compact flourescent lamps

[Art]

Anyone try putting one in a garage door opener? I wonder it they hold up to vibration and light up ok in cold weather.

[Michael Daly]

Can't comment on the vibration, but I've used CFLs in my garage with no problems in winter - mine are rated to -29C. Check the package for the temperature rating, not all are equal.

Mike

[Don Klipstein]

In general, compact fluorescents with tubing diameter 10 mm (.4 inch) in diameter or narrower start up noticeably dimmer than "full blast" at room temperature, and need roughly half a minute (sometimes a couple minutes) to warm up to full brightness. Same for ones that normally experience a large temperature rise despite larger tubing, such as Lights of America

65 watt "Fluorex". In cold conditions, they start even dimmer. If the light is only going to be on for a couple minutes at a time, I would not be concerned about energy efficiency. For one thing, starting causes wear on a fluorescent lamp usually equivalent to a few minutes or more of continuous operation.

Compact fluorescents tend to resist vibration better than "standard" incandescents do, but there are vibration-resistant incandescents. Just beware, they are a little dimmer than standard incandescents of the same wattage. I have even seen ones marketed for garage door opener duty, although it appears to me that any incandescent noted as "vibration resistant", "shock resistant", "rough duty" or "industrial duty" should work ("commercial service" may only mean longer life expectancy and not vibration resistance). Also, ones with C-shaped filaments with multiple supports should generaly be vibration resistant.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])

[Joseph Meehan]

I doubt that it would be a good choice. This is a place where the standard garage door light is best.

It is on for only short times (not good for fluorescent) it is often cold (not good for fluorescent) It has unknown possible problems with the vibration The light generally takes a little while to get to full brightness. They many not physically fit the fixture.

[SQLit]

I have had some twin tube 9 watters in my garage door opener for over 8 years. These are not the spiral ones that are seen in the stores. Similar to these

I do not use the garage door lights for anything other than general lighting. I have an 8 foot 2 tube fixture that provides most of the lighting when I need it.