What's the normal failure mode for low energy lamps? I have (had!) an Osram Dulux 20W/827 lamp just above me and all of a sudden it failed - no flickering, no dimming - it just went out! It's temporarily replaced with a 40W candle bulb which was lying about downstairs until tomorrow.
Low energy lamps
Sep 04, 2006
43 Replies
The last time I dissected one there were one or two bulging electrolytics that looked as if they were underrated. At 50p each from Morrosons, I am in no hurry to waste time repairing one.
Some months back, I wrote a whole section on this in the wikipedia entry for fluorscent lamps...
formatting link
the tube ends are blackened, then it's the first choice "Emission mix runs out", otherwise it's probably the second choice "Failure of integral ballast electronics".
49.5p actually, if you are referring to the buy-one-get-one-free 99p offers that come round regularly. I'm rather impressed with these bulbs - reasonably quick to get to full output, which is pleasingly white. Can hardly go wrong for 50p ;-)
The message from snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com contains these words:
Funny that. I recent bought a few from Morrisons. The only one used so far has a delay in excess of 2 seconds before it shows any light at all. By far the worst of all the low energy bulbs I have used since I switched to low energy a decade or so ago.
There are many failure modes. Simply not working at all is the most common, IME.
Christian.
|> What's the normal failure mode for low energy lamps? I have (had!) an |> Osram Dulux 20W/827 lamp just above me and all of a sudden it failed - |> no flickering, no dimming - it just went out! | |There are many failure modes. Simply not working at all is the most common, |IME.
IME they do not fail at all, well *very* rarely. After running the whole house on low energy bulbs except for a few long flourescents, for years I have last week had my first failure, a 23 watt bulb at the top of the stairs, it just stopped working. Highly chuffed with the long life of these lamps, IME well in excess of the advertised 10,000 hours.
My experience is they either are DOA or fail within a few days (had 3 like that out of half a dozen so far), or just keep going.
Just out of interest, how did you dispose of the old bulb as you aren't supposed to bin them but there again I am hardly likely to all the way to the dump with a broken low enegy bulb.
Kevin
| |Dave Fawthrop wrote: | |>
|> IME they do not fail at all, well *very* rarely. After running the whole |> house on low energy bulbs except for a few long flourescents, for |> years I have last week had my first failure, a 23 watt bulb at the top of |> the stairs, it just stopped working. Highly chuffed with the long life |> of these lamps, IME well in excess of the advertised 10,000 hours. |> -- | |Just out of interest, how did you dispose of the old bulb as you aren't |supposed to bin them but there again I am hardly likely to all the way |to the dump with a broken low enegy bulb.
Just binned it. Our local council does not provide special facilities, not even at the local tip.
A bad batch or bad leccy, perhaps ? I've not had any that have been that sluggish, although to be fair my own reaction times may be so slow as to render any delay unnoticeable...
The message from Dave Fawthrop contains these words:
Really? I thought they were obliged to.
|The message |from Dave Fawthrop contains these words: | |> Just binned it. Our local council does not provide special facilities, not |> even at the local tip. | |Really? I thought they were obliged to.
In Germany perhaps. The information on the packaging is abut the EU facilities, mostly Germany.
The message from snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com contains these words:
I hope it is not a bad batch as the delay is long enough to be tiresome. I must try one of the others sometime.
The delay is only when it is cold. Turn it off and on again almost immediately then it responds promptly.
I have a memory like a sieve but I think I have only had 3 or 4 failures so far. The failure the bulb in question replaced was a bit curious. It faded badly and when I went to take it out I actually burnt my hand on it so there must have been some sort of short.
I do not have any low energy bulbs in locations where I really need immediate light, so it may be that I have simply not noticed. But I have had earlier compact fluorescents which were tediously slow in comparison (not to say dismal in light output), so I was a little surprised at your experience.
It's only a shame that the areas of the house with the greatest lighting demand have fittings which will only accept more standard bulbs. Especially as the kids leave these on all the time...
well theres more mercury in my moth than in a few thousand CFL's.
Do you think they will need a permit to bury me?
Are your teeth a bit moth-eaten then?
No, but crematoria are starting to have to filter the mercury:
formatting link
The message from snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com contains these words:
Some of my earlier ones definitely took several seconds (or possibly even longer) to achieve full brightness but this Morrisons one is unique in my experience in that it doesn't show the slightest glimmer for at least 2 seconds.
The message from The Natural Philosopher contains these words:
No, but they need one to cremate you.
Why on earth the put expensive filters on the exhaust instead of taking the fillings out first is beyond me.
The message from Guy King contains these words:
I dare say that they will claim respect for the dead but if they have to take out pacemakers why not fillings as well?
Join the Discussion
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Didn't find your answer?
Ask the community — no account required