CFL Light Bulbs 8

[MiketheEngineer]

I have about had it with the new CFL light bulbs. Sure, I like saving energy and can live with the slow start, funny light colors, added cost, etc. BUT what I can't accept is the VERY short life span.

I don't think I have had any last a year and some have given up the ghost in a couple of weeks. I know I have some traditional bulbs that are approaching ten years! - because I installed them when I moved in!! I took a few back to the BIG BOX store where I got them to complain. Didn't really want my money back - just wanted the manager to know that I thought they were useless. He said he had not heard of any short life complaints and gave me some free bulbs.

I went and asked the clerks working in the light bulb area and they said they have had numerous complaints about short lives..

Any body else out there see this happening.. And now that GE has closed the last US bulb plant - what are we to do?? And the gov't wants us to switch over by 2012??

 

[jimkirk]

I'm waiting to try these out...

http://vu1corporation.com/default.htm

 

[OperaHouse]

I wonder if that is what I saw in the early 80's at CR&D. They had a standard light bulb with a toroid inside it to excite the electrons. Interesting how NEW takes 30 years!

 

[lumenharold]

The vu1 looks interesting although it isn't available and the site doesn't speculate when it will be. There are a couple of errors that I would put down to marketing hype as well. LEDs are dimmable it's just that some of the power supplies that are integral in the product are not. There are dimmable LED A19 bulbs at Lowe's now. As far as heat goes, LEDs are fine as long as the sink is designed properly.

The price of LED bulbs will continue to go down. The early market isn't for consumers anyway. The cost justification for LED is for applications where a person is paid to replace the bulb. The savings are in the energy plus maintainence. For consumers the cost will come down in a year or so. I just bought some Sylvania 40W equivalents on sale for $10 each and I'm pretty happy with them for what I intend to use them for. Once a bulb wins the L-Prize it will be subsidized by the local power companies and the DOE making it affordable and competetive with CFL without the mercury.

Harold
SW2010 SP3.0 OPW2010 SP1.0 Win XP Pro 2002 SP3
Dell 690, Xeon 5160 @3.00GHz, 3.25GB RAM
nVidia Quadro FX4600

http://www.lumenflow.com

 

[msquared48]

Sounds like we're being legislated back into the Dark Ages...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[btrueblood]

Jmkirk,

Thanks for the tip! VU1 corp. stock on 10/6 was about $.54 per share. On 10/8 VU1 "announced that it has received final approval for UL listing for the Company's R30 Electron Stimulated Luminescent energy-efficient reflector light bulbs. " Stock is now trading at around $.90 per share. A tidy little profit for the 401k. Someday if we get the chance to meet, I owe you a beer.

 

[OperaHouse]

Sounds like a pump and dump penny stock. If the company that invented light bulbs gave up on it, I wouldn't hold my breath for these guys to make a profit. Tell me how you did a year from now.

 

[IRstuff]

I'm guessing he sold the stock already ;-)

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[GRF]

CFL has been around for over 20yrs and is a mature product. Hence the reason it only costs $2-$5.

CFl's are all made in China. There are about 4-5 companies that make almost all the CFl's and then put someone else name on them. Philips, GE, Sylvania, Home Depot, Lowes ect all buy their bulbs from the same guys. Philips, GE and Sylvania might spec the electronics but the manufacture will often swap out spec components for cheaper ones with out notifying the big guy. I have friends who deal with this problem all the time.

Sylvania still has light bulb plants in the US. They still make the standard A19, BR and Candella bulbs in St Marys, PA. They also make halogen lamps in Ky and still make flourecent tubs here in the US as well. GE has closed it last plant but Sylvania still has plants in opperation here in the US.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

CFl's are all made in China.

Sylvania... still make flourecent tubs here in the US as well

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[lumenharold]

Dan - Compact fluorescents are all hand blown glass (high labor content) but the straight tubes are not and can still be made in the US. I am think that's what GRF is alluding to anyway.

Harold
SW2010 SP3.0 OPW2010 SP1.0 Win XP Pro 2002 SP3
Dell 690, Xeon 5160 @3.00GHz, 3.25GB RAM
nVidia Quadro FX4600

http://www.lumenflow.com

 

[potteryshard]

I seem to get better life (and the word seem is used advisedly; I haven't recorded any life times) on the CFLs if I use them only in those fixtures that tend to get switched on for longer periods. I keep incandescents in the fixtures that get rapidly cycled (some in hallways or other places that only light for a pass through, or other where my wife just can't remember which switch is which) and seem to have really reduced the numbers of failures. It seems that the CFLs as designed and ballasted may be start-limited.

 

[TurbineGen]

Ever check the ballast on the CFLs? They get incredibly hot especially when placed inside an enclosed fixture such as dome lights. I find the CFLs last quite long in open fixtures not cycled very often. I also don't buy the cheap ones.

I am patiently waiting the day when LED lights have a nice warm color to them Nothing brightens your mood better than good warm light. They also work great as shop lights. No more burning your hands when you go to pick up your lamp under the car. I think Dan understands this quite well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If it is broken, fix it. If it isn't broken, I'll soon fix that.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

TG,

Look for "warm white" or "daylight" bulbs rather than "bright white"... these use a warmer color of phosphour, or they include red/yellow LEDs in the mix to warm up the color.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com