Fluorescent 'bulbs'?

Local s.market has four regular edison screw 115 volt fluorescent 'lamps' for $14.90 (Canadian) plus sales tax. That's roughly $4.30 per lamp. They are supposed to last 10,000 hours or something and use less electricity to produce same light as a more energy consuming incandescent bulb. They look to be about the same dimensions as the el-cheapo 40 and

60 watters have been buying for around 30 cents (tax included) that are supposed to last 1000 hours. The difference in first cost being approx. $4. I guess that at $0.08 per k.watt hour for a 'difference/saving' in electric consumption of say 36 watts per hour? Then; 0.036 k.watts/hr X 0.08 = 0.3 cents/hr saving. So at say 8-10 hours per night X 0.3 = 3 cents per night saving? Or the difference in price of approx. $4 must be worth 400/0.3 = 1,333 hours additional life, compared to the el cheapos, to be worthwhile? Not sure if these numbers are right but it's 2.00 AM so I'll leave it there! For comment/correction. But any feedback about suitability and reliability of these in closed outside light fixtures for continuous all night use? Cheers. PS. Have read some concerns about shortened life of these, now becoming easily available, fluorescent alternatives, on another news group; but whether that was in situations where the fluorescent lamps were switched on/off too frequently not sure. Also it has been mentioned that some of these 'energy saving' lamps require considerably more energy and materials to manufacture and also can contain environmentally unfriendly materials such as mercury?
Reply to
Terry
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In general fluorescent lamps don't do well in the cold, but I have found that the few, like the ones you describe that I have tried, did do well. The other side is they generally do better with long burn cycles, like your all night cycle so that should not be a problem.

They should save you some money in the long run. I don't use them outside since I don't use my outside lights all night, only for short periods.

I might add that they seem to fall a little short in real life output in my opinion, but I suspect they still are more efficient than the standard alternative.

If you are looking for the most efficient over all for that use, choose a sodium lamp. Yellow light and a new fixture required, but it will put out much more light per watt and will save money in the long run even over the fluorescent.

As for the materials used, yes there are some increases in the energy used to produce each unit and some nasty materials used, but the energy used is only greater on a per unit bases not on the life cycle and the amount of mercury has been greatly reduced in recent years.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

When the temperature get below 50 degrees or so, they get duller. That aside, they do last longer and that is a big plus if the fixture is difficult to reach. Ed

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Reply to
w_tom

I use a standard compact fluorescent in my porch light, which gets left on a lot. I believe it is an 11 watt bulb. It has served for about 8 years now. I figure it has paid for itself. It is sort of dim until it warms up. Outdoors that can take a couple minutes. Unlike standard fluorescent tubes, it seems to function fine in cold weather. Part of that may be from being in an enclosed fixture.

It does not seem to attract as many bugs as an incandescent bulb.

Reply to
Larry Caldwell

Reply to
w_tom

An enclosed fixture doesn't kill many bugs. The compact fluorescent just doesn't attract as many. I th> > ...

Reply to
Larry Caldwell

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