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Hot, smelly CFL base

A couple of days ago I came downstairs & noticed a "hot plastic" smell, so I went through everything in the "entertainment cabinet", feeling all the wall warts & devices, then sniffed around in the wardrobe with the networking stuff in it, & so on, & eventually pinned the source down as one of the 3 CFLs in the dining room light fitting. The bad one was not putting out any light but the base was warm enough to make the smell. I don't think I've come across this before --- anyone else?

Reply to
Adam Funk
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The CFL magic smoke smells a bit - usually a capacitor burns out.

Replace with LED units as they fail - they run cooler in free air.

Reply to
Martin Brown

Had a burning smell I could not trace down in the living room. Eventually o ne of the CFL's stopped working completely and I found the problem. The pla stic was very scorched. Decided to replace the lot. Sadly I could not find any high light output small LED bulbs so had to replace with CFL's again.

Philip

Reply to
philipuk

LEDs give no higher lpw than CFL at the moment, so won't run any cooler unless you pick a lower power one.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Yes i've noticed that as well but usually only when they are *well* knackered.

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Reply to
Ash Burton

That isn't true any more and hasn't been since a couple of years ago.

LEDs also direct most of their light downwards which usually helps.

LED 60W equivalent bulbs now are significantly brighter than the corresponding "60W" CFL which were more like 50W incandescents when properly warm and 30W when cold. CFLs take ages to warm up too.

Reply to
Martin Brown

For typical consumer LEDs it is. Research LEDs and top end performers no, but for the great bulk they're no better yet.

That problem pretty much went away years back. Only occasionally does one encounter that being an issue, eg in inappropriate applications.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Complete bollocks I'm afraid. Some small CFL candle bulbs in particular still take an age to warm up.

In my experience, LEDs have already passed CFLs on a watt for watt basis.

Tim

Reply to
Tim+

The inappropriate application being their use as a light bulb.

Reply to
ARW

Yes I had a B/Q one a couple of years back get so hot while I was out that the tube itself fell out onto the carpet. I'd love to know what goes on them to do this, as electronic ballasts are hardly cutting edge tech, and it was obviously hot enough to melt the glue and the solder. They gave me a new one, and that never has had a problem. The proverbial black pea in the pod. Mind you i use lighting very little these days unless anyone comes around. Brian

Reply to
Brian-Gaff

Apart from the fact that they have no warm up period and actually deliver light output equivalent to their claimed nominal incandescent wattage unlike CFLs which are always significantly oversold.

Most of the time unless you want to illuminate the ceiling brightly.

You *HAVE* to be kidding. I was caught out by nominal 60W LED bulbs being far too bright to replace existing "60W" CFLs about two years ago. No one in their right mind would buy CFLs today unless they worked for a manufacturer of the dreadful poxy things. They were an interim "solution" that has long since passed its sell by and use by date.

I still have a few CFLs to use up but I won't be buying any more!

Reply to
Martin Brown

I'm actually looking for ones that don't - I have some base downwards fittings. So if anyone can point me at some SES LED lamps that shine sideways I'd be grateful. They only need to be ~40W incandescent equivalent.

Andy

Reply to
Vir Campestris

Well, I think LEDs are oversold too, in that a "100 W equivalent" LED doesn't seem quite as bright to me as a 100 W incandescent --- but I'm sure there is some technical measure other than my eyes by which the labels are not lying, & IME a "100 W equivalent" LED lamp is better than a similarly labelled CFL.

I got around that by installing multi-lamp light fittings. I put a

3-lamp fitting in the dining room 10 or more years ago & found that 3 "60 W equivalent" CFLs were brighter than the 100 W incandescent before.

I'll buy them if I can't find LEDs to go in the old light fittings, but it's not likely.

Reply to
Adam Funk

I'm using up the CFLs I have & replacing gradually with LEDs. The "downwards" thing wouldn't be so relevant here as this is a

3-lamp-upwards pendant, although the ceiling is white.
Reply to
Adam Funk

Agreed, with proviso that some LEDs are slighly higher lpW but not enough to justify the much higher price tag or recover the additional capital cost in saved electricity over the lifetime of the LED.

CFL V LED for the same lumens are roughly the same. This "hot" CFL was also a failed CFL...

performers

applications.

CFLs were sold with the comparsion way off the mark but not these days. All bulbs have their lumen output on them so marketing has a harder time of misleading the consumer. Always assuming the consumer has half a brain cell.

Examples of "60W eqivalent" LEDs with 800+ lumen,

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

So am I - I think thats a common situation. However, I would probably still use 20W CFLs for ceiling lights - the spiral type are the best.

I have LEDs for some wall washers to replace halogen, but the yellow fringe around the edge of the beam is annoying. The yellow fringe thing you get with "warm" whites needs to be sorted out. The multi-led under cabinet striplights I have create a sequence of yellow bands so much that SWHMO refuses to do washing up with those on as she says you cannot tell if the plates are clean or not.

Simon.

Reply to
sm_jamieson

Illuminating the ceiling is a simple way to create decent lighting.

misleading claims are marketing bs, not a problem with the light bulb. I don't think it did CFL sales any favours.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

With CFLs manufacturers mislead re the light output. With LEDs they frequen tly lie about longevity.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

nless you pick a lower power one.

The general solution to hot bases is to remove the electronics from them - not necessarily easy with CFL. But with LEDs it should be possible to have a common supply - constant current or whatever - and only the bare LED comp onent in the bulb. In a similar manner to the 12V halogens with external po wer supply. You could even have a whole house LED supply if the components were standardized enough. There may be commercial setups like this but I have not seen a sensibly pri ced system for domestic. You could of course roll you own with LED drivers and components, but that is not really what we are talking about.

Simon.

Reply to
sm_jamieson

Didn't most households get their CFL's free from their electricity supplier anyway?

I have never actuaaly 'bought' a CFL and probably never will but still have some freebies in a box in the cupboard.

IMHO CFL's are OK in utility situations but for anything decorative they are a no no.

LED certainly seems the way to go.

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Reply to
Ash Burton

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