Longer Lasting CFL Bulbs

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Longer Lasting CFL Bulbs

Submitted by: anonymous 06/05/2009 1:12 PM

How to have longer lasting CFL Bulbs
Ever since we switched our home lighting over to CFL bulbs, I've discovered that they wear out twice as fast if you turn them on and off alot, as you would if you were attempting to save electricity.

Some nights I may decide to go downstairs for a snack or a drink of water, and turn on just enough lights so I don't fall to my death in the dark. To cure this potentially expensive problem I bought a night light, with an off/on switch. This way we can turn out all of the lights in the evening, all except the room we are in of course. We are provided with enough light to safely maneuver to where we need to get, without flicking on/off the CFL lights thereby saving on cost and energy. Many times I leave the nightlight on and the last one home turns it off.

Ray at Http://esaylivingsherpa.com

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Newer night lights now have 2 additional features that help save money.

[1] motion sensor at distance of about 20-30 feet, so night light comes on as it senses you coming within its range.

[2] dusk-to-dawn sensitivity, so that the night light does not automatically turn on in the daytime when you don't need the light.

These newer night lights are made by General Electric and I got mine at Wal-Mart.

A 2nd kind of motion sensor + dusk-to-dawn sensor night light with 1 LED (light emitting diode) light, and it runs on batteries. I use rechargeable batteries in them. They can sit on their own flat base like a wind-up alarm clock, can hang suspended from a hook that comes with them, or they can be mounted on a wall or similar structure because they also have a mounting hole in the back of them. Their range detection is probably more like 5-10 feet, instead of 20-30 feet, but they are excellent sitting on your bed stand, so that you can see your way right when you get up. They are also great in a camp site, in a tent, or wherever you need an automatic little light to see your way.

Posted by K on August 03, 2009 1:52 PM

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I've found that CFL's burn out at a higher rate when used in fixtures that trap heat inside. I've also learned that not all CFL's are created equal. I've had good luck with certain brands, but bad luck with other brands. All of the bulbs in one "bargain pack" burned out within a year, while I've had others burning for several years now.

Posted by Solar John on September 01, 2009 10:52 AM

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Thus far, ALL of our CFLs have burned out far quicker than advertised. We bought a huge number of CFLs at Sam's Club less than three years ago, and switched over to save power. (To give credit due: yes, our electricity bills did go down about 8%.)

Unfortunately, NONE of the CFLs have lived up to their FIVE YEAR WARRANTIES. On a few CFLs, we even had a SEVEN year warranty. Here's a layout:
-- 2 CFLs burned out within about three months.
-- 6 additional bulbs burned out between eleven and thirteen months (they do seem to run in waves).
-- We lost 5 more between months fifteen and twenty-four.
-- So far, we've lost three more since the twenty-four month point.

In some lamps, we've switched back to incandescent simply for safety purposes (e.g., on stairs, at doorways, etc.).

These were all MAJOR manufacturer products, not non-name products--I just don't want to name the products here, lest they decide to help me more than I'd like.

Lesson learned: CFLs are, so far, an immature technology. Thus, we've started buying cases of light bulbs off of eBay, hedging against the eventual ban on their sale...we don't want to be stuck with CFLs dying when they're most needed, say during an emergency.

We plan to reenter the CFL market in several more years, after the technologies have matured further. Until then, it's just not cost-effective to keep replacing faulty CFLs.

Posted by Jim from Colorado on September 02, 2009 1:07 AM

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CFL bulb technology is advancing fast.

The problem is cheap poor technology at a low price, or overpriced brands which have energy start ratings.

Truth is that 85% of the bulbs are made in China in the same factories, The trick is to find those with energy star labels, but imported directly.

The savings are quite real though, as we found when we did a direct comparison, incandescent vs. CFL

http://open4energy.com/forum/home/lig/energy_saving_light_bulbs_incandescent_cfl_0912142219

Hope you enjoy the actual results

Posted by anonymous on December 29, 2009 9:35 PM

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