CFL won't fit in porch light.

[terry]

Our outside porch light is fitted with an incandescent long-life 130 volt bulb (50 watts IIRC); currently we are using the second of two such bulbs we bought some 10 to 15 years ago. The bulb is typically on for some 10 hours every night. So they are lasting a looong time!

While controlled by a wall switch in our hallway the porch light is, most of the time, switched on/off by an RF switch controlled by a key chain fob. If we are away good neighbours across the street take the fob and switch on the light for us each night and also keep check on the house. We return the favour if/when they are away. Great long term neighbours!

We tried a small CFL bulb in the same fixture but the light was so poor and inadequate and did not start well (sometimes hardly at all!) in cold weather, so a couple of years ago we put back the long-life bulb!

Now considering using a larger CFL similar to three that my neighbour uses in his outside fixtures and which seem to work fine even in cold weather, but the larger CFLs may not fit our fixture, although I might be able to take it down and modify it?

The fixture is basically a recessed square tin box, around 10 inches square, some 3 to 3.5 inches deep, with an external electrical connection box. The whole thing must be tilted to fit it and the attached wiring up through the square aperture cut into the plywood ceiling above the porch. We don't want to change that by fitting, say, a circular pot-light

So a question: From depth of the depth of the fixture it appears that my replacement CFL would have to be mounted sideways, as is the present bulb! Could that be a problem?

The outside CFLS my neighbour is using are vertical, downwards AFIK, in their fixtures. the ones that seem to work OK outside seem to be the larger 'curly' ones. Probably the equivalent of 60 watt incandescents?

In view of various postings here any advice welcomed. TIA.

[Bob-tx]

Welcome to our government's mandates. Sounds more like Soviet Union efficiency every day.

Bob-tx

[WhiteTea77581]

I would buy another fixture that can use CFL bulbs.

The energy savings would make the payback fairly quick.

They also make CFL floodlamps that are better sealed that the standard "curly" style and should last longer in moist environments.

Andy

[Stormin Mormon]

Isn't it ironic. About the same time Gorby was doing glasnost and peristroika, the USA was increasing regulation of everything.

[Heathcliff]

You may be overthinking this a bit; almost certainly you could just get a couple 60W-equivalent CFLs and put them in and everything will be fine. You will save many times their cost over the next few years compared to the bulbs you are using now (those long-life bulbs use even more power than a regular incandescent).

To answer your questions: (1) orientation of the bulb should not matter. (2) cold-starting - I have been using plain old curly CFLs in my outside fixtures for a couple years now and they work fine in winter. (Chicago area, gets down below zero fahrenheit.) When it's cold outside, the bulbs are quite dim when first turned on, but achieve normal brightness within a minute or a few minutes at most.

I have found that the curly CFLs fit in most fixtures that were designed for incandescent, but their shape is a little different and there may be some trial and error involved.

Another thing to consider when buying CFLs is the color of the light. They vary from a very "cool" light (like the traditional long-tube fluorescents) to a warmer, almost-like-an-incandescent tone.

[Marilyn & Bob]

I would buy another fixture that can use CFL bulbs.

The energy savings would make the payback fairly quick.

They also make CFL floodlamps that are better sealed that the standard "curly" style and should last longer in moist environments.

Andy

Are you sure that your switch can handle a CFL? Many electronic switches are Incandescent Only. Does it have a neutral wire as well as line and load? If only two wire (and electronic) it won't work correctly. You will need to replace the RF receiver switch with one that will work with CFLs. Some of the 60W equivalent CFL bulbs are very small and would probably fit in your fixture.

[Stormin Mormon]

My porch light is CFL, one of the twisty turny types. I leave it on. All day, all night, all year. Doesn't have to cold start, that way.

[stan]

Thanks again again for the suggestions. I will investigate and reply.

[Don Klipstein]

I would look into replacing the fixture, or replacing the socket with one that comes on or with a right angle mounting bracket, or getting a right angle mounting bracket to put the socket (or replacement socket) onto.

Next, there is a CFL that I like for outdoor fixtures, even works in enclosed ones down to about zero F, maybe even colder: Philips "Outdoor". My favorite nowadays is the 15 watt 5000 K "daylight" one. It does start dim and takes a while to warm up, especially in the cold, but it does work well once it warms up.

And considering that the higher color temp. has a spectrum more favorable for use by night vision, it has at least as much "outdoor nighttime illuminating power" as 60 watt 1,000 hour "standard" incandescents and superlonglife 75 watt incandescents, probably slightly more.

I would favor putting some effort and money into reducing from 50 to 15 watts the power consumption of a light fixture that is on 3,650 hours a year. At USA average residential electricity cost of 11 cents per KWH, this works out to about $14 per year in electricity savings.

And having the bulb mounted horizontally reduces problems of heat from the bulb rising to the ballast area of a CFL (near its base) - a common major contributing factor to premature failures of CFLs in enclosed fixtures and in recessed ceiling fixtures.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])

[WhiteTea77581]

I use the old style non-electronic switch. A lot more sturdy and cheaper than an electronic switch.

Andy