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Re: [Phys-l] CFLs



Hi,

I do not have a lot of light bulbs with screw bases. But my driveway light is on all night every night. With incandescents a bulb would last 4-6 months and the CFL goes a couple of years. In the bathroom the CFL's have been in for 4-5 years without fail.

I wish I could re-lamp a few places in the house to the best of the florescent fixtures T8 or even better T5. (The number is the tube diameter in 1/8's of an inch.)

Thanks
Roger

James Mackey wrote:
I have sitting on my desk right now a sack of 6 CFL's that all died within 6
months. There are GE's, Sylvania's, and Sunbeam's bulbs. This has been my
experience with CFLs over the last 3 years. I am about to go back to
incandescents which are much cheaper, by my rough calculations, about 1/2
the cost including the more energy use and purchase price. These were used
in interior fixtures except for one bulb which lasted as long a any of the
others. I would like to be able to justify CFLs but based on my small
sample, they do not justify their price. I have not even included the
disposal problem, since they all (I believe) have small amounts of mercury
in the bulb. If these are the bulbs of the future, they clearly need
additional work!
Waiting for LED bulbs to cheapen!
James Mackey

On Tue, Apr 7, 2009 at 2:19 PM, <lhodges@iastate.edu> wrote:

I use CFLs in some places, but I'm very disappointed in their
lifetimes...not
even close to "7X longer." More like the same life as incandescent. If it
weren't for the extreme heat that the incand. in the bathroom give off for
the
same light, I'd go back. CFL ballasts need some vast improvements, you may
save
on the electric bill, but you pay $$ for the product.

I've been using CFLs for over 20 years, since they were fairly new and
unknown
but available at some stores (like electric-supply stores). I bought every
type
I could find (GE, Sylvania, Lites of America, Philips, etc.) and kept
records on
them. I used some in our unheated garage, leaving them on all the time
except
for turning them off several times a day for a few minutes. All but one
brand
(Lites of America) easily lasted the 10,000 hours claimed. So I've placed
them
in all the light fixtures I could, where they last under normal use for
many
years. I don't use them outside (slow to brighten up in cold weather) and
don't
use them with dimmer switches. Several are in locations where they are on
for
several hours every night. I'm very pleased with them. Since they aren't
burning out I haven't bought any for a few years - maybe they aren't as
good -
but I suspect many users just want something to complain about.

Along similar lines, when the low-flush toilets became available, there
were
many complaints about them from homeowners forced to use them. As I had
good
working toilets I didn't pay much attention to them. Then one day I
decided one
of our toilets which had never been a good flusher, for some reason, ought
to be
replaced. The new low-flush toilet, to my surprise, was excellent, and
remains
the best toilet in our house.

Laurent Hodges
writing from the inside of his passive solar home, heated for the last few
days
exclusively by the sun, despite the cold temperatures.


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_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l