CFL Bulbs

[marvholly]

The upfront cost might be high but.............

I never realized how long they actually last. Had to change one I use a LOT in my kitchen this morning. I had marked the install date on it - 3/28/2010. Just shy of 5 years.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I hate them. I'm shelling out even more as the damn things burn out to get the LED bulbs. Dh has given up arguing with me about the cost of the LED ones. At least they don't burn out within 6 months of installation like the CFL ones are in our house.

I hope you have better luck than we did.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

I also had early failures with CFL's. Probably due to turning them on and off too often. It's suggested to leave them on at least 15 minutes. As LED bulb prices are coming down, I've switched to buying them, but only as a replacement when a bulb burns out.

ETA. Other things that affect CFL life are heat, humidity and vibration.

LED's are dimmable and keep their color unlike incandescent bulbs which turn more orange.

[Opti]

Jan 16, 2016 9:35:12 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I hate them. I'm shelling out even more as the damn things burn out to get the LED bulbs. Dh has given up arguing with me about the cost of the LED ones. At least they don't burn out within 6 months of installation like the CFL ones are in our house.

I hope you have better luck than we did.

I buy the cheaper ones on sale and like Ken, the way I use most of my lights is not conducive to CFL longevity.

[Tennesseer]

Jan 16, 2016 7:01:22 GMT -5 marvholly said:

The upfront cost might be high but.............

I never realized how long they actually last. Had to change one I use a LOT in my kitchen this morning. I had marked the install date on it - 3/28/2010. Just shy of 5 years.

Not a CFL story but a small battery story.

Last month I happened to look up at the ceiling by the entrance to my bedroom door. I noticed for the first time there was a smoke detector on the ceiling with a sporadic flashing green light. I knew I had never put the smoke detector there. This past Monday night, the smoke detector started chirping as the battery was low. I moved into this house twenty years ago. So that battery lasted 20 or more years.

Pretty good for a little Panasonic battery or any battery.

[marvholly]

Actually, I have CFL bulbs in many fixtures & lamps: 6 kitchen, 6 FR, 1 MBR Reading lamp), 2 Mbath, 2 hall bath & 1 office (dessk lamp).

The bath ones are turned on mostly for short times.  The others generally are on at least several hours & 2 are on 24/7.  ALL of mine last a VERY long time although I do suspect 2 more in the kitchen will go pretty soon.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

Another bit of advice. Don't buy 3-way CFL bulbs. They are more expensive then single wattage and I haven't had much luck with them. I just pick a single wattage for that spot.

[gregintenn]

I still have a mountain of regular light bulbs. I hope the supply outlasts me.

They were 4 for a dollar if I remember correctly.

[TheOtherMe]

I still have some regular bulbs, but also some CFLs.  My outdoor lights that come on when it gets dark and go off when it gets light are CFL.  So far, so good. 

I haven't had any CFLs burn out, but I mine haven't been installed as long as 5 years.

My kitchen has a ton of light fixtures and I will replace those with CFLs when the time comes.

[Anne_in_VA]

I never had much luck with the CFL's lasting longer than regular lightbulbs.  We've started switching to LED's as the old bulbs burn out and I like the light the give.  I thought the CFL bulbs seemed kind of dim, but the LED ones seem much brighter.

I know they cost more but I think it's worth it.

[justme]

I've switched to LED. They're not actually that bad of a price. I can often get them from HD or BJs for $4-5 a blub. CFLs aren't that much cheaper yet LEDs give off wayyyyy better light. I've switched all my outdoor lights to LEDs because they don't attract mosquitoes as much for some reason.

[Tiny]

Here's an update on the CFL versus LED - who will win - front:

news.yahoo.com/ge-phasing-cfl-bulbs-led-140002293.html;_ylt=AwrC1Cn1r69WKG4ALyzQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--

GE is phasing out production of CFL bulbs - in order to concentrate on LED light bulbs.

[quote}
That means this switch to LEDs is primarily about focusing on a single energy-efficient technology. GE's real hope is that, in doing so, it can expand the market for LED bulbs. GE's lighting head, John Strainic, says that across the industry, CFL bulbs hit about a 30 percent marketshare in 2007 thanks to big pushes from Walmart and Oprah — "I remember it very well," he says, "because ... I couldn't find enough CFLs to ship to customers" — but the technology's growth stopped there. [/quote]

The growth stopped mainly because consumers didn't like the slow start up time for CFLs.

The other reason GE is making this switch is Energy Star. Rebates that have long been offered for CFL lights will switch over to LED lights next year. By completing its transition to LED by then, GE's lineup will be able to take advantage of the new Energy Star requirements. That means other companies may soon head in that direction — Strainic expects it. So while GE appears to be the first major company announcing plans to phase out CFL, other companies may follow suit as LED becomes the favored energy-efficient bulb.

It looks like LEDs will supplant CFLs simply due to CFLs not being manufactured. It looks like incandescent and halogen and other bulbs will still be made (I assume because there is a limited niche market for them).

FWIW: I'm ok with the CFLs I have - in lamps/light fixtures that burn for hours on end each day (added I'm getting between 5 and 6 years of daily use before the bulbs go dim/fail) . I don't really care for the quality of light - I use them just to have light. I prefer the light from incandescent bulbs for actual "task lighting". I did purchase a 'reading lamp' with an LED bulb (from IKEA for use in my bedroom) and I have to admit - I really like it - the lamp AND the light. I'm experiencing a lot less eye strain while reading in bed with the new lamp.

I don't have any other LED bulbs at this point. (well other than in flashlights).

[kadee79]

Once I run out of CFLs, I'm going to LEDs. I have the LEDs in the over-head fixtures in my kitchen & both bathrooms...you can SEE in there with them. I can even see to mop my kitchen floor after dark with the LED....I couldn't with the CFLs!

I have a bunch of 100W old bulbs since I use them in my garden house for the heat they produce to help keep it at 40º or above when we get cold. They work great for that. I also still buy the old regular 3-way bulbs for some of our lamps. I prefer to have the option of the 3 different settings.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

3 way bulbs are expensive and usually one element burns out first. They are really a 2 element bulb that switches in the low, then medium wattage. The high setting is both low and medium elements on at the same time.

[murphath]

I just bought 2 LED 75W bulbs when Rite Aid had them on sale (two different transactions).  They were $7.99 each, but RA gave back $5 in Plenti Points.  I had 2/$2 coupons and Plenti Points on my card.  Essentially paid $.99 each.  LED bulbs do go on sale around here but are usually only the 60W.  I need a brighter light.  So far, I love these.  They don't take forever to get to their max. light like the CFLs.  Will definitely be looking for more deals on these as I have a few more lamps!

[Deleted]

LED bulb prices are coming down and CFLs are improving in quality, so it's a good time to switch to more energy-efficient lighting. Not only do these lights use less electricity, but they don't give off as much heat, which can help you save money on cooling your home.