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Posted by jJim McLaughlin on April 3, 2007, 3:06 am
businessman@nomail.com wrote:
> I got some of those GE brand ones at Walmart and all I have is trouble
> with them. I just installed one about 5 weeks ago and last week it
> began to go on and off all the time.
>
> I have some of the original straight U shaped CF's that have been in
> my home for 5 years and they still work fine. One of them is left on
> all night every night. These new spiral ones are garbage, at least
> the GE brans sold at Walmart. I just complained to the company, and
> they said they want me to send the bulb and a receipt. I can send the
> bulb (as long as they payt the shipping), but I dont save receipts for
> small items. I got more important things to do with my time than
> collect paper. I think I am going back to common lightbulbs.
>
>
>
> On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 01:51:58 -0400, Bonnie Peebles
>
>
>>I swapped out my incandescent lights for the spiral fluorescent
>>lights. They are rated for 5 years (some maybe 7years) at 4 hours
>>usage per day. In both my old house and in my new home, I am not
>>getting anywhere near that. My longest one, the one least used lasted
>>2 years.
>>
>>With the initial higher cost of the bulb, I'm GUESSING I would need
>>the bulb to last close to at least 4 years to pay for itself. The
>>bulbs run about $7 for 3ea 100 watt equivalent (they use 26 watts)
>>Maybe someone could help me on this math or show me how to figure out
>>how long they'd need to last to be a better buy then incandescents.
>>
>>Is anyone else using these fluorescent lights? I get them at Wal-Mart
>>so it is whatever brand they carry. My current bad bulb is made by
>>Commercial Electric. It had a 7 year guarantee. It was installed
>>2005-01-06. At the rated 4 hours a day, I should have gotten 10,192
>>hours of use. I had the bulb for about 19,000 hours. If I ran it non
>>stop, day and night, I could have burned it out. But why the heck
>>would I buy an energy saving bulb if I wasn't trying to save energy.
>>
>>
>>What kind of hours are YOU getting? Have you folks in CA switched yet
>>before it becomes law?
>>
>>
>>
>>Also, does anyone know of any light sources that use LEDs for the
>>home? I saw one at Lowe's ( like a Home Depo/Builders Square ) but it
>>seemed to be more for ambient light then to light a room or task
>>lighting. But some kind of device with a few dozen LEDs in it that
>>screwed into a standard socket would be pretty cool. I hear that LEDs
>>are as more efficient then fluorescent. Don't know if it is true but
>>I THINK I saw something that claimed the difference in efficiency
>>between LEDs and fluorescent's was about the same as the difference
>>between fluorescent's and incandescents. But that doesn't seem right
>>to me because fluorescent's are in the 90-95% efficiency range, right?
>>Again, I don't know, but I have started my search for better
>>fluorescent and LED lights.
>>
>>But I would like your feed back - mainly on the life of your
>>fluorescent lights, but all the other stuff too.
>>
>>( Got to remember to take the ambien after I write the emails. Wait,
>>did I take it yet? Well, better to be sure and take one more.)
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Bonnie
>>lass
>
>
Well, it all depends upon what you are willing to do to enforce the
representations the
manufacturers make. If you are willing to do enough, you will make out
fine; if not, you'll
get screwed ( thats a pun with respect to light bulbs which I did not
intend, but its still funny.)
Me, I really don't like to let a manufacturer or a marketer get away
with misrepresentations. YMMV.
I buy the compact flourescents in bulk at Costco. I staple the Costco
recept to the blister pack.
When I install a CFL I use a black sharpie to mark the installation
date on the bulb base. If the
bulb fails in less than 5 or 7 or whatever years as marked on the
package, I have a canned
letter in my word processor system which I send to Costco in Kirkland,
WA and the bulb
manufacturer. In every instance I have received a replacement buld at
o cost.
I started this with a bunch of Phillips CFL bulbs which failed
miserably in less s than 6 months.
I had fortitously ( naw, honestly its a real junk pile out in the
garage and I was just lucky)
kept the bulb package and the receipt. After that experience I won't
let the mfgrs. or the
vendors screw me on the bulb life representations they choose o make.
If a mfgr makes a
representation / promise on bulb life, they need to live up to it.
Side note, other than a canderlabra / chandelier fixture for which I
have found no replacement
CFL fluted bulbs, and the outdoor security lights where ambient
temperature works against CFLs,
I have replaced every incandescent bulb in the house with CFLs. I have
literally cut my KWH
monthly by 33 %. Sadly, because of the rate increases ( Portland, OR -
Portland General Electric),
I haven't cut my bill by that much, but without the massive CFL
replacement, and consequent
KWH decline, my bill would be a whole lot higher. IU wuldn't co back
to incandescents. .
Again, its a function of what you are willing to do, both for aggressive
CFL replacement of
incandescents and record keeping to keep the CFL manufacturers and
vendors honest.
I am looking forward to reasonably priced LEDs.
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