Can someone recomm. best florescent lightbulb (energy saving type ones)

[PurpleMonkey]

I bought those "energy saving" florescent lightbulbs a couple years back to switch it with those traditional bulbs and on the package they say "Gauranteed 7 years" however, one blew this morning....um...least to say, it hasn't been 7 years.

Can someome please recommend me the best brand to buy in terms of longivity and overall brightness? And where do they sell your recommended brand?

Mine is a 13 watt (suppose to look like 60w but is nothing like it), I bought it at Walmart. I saw Fortinos has some Sylvannia but I don't really trust this brand and wasn't too sure if I should try.

Anyone?

 

[oldjones]

Just wondering: My bulbs don't last either, but the ones that went were all in ceiling fixtures where the base is up. I think it may be a heat rises thing. So I've pencilled the install dates on the bases to check. Were yours base up or down?

Mercury vapour is only released if the bulb breaks when it's lit. But broken bulbs do contain mercury and the powder and glass residue should be treated as hazardous. Vacuuming it will spread it, use a damp rag or paper towel then put that in a bag. City councillor's Environment Days have hazardous waste bins for flourescents and their residue.

 

[Kailani]

I've bought CFL bulbs at Ikea 2 yrs ago and all are still keep going strong.. hasn't been 7 yrs yet and I felt as it's actually brighter now that I've changed to CFL. I've saved about 15percent of my hydro bill since.

 

[lawyerman]

It's funny how they say that these bulbs last for 7 years. I think all bulbs should say the approximate amount of hours that they last. I know some do but that should be mandatory.

 

[fuji]

I think their 7 year claim is based on ideal conditions and is not really related to the length of time the bulbs would last under "normal" use.

Ideal would be not turning it on or off much, running it only a certain number of hours, with a perfectly clean power supply, and zero variation in temperature, or air pressure, or whatever matters to these bulbs.

It's all marketing..

 

[Berlin]

So far I have been lucky with those green bulbs other than the annoying switch on delay and the cold white glare which I am still trying to get used to after all these years.

Max bulb life from my experience, 3-4 years, from various brands and not bought from dollar stores mind you.

 

[antlerman]

Obviously if you have gone to CFL bulbs you do not have dimmers......

CFL bulbs only last about 30% longer than incandesent.....and cost about 30% more to buy.....

so you save some money on energy but it takes on the average 3 to 5 years of energy savings to pay for the CFL....

If you look into LED lights they may cost 40 to 50% more...but they use significantly less power the CFL.......and they will run for about 8 to 10 years without being changed.

So you can run the everage house on LED bulbs with every light on for the energy consumption of about 1 x 100watt bulb.....and not change the bulbs for 8 years.......

Consider what you pay for CFL and how often you change them.....then look at the LED......

 

[Boyscout352]

The bulbs from Globe are pretty good. They sell both natural light and cool white. The cool white bulbs are not bright and very artificial. Sold at Rona, CT.

 

[The Bandit]

Obviously if you have gone to CFL bulbs you do not have dimmers.......

They do have dimmable one's now.

 

[The Bandit]

Be sure to dipose of the bulbs properly. The mercury in them is toxic so they shouldn't be thrown into normal waste. I don't know if some of the big retailers like Canadian Tire or Home Depot have set of some disposal boxes yet though.

Home Depot does have disposal boxes for them.

 

[Papi Chulo]

I bought those "energy saving" florescent lightbulbs a couple years back to switch it with those traditional bulbs and on the package they say "Gauranteed 7 years" however, one blew this morning....um...least to say, it hasn't been 7 years.

Can someome please recommend me the best brand to buy in terms of longivity and overall brightness? And where do they sell your recommended brand?

Mine is a 13 watt (suppose to look like 60w but is nothing like it), I bought it at Walmart. I saw Fortinos has some Sylvannia but I don't really trust this brand and wasn't too sure if I should try.

Anyone?

Firstly, it does not make sense to change every bulb to CFL. Choose bulbs you use the most IE: kitchen, range hood, family room, living room, bathroom. If it is a closet, or a room you do not use often, it does not make sense to change the lamp as the cost payback will be far too long. If you have lamps which are in a hard to reach location, it makes sense to use a quality CFL as you have to change them much less often than a regular or even a halogen lamp (IE in a soffit). Most quality CFL's last 10-12 times as long as most incandescent lamps and approx 5 times as long as most halogen lamps.

Secondly, getting away from energy savings. If you have a fixture that has a maximum wattage rating (IE 60W) and you feel that you are not getting enough light out of the 60W lamp... instead of putting a 13-15W CFL in, put a higher wattage CFL in, if it will fit physically. There are some 23W-28W CFL's that are fairly small and will put much more light than a 100W incandescent lamp.

Thirdly. CFL's are also great because they are available in many different colours
27K - warm white (colour of incandescent lamps) orange / pink tone to light
30K - warm white
35K - colour of halogen lamps - somewhat neutral light
41K - cool white - slight blue tone to light
50K - daylight - could be called "full spectrum" - appear much brighter than other colours of same wattage lamps

The brand I prefer is Panasonic, as long as you do not buy their economy lamp

Also, if it is any consolation, the parliament building in BC uses CFL's made by TCP to light its exterior each night http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/13/ee/73/parliament-building-at.jpg

As to where to buy them.. I am sure you can find that info online.... but if it is for your home.. just go to a local retailer and buy the cheap crap as it will be more than adequate for your use (LED will most likely replace CFL's in the next 5-7 years). Sylvania is a decent name... like any other brand.. they have professional grade lamps and residential grade (retail). If you want the higher end lamps and a greater selection of lamps, you must go to where most businesses purchase their lamps and it is not at any retail outlet or box store.

They do have dimmable one's now.

Dimmable CFL's do not last as long as non-dimming.



Also.. LED lamps have not had time to be perfected. The technology is still developing for incandescent / CFL replacement in the residential market. For now CFL is the way to go. LED is not a proven technology. At 120VAC, LED clusters do not last as long as they should as they generate a lot of heat. Heat kills LED's prematurely. Wait a few years before buying LED as the technology improves (with reliability). The cost for LED's will come down as they become mainstream.

Just wondering: My bulbs don't last either, but the ones that went were all in ceiling fixtures where the base is up.

It is simple. Heat rises. Heat damages electronic components in the ballast, causing premature failure. Cheap lamps use cheap components (you get what you pay for).

There are lamps rated for use outdoors (cold temperatures) - Panasonic is rated for -30 on many lamps

Most lamps are not rated for use in an enclosed fixture. The heat has no means of escape and shortens the life of most bulbs. Panasonic has lamps rated for enclosed fixtures.

Most people do not want to pay the price for quality lamps for their house.

Also, if you CFL lamps are not meant to be used in outdoor fixtures that use a motion sensor. When there is a motion sensor, there is a trickle current which could cause the lamp to flicker dimly when it is off, shortening the life of the bulb. Not to mention that it will not come on right away at full brightness when there is motion.

One more thing. If you have lighted switches in your residence, there is a good chance that they will not work with a CFL for the same reason they are not recommended for use with a motion sensor... and it is pretty annoying to see the lamp flicker when the switch is OFF, when it is dark!

 

[oldjones]

Thanks Papi. Much good info, too bad the manufacturers and retailers don't provide it.

 

[PurpleMonkey]

Thanks Papi, took your advice and bought the Sylvania at LOWES, they were cheaper than any other places. $7 for 4 super mini 13w bulbs. Plugged them in and they are surprisingly very bright. Will let you guys know if they blow out ......... in 7 years.

 

[wpguser]

Don't believe any of the 7 year bullshit! If you want to save yourself some money go to the dollar store. I've bought several from there & the're all still working