Light bulbs

[ted]

Has anybody else found these new corkscrew shaped "energy efficient" light bulbs n.b.g. ? I replaced our old bulbs with them some months ago and they've all blown now. Some of them smell, some make humming noises, some flash in the dark after you turn them off, and they all last about a tenth the time of ordinary bulbs. They'll have to come up with something better than that.

[unholeee]

smell? careful they have mercury in them .._..

[ted]

Do they ? I didn't know that. The smell in this case was due to burning plastic. It used to happen with badly made light fittings years ago, but you don't expect the plastic base of the bulb itself to do this. And why do they flash intermittently in the dark after you switch them off ? Are they a sort of mini fluorescent or is some other principle involved ? Whatever it is I'm not impressed.

[unholeee]

i'm not sure mercury vapour has a smell. and yes it is a cfl, which stands for compact fluorescent light.

[indianajo]

CFL's, however highly recommended by the electric company, are 99.9999% made in a country known for elementary schools that fall down in an earthquake,infant formula that poisons babies,  meat store products made from rats, water resevoirs full of dead pigs,  local councils that will knock down your house to make a new shopping mall without paying you,  etc etc etc.  I bought some CFL's assembled in City of Industry California 5 years ago, and they are still working.  You can't buy those anymore, the market decrees you would prefer to buy trash built by people trained to  lie a lot to keep the authorities off their backs.
CFL's short out and burn up the power supply when they fail.  Many of the components in the power supply are made of or coated in plastic.  Plastic produces foul odors and poisonous gases when it burns but in the small quantities of a CFL, UL has decreed they are "safe" when they burn out.  Don't ride around in a plastic lined limosine or bus, the gasses from those fires can be much more deadly. 
Support your neighbors. Buy incandescent bulbs made in Pennsylvania.  If you can't find those, buy regular florescent bulbs made in countries with a little bit of freedom. I have an 8" diameter 22 watt "circline" florescent bulb illuminating my kitchen, made in Thailand.  I had to buy the fixture at Salvation Army, you can't find the fixtures anymore.  That bulb is three years old and operates 24/7. 

[lostinidlewonder]

I heard that if they flash at night it is a fault in your housing circuit. Even though you have the power switched off there is a small amount of current still charging the bulb causing it to flash and then recharge and continue the process. I have this happening in my house now and the wiring here isn't the best.

[Bob]

I've heard the hum but only with certain brands.  Just swap them out for a different brand.

I haven't noticed any difference in how long they last.

They're a pain when they do break.  The gas inside, although it's not a huge concern to me really.  I think they shatter into more pieces than the old ones.

It is nice to either save some power or put in the same wattage and get a lot more light.

I guess I've gotten used to them not being 100% on instantly when I flip the switch.

And the light's different, but there are different kinds of both bulbs

[outin]

Guess what? Ordinary light bulbs have been banned around here. So I am forced to buy these silly bulbs that don't give as much light and take ages to warm up or something expensive that don't always do any better. They may save energy, but in reality they do not last as long as they are supposed to and make into toxic waste.

[oxy60]

They are an absolute disaster. 

[ted]

 
Support your neighbors. Buy incandescent bulbs made in Pennsylvania.  If you can't find those, buy regular florescent bulbs made in countries with a little bit of freedom. I have an 8" diameter 22 watt "circline" florescent bulb illuminating my kitchen, made in Thailand.  I had to buy the fixture at Salvation Army, you can't find the fixtures anymore.  That bulb is three years old and operates 24/7.  

I live in New Zealand, and I do support local industry where possible. Trouble is, most of it closed down since the "economic reforms" of the eighties. I used to work for a large manufacturer of car filters but they closed the factory and became a reseller at the time of my retirement. The filters they import now are very unreliable. The same situation probably exists for light bulbs. It's a very general problem unfortunately.

I heard that if they flash at night it is a fault in your housing circuit. Even though you have the power switched off there is a small amount of current still charging the bulb causing it to flash and then recharge and continue the process. I have this happening in my house now and the wiring here isn't the best.

A good thought, but the wiring leading to this particular bulb is fairly new. The flashing lasts for a few minutes at most after switching off and occurs with some bulbs and not others.

i'm not sure mercury vapour has a smell. and yes it is a cfl, which stands for compact fluorescent light.

Thanks, that explains a few things.

I've heard the hum but only with certain brands.  Just swap them out for a different brand.

The very occasional ordinary large fluorescent tube also makes a humming noise. I usually replace it if that happens.

I haven't noticed any difference in how long they last.

Lucky you !

Thanks for all the replies.

[j_menz]

I use them everywhere. Haven't had one die on me yet, so can't comment on their staying power (though some of them have been there for years).

[chopin2015]

Please be careful with those. I heard if you drop one, it can explode with gas and burns skin very fast! Seriously... 

[ted]

I've just replaced all the corkscrew ones with old-fashioned bulbs. We'll see what happens. Might be just as bad, they're all made by the same companies.

[oxy60]

I've just replaced all the corkscrew ones with old-fashioned bulbs. We'll see what happens. Might be just as bad, they're all made by the same companies.

Good move.

There is a loop hole in the law that allows industrial use of the traditional types manufactured for factories. (EU)

[Bob]

With the new light bulbs does it mean we'll have ideas that dawn on us, creep in, for a about a minute, rather than an ah-ha! moment?

[quantum]

In Canada incandescents are being phased out.  These bureaucrats want to ban the sale of them. 

For me, inconsistent white balance is what ticks me off about CFL's.  Sure they make packaging that labels them "daylight" or "cool white," but you can't rely on those labels.  Even if you stick to the same manufacturer, there are still inconsistencies in white balance between batches.  If a bulb burns out in a multi-bulb fixture, you've got to replace all bulbs with a new batch in order to get consistent light.  Great way to "save money."

[the_fervid_pig]

They're great if you need light in a room about 45 minutes after you flick the switch. Apart from that they're a bit chocolate teapot. The local market sell the old kind so I got a stash from them last time I was there.

They proper shatter too when you drop the buggers.