lighting isn't in
"screw-in" replacement for existing incandescent bulbs (heat build-up,
less-than-wonderful light dispersion) but for ceiling-mountable
fixtures with a broader array of LEDs and a diffuser. This would
spread out the heat of the LEDs into a much larger
radiating/convection area and reduce the "bright points of light"
effect.

If I could find a nice-looking panel 18"-24" square, which could
radiate the equivalent of 5000+ lumens of warm-white (e.g. three
100-watt incandescent bulbs or more) I'd replace the old three-bulb
ceiling fixture in our family room like a shot. We've got CFLs in it,
but they're so bulky I had to remove the diffuser... doesn't look
wonderful.