compact fluorescent light bulb reliability

[bacon4life]

Does anyone have some good data on compact fluorescent light bulb reliability? I keep seeing claims that they last 5-15 times as long, however I seem to change just as many bulbs as before I started using them. In fact, I have at least one fixture where I changed out one of the two bulbs to a fluorescent, and it burned out before the incandescent.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I've been using them for a while, and never had one last longer than ~5x an incandescent in the same site.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[itsmoked]

We go thru this regularly here. I have often complained about your same problem. For three years not a single CF light I purchased lasted more than 3 months.

Now that I've been using the 4-for-a-dollar ones none have failed... Go figure.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[wde0665]

It seems one thing overlooked is the effect of the number of starts on its life. IIRC, 3 hours is allowed for each start - I suppose a good reason to control how often the lamps are flipped on and off.

 

[AusLee]

Depends on the problem you are having.

Does the lamp simply not start, in which case the electronic control gear has failed.

Do the lighting tubes have black spots, if yes then public electricity is of a bad quality.

Consider changing suppliers, go for the famous one (such as GE, Osram/Syvania, etc..) becuase these have a quality insurance policy implemented.

 

[magoo2]

There is an issue of mounting which has a big effect on life. If they are used in a table lamp, they should give you long life. However, if they are used in the opposite mounting as in a ceiling light, they will have a much shorter life.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Yeah, I've got some base down sockets and some base up sockets. It doesn't seem to make a big difference.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[bacon4life]

Does the ceiling mount have to do with which end is up? Or does it have to do with higher temperatures inside mostly sealed fixtures?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Afaik, _all_ bulbs are life- tested 'base down', presumably in open sockets, i.e. ideal conditions.

Incandescents don't reach their rated life when they're enclosed, and especially when they're mounted 'base up', e.g. hanging from the ceiling.

Okay, I can understand that, what with heating the socket and all.

For me, CFs last longer than incandescents, but nowhere near their alleged design lifetime, and I find no correlation to brand, orientation, or enclosure.

YMMV.






Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[magoo2]

The ceiling mount issue has to do with which end of the CFL is up. If the base is above the light end of the lamp, then the life will be shortened.

 

[itsmoked]

Or if you every 'energize it' you will shorten its life.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[ScottyUK]

The GE-branded CFLs on the UK market have a short life in my experience. They are expensive crap, the only thing worse than cheap crap. I've had good results with Osram and with Philips which carry a similar price tag to the GE ones. Of the two, Philips is probably in the lead for longevity based on gut feel rather than a quantified study.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[rawelk]

I have still to find good reliability data, but was looking around for a source as well when my latest batch of CFL bulbs started failing (Bright Effects brand, L13T6, 13W/120V, 210mA, 800 lumen output, 8000 hour, made in China, and purchased in a six pack (item #46428)).

What I did find were a lot of negative comments about them on the One Billion Bulbs

http://www.onebillionbulbs.com/cfl-bulbs/13297-Circuline/1923/US

and Treehugger

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/qa_switching_to.php

websites.

In contrast, I bought a pair of Philips SL-18/27

http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Spec Sheets/Philips SL18.htm

bulbs back in the early '90s, and one of them is still going strong.

 

[thanglam]

Well, I have n:Vision branded cfl. It's going strong for 3 years now. About 5-6 hours each night.

 

[itsmoked]

Sadly they are ALL like shoes. They seem to change every few months. Find a good one today and next year forget finding it again.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[stephenw22]

The only place we've had problems with CFLs is in high-humidity areas (bathrooms with showers, some mechanical rooms, etc.) We've switched back to incandescents in these areas.

 

[stanlsimon]

There does not seem to be any government consumer agency testing the longevity claims. Until a big stink is made and the Chinese authorities publicly execute some scapegoat nothing will change.

 

[advidana]

I keep changing the lamp mounted in the ceiling in the garage but the table lamps have not failed. I mounted the lamps in 2 table lamps in my bedroom about 5 years ago. have replaced the garage lights about once a every 16 months. not to bad. My wife does not like the way they look on the fixtures so the rest of the house does not have them.