compact fluorescent bulbs

[Mark Modrall]

Hi...

I've been trying to replace a lot of bulbs in my house with cfls, and while they always boast of being longer lasting and more cost efficient, I've noticed that they tend to blow out at a much higher rate than incandescent. Would there be something in my wiring contributing to that? Or have I just picked bad brands? In some sockets, I've found that my insulation isn't great; could a cold breeze be shortening the life?

I like the idea of cfl but given how much more they cost and how quickly they burn out in this house, it ends up being much more costly to use them.

Thanks

-Mark

[Roger Taylor]

You may have a wiring/voltage problem in your house or neighborhood, especially if the former incandescent bulbs tended to be short lived, but it could equally be a bad batches of fluorescents - in other words, just bad luck/selection. I've found really bright and long lifed ones at Home Depot, the best ones as I recall were Philips, but some of the cheapest (around 2 bucks a bulb - forget the brand) have also been some of the best. Local hardware stores sell the same bulbs for 7-8 bucks (dont get it).

[PaPaPeng]

They are all likely manufactured from the same few factories in China and boxed differently. Quality control is chancy. Their longevity has nothing to do with price or brand as posts in other newsgroups conifrm. I prefer incandescent bulbs anyway as the flourescents have a spectrum that makes my eyes tire easily.

[scott_z500]

Don't use flourescent bulbs outdoors or places where you are turning on and off the light a lot. For example, I have regular incandescent bulbs in my hallway lights and in one bedroom, and flourescent bulbs elsewhere. I am saving up my bad compact flourescent bulbs to take back to Home Depot to take advantage of the 7 year guarantee when I get enough of them to fill up an entire package (save the packaging and reciept).

[Buck Turgidson]

Are you sure HD will exchange them? They may refer you to the manufacturer, after all, they're making the guarantee, not HD.

[MLD]

Yes, it is HD'S product--I bought a package of 4 bulbs ($9.97). One failed and I brought it back to HD. Went to manager of lighting department-he took one right off the shelf ($7.97 price tag). I had receipt and original package insert showing 7 year warranty info (he didn't even look at what I had). Interesting to note that the replacement bulb was very much different than the 4 pkg ones. It had a different base design, not typical of the standard bulb--seems like more porcelain for heat protection. MLD

[Fred]

I have the same problem. Its switching it on and off (as in bathrooms and hallways) that will shorten the life - some will only last about a year. That goes for all fluorescents not just compacts. Say if the rated burn life for you compact is rated for 10,000 burn hours, much better then incandescent, but in real life where you switch it on and off like in the bathrooms burn life perhaps well be below 400 hours, much worse than incandescent. Doesn't matter if its high quality Japanese lamps or low end Chinese, burn life is about the same when its exposed to high switching cycles. My casual observation, not scientific study.

[Andy Hill]

It may be usage pattern (CFLs don't like a lot of turn on / turn off), or it may be brand. I've had a lot better luck with Sylvania or Phillips than with Lights of America or Commercial Electric.

[Don Klipstein]

There are some models suitable for most outdoor use, as long as you don't use them for motion sensor lights. Example: Philips "Outdoor", 15 and 18 watts. These do well in cold, although can take a few to sometimes several minutes to warm up from a cold start.

I mention more detail in:

[Don Klipstein]

Ones with filaments preheated by "program start" or similar circuitry prior to full start are not affected as badly by lots of starts. True instant start (cheaper electronic-ballasted models) and glow-switch-start ones (the ones that usually blink a few times while starting) are hurt more by lots of starts. NOTE - true instant start can have a little "jump" in brightness about

1/4-1/3 second after starting, due to the filaments becoming hot enough for proper operation after this slight delay. This jump in brightness is sudden, and the brightness is steady at a slightly lower level for this first roughly 1/4-1/3 second, there is no "fading" from one level to another, and you get light the instant the switch is on. "Program start" has a delay of a fraction of a second to a second before any light at all and then suddenly full light, and a related more favorable starting method has the light coming on a little more gradually (but within a second) than instant start.

I have found most Philips and Sylvania electronic-ballasted ones to be among the better ones in this area.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])

[Don Klipstein]

Also keep in mind:

1. CFLs, especially ones that blink during starting or start truly instantly and then make a distinct sharp minor jump in brightness 1/4-1/3 second later as if "shifting gears", do not do well when on-time per start is short. This includes dollar store models in general and Lights of America's older "Q-Lites" (having the harsh instant start method). This also includes most with 2-pin bulbs in general, plus a few older heavier weight screw-in models such as GE's older maybe obsolete FLB-15 and FLG-15 (These have "glow switch start" and usually blink during starting). I would generally avoid these in refrigerators, closets, motion sensor lights, and bathrooms that are mostly used for short trips. I would also avoid ones having harsher starting method in any other situations where average runtime per start is not at least several minutes.
2. CFLs don't take heat buildup as well as incandescents, and are less able than incandescents to radiate away their heat as infrared. Most screw-in CFLs of wattage more than 13, maybe 18 watts have shortened life in recessecd ceiling fixtures, small enclosed fixtures and small fixtures that open only downward (such as ceiling fan lights). The Philips SLS 15 and 20 watt ones, especially the 15 watt one, are better than most other screw-in models for taking heat in such fixtures.

Ones of wattage more than 23 watts are even more vulnerable to heat in heat-buildup areas.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])