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??

 

[MadMango]

Embrace LED, it's the future. Prices are continually dropping.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[IRstuff]

CFL bulbs are still a relatively new industry, so low life expectancy is not a surprise.

You can, however, help yourself by staying away from the cheapest stuff. Some of the higher end stuff seems to have life only somewhat less than incandescent, and I would classify those are infant mortality fails.



TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[jraef]

Very common complaint. What I think happened was, the major mfrs invested in the development, refinement and marketing of the technology, but the Chinese came along and spit out a lot of cheap junk at prices that drove the quality mfrs out of the market, now most of the ones available out there are the junk. When I worked for Siemens, I talked with guys from our sister company Sylvania at trade shows. They said they had already pretty much abandon CFLs in favor of LED technology.


"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." -- Abraham Lincoln
For the best use of Eng-Tips, please click here -> faq731-376

 

[btrueblood]

Mike,

Yes, I agree, the longevity of the new CFL's can vary widely, even from bulbs in the same package.

I've taken to writing the date (month/year) on the stems of all the CFL bulbs I change or install. Then I can check when replacing if I got my "warranted" life out of them. So far, it seems to be effective, the dated bulbs don't fail...

 

[OperaHouse]

Your observation is correct. I've been collecting dead ones for the E27 base. The plastic base of the CFL makes a nice mount for the 36 LED disks I buy for my 12V camp. Most of these CFL run pretty hot and with almost no ventilation. It is not surprising that they last less than a year. It may interest some that I run a few of these electronic ballasts on 140V DC from 12V inverters that have blown out the H bridge.

 

[cranky108]

I don't mind the LED spotlights, but at about $20 each (on sale), you need to think about where you use them the most. On the same note the $1 CFL's (also on sale) you also need to think about where you use them.

The problem is most of these won't work with an older dimmer, or photo eye's (outdoors), or in the fridge.

But the good news is we are now seeing more of them on the discount shelf next to the pink flimangos.

 

[mcgyvr]

I've had at least a dozen or so that only lasted a few hours.. Then I've had some running for 2 years now (6 hours a day).. Same brand/type... They are so cheap now that I always buy a few extras... And I always go with daylight 5000K color.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

The little woman and I were at Home Depot a couple of nights ago to pick up some construction supplies, including can lights, so we stopped in the lightbulb aisle to take a look at what LED units were available. I was not impressed with the lies on the packaging.

An 11W CFL was listed as equivalent to a 60W and put out 800 lumens... fine, the lumen output for a 60W should be in the 800-850 range. An LED bulb two shelves over was listed as a 60W equivalent... but it showed a listing of 500 lumens, which is a rough equivalent to a 35W bulb. <sigh> Despite all of the listings being forced onto the packaging by the gov, it's all still wildly inaccurate.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[cranky108]

I agree and disagree with MacGyv on the LED's. They do put out less light, but they are much more directional. I would not use the ominidirectional LED's. But for spot lights they work very well.

 

[itsmoked]

The gov'ment has just come out with a plan to stop using Watts in the labeling of CFLs.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

cranky,

Lumens are lumens, regardless of what bulb type they come from. If a 60W incandescent puts out an average of 800-850 lumens, I expect a "60W-equivalent" LED light to put out the same. If it wants to only put that out in a tight beam, so be it, but don't claim equivalence to one power level and then fail to meet the spec.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[VEBill]

I stopped mourning, wailing and knashing my teeth over the occasional early-death of CFL bulbs once Costco started selling them for well under $2 each (Qty 8 for Cdn$13 last time I checked). Seriously, they're about the same price as a bag of potato chips.

I believe that LED light bulbs have moved into the market niche of being relatively expensive to purchase ($10+), making utterly false claims about brightness, and then suddenly and inexplicably dying after ten hours of use.

The brand "Darks of America" (sometimes spelled 'Lights of America') sold me two LED bulbs that were as dim as night-lites, and then totally dark after about a dozen hours of use (the lifespan of the two, combined). Being burned-out does save a great deal of power...

 

[IRstuff]

If you buy from Costco, their return policy is pretty generous...

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[msquared48]

The problem with Costco though is that their stock is not always continuous. But, yes, the return policy is tops. We have used it many times on Chinese products, and that is the truth.

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

 

[TheBlacksmith]

Well, as pointed out, when they burn out the energy consumption drops dramatically, with the added benefit of less light pollution. I love govenment mandates!

 

[IRstuff]

Interesting bit of trivia from NPR this morning. A typical refrigerator light bulb puts out more light than all the candles in a typical 17th or 18th century house. So, we're positively rolling in photons! ;-)

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[cranky108]

MacGYV, have you consitered the equivlent light might refer to useful light, not total light produced?

As I said the LED is directional, or all available light going in one direction. The typical inconvenint light goes in all directions. And lighting the back of the light fixture is very important, don't you think?

And you are right they need to be clearer on there compairasons. Because you are looking at pure lumens, and not useful lumens.

The other thing I noticed is some LED lights are very heavy, which also limits there usefulness.

 

[MadMango]

Any high quality LED lighting will have an attached optic to distribute the light. Don't expect a $5 3w LED light to perform to any usable expectations or be easy on the eyes.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[itsmoked]

Never buy Darks of America... The worst lifetimes I've ever seen. Often measured in hours.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com