In my basement I have about 8 ceiling lights that use low energy GE CFL 23 watts bulbs. Over the last 2 years, at least 18 of them have failed. GE claims that each one should last about 8 years before failure.
Here’s a selection of the burned out ones I kept:
Had the pub refurbished 2010/11. Put in low energy bulbs as advised. Countless have gone phuttt – at vast expense. Will be contacting Trading Standards, as bulbs claim to last for 8 to 10 years……and cost enough that they should! Also – light much lower in strength – which in a low-ceilinged old pub and accomodation above, in a village with no street lighting, takes us back to medieval times!! Candles would be cheaper!!! Janet Kirk, The Fox & HOunds, Uffington SN7 7RP
I moved into a home 2 years ago that was fully converted to CFL bulbs. I’m continuously replacing them and they include a mix of brands and models. From what I’ve read, there seems to be no question in the market that the CFL does not live up to advertised claims.
I believe the reality of it is that perhaps the bulb itself could last for the advertised period, but the power supply embedded in each unit does not. These power supplies include a small circuit board that contains a number of extremely low end components that are known in the electronics industry to be used for short life time products such as toys. The power supplies are needed to convert the power from the 120V connection to a voltage that is appropriate for CFL bulbs and I honestly believe the power supply is the bulk of the cost in manufacturing a CFL bulb. If the issue is with the power supply and not the bulb itself, I suspect the tradeoff to improving the issue is that if a manufacturer actually used components that could last the life time of the bulb, the cost would greatly multiply.
CFL lights are pointless despite all the rumours. If you want light bulbs to last you need to research and purchase the correct types of light bulbs for your environment.
I bought 16 CFC bulbs in 2007. I also bought about 100 of the incandescent Halco long lasting bulbs. A 4 pack of CFC bulbs cost $11.99 and a 4 pack of the Halco long lasting bulbs cost $6.99. I have 32 light fixtures in my house. I put 16 CFC bulbs and the Halco bulbs side by side so they would burn at the same hours. I noticed very little decrease in my electric bill.. Both made claims they would last 10,000 hours. Now, over five years later 15 of the 16 Halco bulbs are still burning and only 6 of the 16 CFC bulbs are still burning. I am replacing all the burned out bulbs with the Halco bulbs because any savings on electricity are more than eaten up by the cost of the CFC bulbs and the fact that they burn out faster than the Halco bulbs. The CFC bulbs also contain mercury which could not be a good thing and they emit an awful odor sometimes when they burn out. I saw 2 of them smoke right before burning out.
I have a bucket of various brands all dead and waiting for the recycling nightmare.
All were in fittings with ample air circulation, and were not frequent on and off scenarios.These bulbs are a scam.The premature failure rate of all brands is over 50%.
I am going to convert our home to fluoro tubes.Long type and some circular in a few spots.
When LED comes good and China gets its act together I may change tacks,but for now my evidence is empirical Never buy CFL globes.They are NOT an green or economical choice, at either end of their cycle.
1/10
That is a possibility but they are open on the downside.
Are the ceiling lights enclosed? the lack of ventilation will kill cfls and leds faster than normal…
it’s very common. GE or other supplier usually stated that their cfl buls has 8 years life span.
but this number is based on theory. And in fact, because of the different way of usage, unsteady voltage, the actual life can not reach what they promise. Is your lamp the ? I like 2700k color temperature
I have had the same problem and know of tons of others with the same short life of CFL!! They are not worth the effort!! I have incandescent bulbs that have out lasted all my CFL bulbs!!
@ Vanessa you cant use a dimmer on a Fluorescent light! But yes a dimmer doesnt save any electricity! It only lowers the voltage and dissipates the extra as heat!
Anyone find some CFL that do last please tell us what brand they are!!
Randall – WW5RM
The wiring is completely new. I think it is a combination of poor quality bulbs and overheating.
I never had this problem with my CFL light bulbs. I think you should check your house’s wiring. There might be a problem there. Or you could buy a different brand.
As far as I’m concerned there’s no need to use low eengry bulbs with a dimmer because they’re so dim already. Dimmer switches are themselves consumers of eengry.We’ve had discussions about this before, but it’s probably worth going over the same ground again because organisations like Greenpeace are being so dogmatic about the whole issue.I really wanted to use CFLs and I have honestly tried to learn to love them, but they are in most circumstances just crap. I acknowledge that technically an 11W CFL may give out the same number of lumens as a 60W bad’ bulb, but in use there is a significant difference in the quality of light which makes CFLs unusable for many kinds of normal domestic activity. Unfortunately, I doubt if I would qualify to obtain incandescent bulbs on prescription from my doctor, which is Greepeace’s helpful suggestion to cater for continued use.I shall do all I can to oppose the bully-boy tactics of Greenpeace and others on this issue. Anyway, since my electricity comes from a 100% renewable supplier, changing my bulbs will make no difference to my carbon footprint. It may of course make me blind, so I won’t need lights at all.
amazing magic The myth of the long lasting CFL light bulb
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