OT: CFL Bulbs

I went ahead and removed all my CFLs and replaced with LEDs. I may as well start saving now than later, regardless of how little it may be. It all adds up.

Indeed it does but the expense of LEDs is not in the budget right now. Train your mind to test every thought, ideology, train of reasoning, and claim to truth.

I have an advantage...I get the bulbs for free.

I don't have to worry about LED and CFL lights until my stock of tungsten light is exhasted. That should be about 5 to 10 years in the future.

Maybe by then they will have lights that actually give adequate light the instance you turn on the switch by then

So there is little difference between cfl and led. Both have a short life. The led's transformer goes b4 the bulb.

The problem is that the heat goes right to the transformers, put the bulb into a socket where the socket is below the bulb, and the heat disipates.

These bulbs are not really that good for the price. They may save energy short term, but I'll bet the cost in energy to produce them probably out weighs any benefit.

My garage door opener won't take a cfl, it's too short a base on the cfl.

Notice that all the bulbs are really about 60watt equivs for led. I always used 75 or 100.

It doesn't matter the company, I've had 3 different units burn out like that.

How do you get them for free?

The HD near me had plenty 100W Philips LED in both 2700K & 5000K around Thanksgiving

Casper wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Looks like a capacitor in the ballast electronics failed.

According to the box in your picture, the stated lifespan is 12000 hours. That's 3 hours per day over 11 years. I'm going to guess that, in the kitchen you probably had the light on more than 3 hours per day.

LEDs are definately the way to go, tho, now that the prices are getting reasonable. I've never liked the twisties, and thanks to having stockpiled a several year supply of incandescents a while back, I'll be able to go right to LEDs, and skip the CFL stage.

John

I'm guessing you haven't experienced the LEDs then. When I changed out my CFLs in the garage/shop, I was elated I didn't have to wait for them to warm up to the dull yellow color that the CFLs put out. They are daylight bright at an instant.

Sales rep from work.

My "40Watt" shop lamps have all been replaced with LED's with way more lumens for a brighter shop/garage. I by 60 watt replacement LED's at fry's on sale 2.50 or so each. The hot ticket for chandelier's with hidden bulbs, way, way cooler on the junction box connections. I have kitchen fixtures that are LED's. Just don't turn the lights on full if you're half sleepy. :)

I got rid of all fluorescent's due to socket ballast problems and fire. Ballasts on all, and I mean ALL fixtures are subject to overheating and fire. Good electrician shoot the ballasts with a temperature gun to determine early failures, and potential fires down the road.

Otherwise save the failed fixtures, like in the picture above and use them in your old bulldog backyard shops, which are insured for fire. Use fire detector alarms so you can be sure to get out.

I assure you LED lights are more than adequate in brightness, instantly.

With 11' ceilings I tossed my supply of Par40 incandescent bulbs which I got for free, 20 or so. Our kitchen had 5 of these canned lights and one was burning out every 4~6 weeks for the last year. I switched to the LED's equal to 70 watt for about $60 for 6 lamps and 8 weeks later no climbing on a ladder.

I think pay off will be with in 3 years considering that I went from 325 watts to 70 watts.

The only CFL bulbs I trust to give somewhere near their "estimated" life are FEIT. I've had numerous other brands go "Phfft!" in one unpleasant manner or another. Now I'm buying LED bulbs to replace the incandescents and CFL's as they die. The "home centers" occasionally have brand name (GE, Sylvania) LED bulbs for about $3 each - sometimes even the dimmable versions. Three-way LED bulbs are still pricey but cheaper and more reliable than the CFL's I've tried.

And add your labor costs for changing out the bulbs, (time is money) and I'd bet you that your lamps have already paid for themselves.

LEDs do that now.

Can you come up with $3 Prices have dropped considerably and many power companies are subsidizing them.

I have a couple hundred 60 and 100W bulbs downstairs.

I have electronic timers in several rooms in the house that will not work with CFLs due to the initial draw when they come on. Unfortunately, there is also a minimum 40W draw to make the timers work so I can't use LEDs without mixing them with conventional bulbs in a multi light circuit. Graham