Funny - it seemed to me when they first came out that they lasted forever. I just changed one out that was in a fixture for five years. But the others I have bought recently only last weeks...

I wonder if we should look at the manufacturing company?

The long lasting one was made by "SUNPARK" model SP205L GUL

Maybe we can track the crummy ones to a supplier...

 

I had one of those flood type CFLs that I got about six months ago die the other day.
I think the key is crappy Chinese products, plus since we can't buy incandescent bulbs anymore, the long life of CFLs doesn't matter. The sooner they die, the more are sold.

 

Well the thing I think is going on is that the original ones that were introduced were a pilot project that was sold to China when the money was right.

The main issue with quality control is after China runs a facility or manufacturing plant.

Once the product sells, everyone expects it to be the same quality as the original - but that can change, can't it?


SO NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS THIS:
Inferior products sold after they had attracted everyones attention, made in the last place on earth that hazardous materials are the least of all concerns - and all of that stuff is going to go into our landfills because nobody really reads the warnings on those labels...

THERE! I SAID IT! Someone had to...

 

Exactly right!

 

*Greywolf was successfully rescusitated by EMT's after having been found fallen off his computer desk chair We believe he will be online again in a few minutes*

 

You actually AGREE with me?


Ladies and Gentlemen (and the rest of you) this is a landmark moment, and I would like to thank Ken and Peggy Payne...


(etc)

 

The foolishness of the environmental movement and congress! - YouTube

End of conversation.

 

Haha, "...and stick 'em in a glass container with a metal lid. Like that's readily available."

 

I remember seeing that when it first came out was hilarious then now not so much

 

Yeah the new thing is LED's at $30-50 each

 

last damn near forever though

 

Dutch, you manage to hit the nail far more times than you miss. If you ever have one of those CFL's start smoking in your house, have fun getting that smell out. That smoke actually burns the hair out of your nose. Or it sure feels like it is.

 

I have some Westinghouse CFLs I bought in WAY in 2002-3 that are still working............Every other CFL we have bought since then has been history in 8 months to a year, I went back to incandescent.

 

My mother called me a couple week's ago, complaining all her c/f's as well as long tube f's where acting up. One c/f started smoking & actually exploded. The long tubes would only flicker, but would not light up.

What I found was both legs combing into the house were notably below normal voltage. One tested at 107V, the other at 108. Low voltage will play hell w/ all florescence.

Turned out the entire neighborhood was having problems w/ voltage feed. The street light's would not even fire up at dusk. Edison made some type of modification upstream that increased voltage to 118V for both legs, and florescent function returned, but the life of the florescence than were attempted to energize during the low voltage condition are now requiring replacement must sooner than later.

 

LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) were the first choice option from the beginning - individually they only use micro-amperes of power, and at a voltage far lower than a normal light source.

Thirty to fifty bucks? I don't think so.

Before long I bet they sell like beads, and a cottage industry could be made out of making interesting decorative lighting works from them
(More or less like a craft, or quilting thing)

All you need is a soldering iron and a cool idea...



LONG FLOURESCENT TUBES have been around for ages - but I don't think China makes the entire worlds supply.

Every office building is loaded with them, and guess what they are made out of?

YOU GOT IT.

~Identical to a CFL but not as big.


WHERE DO THOSE COME FROM NOW?