CFL Bulbs are BS

[piratesparrot]

That stuff about them lasting 10 years or more is a crock of crap.
I have only lived here for just under 5 years and started replacing my bulbs as they went out after that and I can't count the number to CFL bulbs I have had to replace already. This morning I am sitting in a dark computer room until I get out the ladder to change the ceiling bulbs again! Haven't seen any savings. Elec. bill is higher than ever and the up front cost is so much higher. Then the trip to the Home Depot to turn them in so I don't kill the environment. UGGGGHHHH!
Rant over!

[Opti]

I think your electric bill should go down, but its not that much per bulb
something like $30/year. I too don't like paying so much for the CFL bulbs since they seem to fail in roughly a year. The only cost savings I get is the
electric bill.

[Opti]

The mercury aspect really bothers me which is why I've bought so few CFLs and only when they were on extreme sale at a grocery or drug store.
It will be nice when the LED based bulbs are cheaper.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

I seem to recall that This Old House did a piece on these bulbs a while back. They hooked up an electric meter to show the amount of current being used with an incandescent bulb vs a CFL. The CFL barely used any.

[schildi]

I have installed CFL's in our house 6 or 7 years ago, where ever I was able to. 15 or so light bulbs. I had to replace only one ever since. So my experience is that they do last much, much longer.
And I have tested the power consumption with a kill-a-watt. The power savings are real as well.

[justwhoever]

I read the box one day. It will last for 10 yrs(it might have just said 5 or 7 on mine) IF they are only used for a few minutes a day.

[2kids10horses]

We, too, have noticed they don't appear to last any longer than regular bulbs. We have some in the floodlights in the recessed fixtures in the kitchen.

So, we're trying an experiment: Don't turn off the kitchen lights but once each day. Turn 'em on in the morning, leave 'em on all day until bedtime.

We'll see. Supposedly, it turning them on and off that 1) uses the most electricity, and 2) wears them out.

[TrixAre4Kids]

Jan 15, 2011 11:50:46 GMT -5 2kids10horses said:

We'll see. Supposedly, it turning them on and off that 1) uses the most electricity, and 2) wears them out.

I have heard the on/off wears 'em out. They need to be on for 15-minutes. I am training myself to leave lights on! How crazy is that?

[piratesparrot]

So they last 10 years if you never turn them on?

[Apple]

I've already started a thread that they will cause the end of the world in 2012 when incandescents are outlawed
They can cause a lot of problems on systems that aren't designed for them.

[phil5185]

There is one really nice application for a CFL - the trouble light in your garage, one of those with a cord and a light bulb and a little wire cage around the bulb. The old incandescent bulbs have a white-hot filament burning inside so whenever you bang it on the garage floor or drop it on an engine, the bulb burns out. Not so with a CDL, you can throw them at the wall and nothing happens. And an additional plus - the CDL is much cooler.

[Apple]

And an additional plus - the CDL is much cooler.

A CDL would be very cool, sometimes it looks like it would be fun to drive a "big rig" every now and then

I do have a CHL in two states, that's pretty cool too!

(Okay, just had to tease. When working on things it is nice to have the cooler bulbs, unless it's cold and then I want the highest wattage I can find!)

[2kids10horses]

Down in the barn, I use a light bulb to keep the pipes from freezing! A 60 watt bulb generates just enough heat!

[Deleted]

We have CFLs in almost all of our fixtures. I like them.

[tiredturkey]

We use a lot of CFL's and while they do last longer, an important factor for old folks like us who don't like going up ladders, they don't last quite as long in our applications as I had hoped. Our front porch light is on from dusk to dawn and they last about 2 years there vs. 6 mos. for incandescent. Our interior hallway light is on about 13-14 hours a day and they last 2-3 years in that usage. I'm looking forward to the greater availability of dimmable CFL bulbs for my lamps and for decorative CFL's that reach full brightness more quickly, especially in cold weather. The pretty little chandelier-style CFL's I use in my bathroom fixtures take a while to brighten up when the room temp is under 70, which is good for taking a leak in the middle of the night when you don't want to wake up all the way, not so good the rest of the time. I put a basket in the hall closet where I collect the burned out ones to take to Lowe's or Home Depot. Our municipal hazardous waste facility accepts them too and we have to go there once a year to recycle all our used batteries, household chemicals and such. As the neighborhood retired folks, we take all the neighbors' glass, bulbs, batteries, old paint, computers and peripherals, etc. when we make a recycle run.

[Deleted]

Theres no guarentee as to how long they last! Spent $5.00 on a box of 12 @ Home Depot. I'm not going to complain if they don't last forever. I've spent more on regualr blubs!

[DVM gone riding]

my house came with all CFL bulbs. I purchased three years ago and haven't replaced one bulb-four years in the house before this one and I replaced a lot of bulbs.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"It will be nice when the LED based bulbs are cheaper.":::...

And brighter... We had a funny moment here. I firmly believe LEDs are the way to go once they develop, and I bought a bulb. DF watched as I switched the bulbs, and I said "get ready". When I turned the LED bulb on, it was barely bright enough to see her. I was so disappointed!

...:::"Supposedly, it turning them on and off that 1) uses the most electricity, and 2) wears them out.":::...

I am using one as my outside light in tandem with a light sensor. It turns on when its dark, and stays on until its light. I believe you get the most mileage and most savings this way. Though we have them in our bedroom and one bathroom too.

[maxie]

I use a sharpie to write the date I've installed them right on the bulb. We have so many, I felt like I was constantly changing bulbs! This way, I can see if they're lasting as long as I would hope.

[thyme4change]

And I have tested the power consumption with a kill-a-watt. The power savings are real as well.

I believe that the CFLs use less than a regular bulb, but how much of a difference does that really make? I have 10 fixtures that I can use a CFL in, but I have 3 TVs, 3 computers, a refridgerator, an AIR CONDITIONER, a water heater, a dishwasher, a washer, a dryer, a pool pump, and 20 fixtures that don't take a CFL. What percentage of my electric bill could possibly be affected?

[Deleted]

The average home's electricity usage is made up of 25% lighting

[telephus44]

We bought a whole bunch when we moved in together in 2002. We actually took them with us from apartment to apartment and then to our house when we bought it in 2008. Short of having to buy more bulbs because there are more light fixtures in our house, we've only had 2 burn out on us in the last 9 years. I also find the cost savings to be real.

What has gotten better is the availability of different kinds (for use in sensor lights, 3 way lights, dimmables - if they aren't meant to accept CFL's, they really mean it!) and the types of light - cool light, day light, etc. Pricing has come down, although it's not as good as when they first came out and the electric company had them very heavily discounted. I am also waiting for LED bulbs to be the next wave of the future.

[thyme4change]

And how much would a CFL save? Does it reduce it 50%?

If so, I would have .25 x .5 x .3 (because only 30% of my lighting can even use a CFL) - so I would get a 4% savings. So, my savings would be about $5 a month. I guess it is no wonder I haven't noticed that difference in my bill.

[Angel!]

Jan 18, 2011 11:43:37 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

And how much would a CFL save? Does it reduce it 50%?

If so, I would have .25 x .5 x .3 (because only 30% of my lighting can even use a CFL) - so I would get a 4% savings. So, my savings would be about $5 a month. I guess it is no wonder I haven't noticed that difference in my bill.

I think the savings is more like 90%, so more like $9.

What kind of lighting do you have that only 30% can take CFLs? Every light in my house can use a CFL other than 1 halogen light & my backyard lights. I still haven't put CFLs in my bathroom because for a long time I couldn't find that bulb type as a CFL, but I've since seen them so when those burn out they are going to be replaced with CFLs.

I've definitely noticed they last much longer than regular bulbs. I've only replaced 1 CFL in the 5 years I've lived in this house & that one was already here when I moved in.

[thyme4change]

I have undercabinet lighting that takes a very specific bulb.
I have track lighting that takes a very specific spot light.
I have a chandilier that I refuse to put those ugly bulbs into and have the really pretty ball-lights.
I have 5 can lights that take a specific type of bulb.
I have sconces that are on a dimmer that is a "no CFL" type.
I have enclosed overhead fixtures, and the last I checked you weren't suppose to put CFL is a completely enclosed, overhead, hanging upside down fixture.
There are lights in my vent hood, which I use all the time.
I have walkway lights that have a specific bulb.
I have lights that hang in the backyard that are more like Christmas lights - we at least 3 nights a week, sometimes 7 nights a week - so I count it.

So, that leave the 4 ceiling fans, the 3 lamps, the 3 outside fixtures (which both hang upside down, so they burn out super fast) the 2 bathroom fixtures (which someone said I shouldn't have CFLs in there, but I do) and the spot in the laundry room. We probably have a CFL in the tool room, too. So, I guess we have 14 CFLs in our house.

I don't know how to count the track lighting - there are 5 bulbs in there - is that one fixture or 5? There are 5 undercabinet lights on one switch, is that 1 or 5? For individual bulbs, I have 30 that are speciality bulbs and 7 that I use regular bulbs - either because I think I'm suppose to, or because I like the look.

[frep]

I would agree that they don't last as long as they claim as well. All the ones I had burned out within 3 years.

[thyme4change]

I also don't think 25% of my energy bill goes to lighting because of the pool pump and the a/c. Those are real energy suckers. I believe the average family might use 25%, but I doubt the amount of energy spent on a/c in Phoenix is average for the USA.

[pushingit]

I love my CFL's because they last so long compared to regular. I hate changing light bulbs. I used to have to change at least one a week with regular bulbs. Now it's two a year.

Perhaps it's your wiring or you're using the wrong bulbs for your fixtures?

We had one light in our mudroom that kept burning out both types of bulbs. We found it had a short.

[pushingit]

Jan 18, 2011 12:12:05 GMT -5 frep said:

I would agree that they don't last as long as they claim as well. All the ones I had burned out within 3 years.

See, I'm ok with that. I mean, if you're doing a standard cost comparison and saying a bulb cost 6 times that of a regular bulb so it must last 6 times as long, then no, they don't stand up. But if you add in the energy savings, it does.

Also, I'd pay $7 vs $1 to avoid changing the bulb for 3 years. Never did a regularly used light with a regular bulb last 3 years.

[thyme4change]

This is another that blows about vaulted ceiling. You can't reach the darn lights!