Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Compact fluorescent bulbs  (Read 8658 times)

Offline tonyp

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 656
  • If it ain't broke you aren't trying hard enough...
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2012, 09:03:27 am »
I bought a 4-pack of CFLs 6 yrs ago when we moved in and 3 are still working so i've had pretty good luck with them i guess.
Live from the Jersey Shore!

Phrases for Creatives, #22:
"I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter."

Offline The Professor

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 863
  • "In the next life, you're on your own"
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2012, 09:32:04 am »
...They last and the power usage is less. Much less.  That's my take on them. Take a minute to brighten up? Yeah I've noticed that for the 46 watt bulbs. Doesn't bother me.

+1
I've been using the CFLs for quite a while now and think they are great.   In my experience, I've found them to last a very long time and  while the initial outlay for the bulb is usually more, they are demonstrably  more economical in the long haul considering the less frequent replacement coupled with the significant energy savings.  All I know is that I'm certainly changing light bulbs a lot less frequently than I used to. 
They seem to be coming down in price, too.
AL
New Brunswick, NJ
[499.6, 101.2] Apparent Rennerian
Homebrewer since July 1971

Offline corkybstewart

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1368
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2012, 02:04:55 pm »
They are getting cheaper.
The previous owners put 4 6' fluorescent fixtures behind a ceiling beam as a poor man's recessed lighting I guess, and hooked them to a dimmer switch.  We've lived in this house for 20 years and I've never changed one of these fluorescent bulbs, and there's no way of knowing how long they were there before we moved in.  Those are great bulbs, especially since thy'll be tough to get to when I do have to change one.
Life is wonderful in sunny White Signal New Mexico

Offline paul

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 88
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #18 on: February 08, 2012, 08:10:00 pm »
I've looked into this issue a bit for my work, so I can shed some light :) on the topic:

Any lamp life is a "mean life" rating.  It means 50% of the population will last that long.  Half will not last that long and half will last longer.

The mean life rating for most CFLs is 8000 to 10,000 hours.  An average bulb in your home runs about 1,000 h/yr, some much more, others much less, but 1000 is assumed as a representative average.  This implies that CFLs will last 8 to 10 years.  There seems to be a lot of marketing hype that focuses on these numbers.

I read a study several months ago that looked at the effect of starting frequency on lamp life.  The standard rating of 8000 to 10,000 hours is based on a lamps that run 3 hours per start.  The study looked at a number of homes' usage and determined that most lamps have less run time per start.  The result, IIRC, was that most CFLs lives would be de-rated to 5000-6000 hours.  This would suggest a calendar life of 5 to 6 years.

In my experience, this is pretty realistic.  I moved into my house in 2007 and installed probably about 25 CFLs.  Since then, I've probably had about 5 fail…not too bad.

Once you get beyond the marketing hype, the reality is that they last a pretty long time, and typically pay for themselves in energy savings within the first several months of their operation.

Offline kramerog

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2262
    • My LinkedIn page
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2012, 08:33:19 pm »
The cheapie CFLs (e.g. brands I have never heard of) have terrible light quality.  The other ones are fine.  The ones that were in my house when I bought it six years ago are slow to start but the ones I put in since then are quick to start.  Recycling is no problem; I take them to Lowes or Home Depot with dead rechargable batteries.  Generally the life on them are great.

Offline gymrat

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 921
  • Ralph's Brewery
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #20 on: February 08, 2012, 09:04:02 pm »
I was sitting in my kitchen having morning coffee when my lights went dim, then they went bright again. Then there was a buzzing noise coming from my light fixture followed by the smell of melting insulation. Being an electrician by trade, I turned the light off and climbed up to investigate. First thing I saw was a big burn mark on the base of one of my CFLs. I took it out and sniffed it and sure enough that is where the smell was coming from. I have since removed all of those bulbs from my home and am little by little replacing with LCDs.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2012, 09:07:37 pm by gymrat »
Ralph's Brewery
Topeka, KS

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #21 on: February 08, 2012, 10:15:50 pm »
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #22 on: February 08, 2012, 11:25:06 pm »
I've gotten lights from there too euge.

Another thing I noticed with the CFLs - when our power went out couple of weeks ago, several of them never came back.  No problem with the LEDs or incandescents.

Slowly I'm switching to LEDs.  Cheaper would be nice, but the power savings is great too.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline gymrat

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 921
  • Ralph's Brewery
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #23 on: February 09, 2012, 07:49:55 am »
Ty for the link. Believe it or not I am getting them at our local Lowes for the same price.
Ralph's Brewery
Topeka, KS

Offline weithman5

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1681
  • naperville, il
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #24 on: February 09, 2012, 08:01:00 am »
the different lights have their place i use led, incandescents, and a few cfl.  i used the new led in my soffit i built outside because i could string 4 together with low power requirement off one switch and with little concern for heat build up that would melt my vinyl.  i use cfl in garage where we can leave it on all the time (hate waiting for it to warm up so i can see in there.) i am probably going to put in canned lights in my living room and they will be led just for the power drop off one switch.
Don AHA member

Offline BrewingRover

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 771
  • Brewing in Flossmoor, IL
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #25 on: February 09, 2012, 02:47:06 pm »
I never RTFM so I didn't realize hanging upside down shortens life. But those in my basement that are always on last longer than incandescents, and I buy the cheapies at Menards.
It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.

Offline 1vertical

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2702
  • Ozone Layer. Actual location
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #26 on: February 09, 2012, 04:23:47 pm »
>>1vert is hoarding case lots of incandescents.  Those other things suk
A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #27 on: February 09, 2012, 08:11:06 pm »
I must have 50 in my house - I don't have any incandensents except lamps that a cfl won't fit in. And they are in all positions and angles. Maybe one burns out a year and I'm been there for six.  I do think there are differences in quality though, especially with cheap brands. 
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline The Professor

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 863
  • "In the next life, you're on your own"
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #28 on: February 09, 2012, 08:28:14 pm »
>>1vert is hoarding case lots of incandescents.  Those other things suk

If incandescents are your pref, no need to hoard, apparently. 

I remember reading somewhere that the mandates which were pit in place to effect a transition over to CFLs or LEDs has been lifted, or at the very least,  postponed indefinitely.   
Not positive what the current status is, but that's the last I heard.
AL
New Brunswick, NJ
[499.6, 101.2] Apparent Rennerian
Homebrewer since July 1971

Offline punatic

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4583
  • Puna District, Hawaii Island (UTC -10)
Re: Compact fluorescent bulbs
« Reply #29 on: February 09, 2012, 09:00:10 pm »
With the CFLs, mercury in the environment is the issue.  
The cure is worse than the disease.

I've been using CFLs in my home for 5 years.  In that time I've had to replace every bulb at least once.  Some more than twice.  That's a lot of waste mercury.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2012, 09:04:41 pm by punatic »
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


AHA Life Member #33907