CFL Rant

timswi · Dec 31, 2014

I loathe CFL's due to the warm up...Finishing my 2nd floor and bought dimmable LED's..Painfully expensive but worth it so far.

I have the CFL 100 watt equivalent on my out door lights, I just have to turn them on before dark..They are holding up after 3 years..Just don't expect to see anything for 10 or so minutes.

Looking4new · Dec 31, 2014

I have 4 LED spot lights for outside lights, they are on their second winter and so far no problems. As soon as hydro hits them they are on and are aimed in such a way that you are blinded when you approach the house at night.

Sodo · Dec 31, 2014

Some folks are just discovering CFLs? I thought they were on their way out. Costco is already dumping them; sometimes 4 for a dollar.

This has been difficult for the incandescents mfrs as they've done a LOT of work over the years to reduce the lifetime of the product and squash competition leaving US consumers with no alternatives but to buy bulbs and climb ladders. It was not so long ago that bulbs would last 2,000 hours, and in recent years down to 1,000 hours. Which is disheartening when an incandescent can run 14,000 hours, the only problem is business is organized such that you can't get them.

I can imagine the gov'mt probably couldn't get that CFL bizness passed until the Incandescents lobby got their CFL production up and running.

FWIW I hate CFLs too, especially the ones that are slow starting.

davesl708 · Jan 1, 2015

I have had good luck with CFL bulbs in the LR, DR, Kt and BR. Have had the same bulbs for seven years now.
However, in the bathroom they emit a high pitch whine. Had to use incandescent there. Also, hate the fact that they have to warm up when the temp is below 65 degrees. I use the large 46 watt bulbs in the garage and it takes 5 minutes to get bright. Sucks in the winter.

Bird · Jan 1, 2015

Yep, my only complaint with the CFLs is coming on dim and taking so long to warm up and get bright.

MikePA · Jan 1, 2015

I'm glad I mostly skipped the 'CFL phase' of bulbs.

I tried one in the light on the end table next to the chair where my wife usually reads. Just over Christmas, she asked me if we had any other bulbs, the one in 'her reading light' wasn't bright enough. No idea what triggered this comment, after all these years, but i replaced it with a 60w Cree LED. She's a happy camper. I also replaced the lights in the hay loft and horse stalls with LEDs, since they're hard to get to. Sobering to think they will probably still be working after I am gone.

Bird · Jan 1, 2015

Mike, that's just what I did yesterday, replaced the 3-way CFL in the end table lamp with a 75 watt "Great Value" LED bulb because my wife said she wished that light was brighter, and she spends a lot of time on that end of the sofa reading. 3-way lights have always been a waste anyway since they've never been used except on the brightest one. This new LED bulb claims a life span of 22.5 years, but that's based on 3 hours a day usage. This particular lamp is usually on at least 16 hours a day.

MikePA · Jan 1, 2015

Sounds like our house...My end of the sofa, reading TBN, her end of the sofa, reading a book. :laughing:

KubotainNH · Jan 2, 2015

As mentioned, that switch just sends voltage to different contacts on the bulb or all of them. That's why you eventually lose a setting or 2 before the bulb totally burns out. Dimmable means it will work with a wall switch that is like a potentiometer. They do make LED 3ways, a bit pricey but should actually last awhile. I stopped buying regular 3ways many moons ago because they seem to burn out quickly, I assumed because of the extra heat when on high.

https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/cree-3-way-led-light-bulbs/?gclid=CKyV2_yX9sICFUsR7AodknAAnQ

Bird · Jan 2, 2015

KubotainNH said:
As mentioned, that switch just sends voltage to different contacts on the bulb or all of them. That's why you eventually lose a setting or 2 before the bulb totally burns out. Dimmable means it will work with a wall switch that is like a potentiometer. They do make LED 3ways, a bit pricey but should actually last awhile. I stopped buying regular 3ways many moons ago because they seem to burn out quickly, I assumed because of the extra heat when on high.

https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/cree-3-way-led-light-bulbs/?gclid=CKyV2_yX9sICFUsR7AodknAAnQ

I understand now, but didn't know they even made 3-way LED bulbs. That would be nice, but one problem is that it would ONLY be used on the brightest setting.