Steve Jones wrote:

Hi,

I've been buying low energy bulbs from Wilkinsons for some time now.

I've become so suspicious of there life expectancy that I started to
mark
the purchase date on the base of the bulb.

I've just has one fail after five months. If it was on for 24/7 this
only
amounts to 3600 hours. The bulb was in the bathroom so I'd only
expect it
to be on for 4 hours/day or less. So it's failed after about 600
hours.

A standard filament bulb has a life expectancy of 1000 hours and it
only
costs 20p, not two quid.

Am I just unlucky, do they really last six times longer - as
advertised?

Steve.

Some brands dont meet their claimed lifetimes.
But early failures are relatively common with cfls. As long as only a
minority fail, that in itself doesnt invalidate the average life
claims. Some can go on way beyond claimed ave life times: there are
still cfls over 20 years old still going.

Was yours in an enclosed fitting? That will make a difference by
driving temp right up.


NT