Things that don't deliver

[wotan]

I brought two long life high efficiency lamp bulbs for my outdoor lamp posts, one in front garden and one at the rear.
I had previously been using 25 watt bc incandescent lamp bulbs which gave out a reasonable amount of light.

The new so called high efficiency lamps are suposed to consume 7 watts, and give an equivalent light output of a 45 watt lamp.

What a load or rubbish, £5.99 each and they are visably dimmer than the previous bulbs, never again!
Incandescents in future, despite having to replace more frequently.

Wotan

 

[regsmyth]

It would be interesting to see some real statistics for how long these low energy bulbs actually last "in the field" and whether they give a consistent life span in different circumstances.

Does the life expectancy vary much depending on internal/external use, extremes of temperature/humidity, frequently or rarely switched? And are they all made exactly the same, batch after batch?

I don't think they're a con on the energy and output front, but I think we're being taken for a ride if we think each and every bulb is going to last six thousand hours or whatever is says on the pack. I mean, with Christmas coming, how many of these bulbs are going to end up in the bin after being bashed by fairies and baubles? It's a con.

Hands up anyone who uses at least a few of them and has had one fail prematurely? And then theres not much you can do about it, is there?

 

[davelx]

Also these lamps contain mercury and should not be disposed of in normal household waste. If they are broken, additional precautions should be taken, according to this report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7172662.stm

 

[hairyben]

Manufacturers do tend to lie about the "equivalent" light outputs with their 5x+ ratings.

4x would be a better rule of thumb, but it does vary between brands, plus the more powerfull CFL's seem to be more efficient, ie light output per watt, than lower powered ones.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

We have been using Robus 7w Cold Cathode GU10 lamps in the 63 light fittings in our office. They are advertised as lasting for 10,000 hours and when we first moved into the office and started using these bulbs (3 1/2 years ago) they had a 2 year guarantee on them. We've found that they don't last longer than an average of 6months (thats less than 2,000 hours) and so we were sending them back for a replacement when they failed under the 2yr guarantee and to be fair, every time the manufacturer replaced them FOC. However, about 12months ago they re-packaged the bulbs and there is now no mention of the 2yr guarantee so we've stopped using these bulbs as they're nearly £9 per bulb and don't last 1/5 of the time they're supposed to.

 

[Click-Sure]

I got done with some LED GU10 lamps last year, you couldn't get a colder colour temperature!

CFL technology is improving, and LED is one to watch once they get the colour temperature issues out of the way.

I've installed a lot of flourecent under cabinet lighting recently and it really looks great, and if anything, its way brighter than it needs to be.

Triphosphor coatings is what is really making the difference in the performance of traditional tube-based lamps and I rarely fit halophosphate lamps any more.

 

[RF Lighting]

It seems to be pot luck really.

I re-lamped eight external swan neck fittings on a pub with CFLs around three years ago.

They were all done at the same time, using the same lamps bought from the same place.

Whilst some of the fittings have been re-lamped twice since then, two of the fittings are still running on their original lamps.

How odd.

 

[Click-Sure]

The only lamps that I have found to have a consistent end-of-life are 2D-T5's in my experience.

Anyone found any other lamps that are as consistent?

 

[DCC]

I'm happy with the light output per watt (to the OP - try a different brand maybe). But in terms of lifespan they are very hit or miss. Have had one in the hall for >3 years no problems and its on a lot but others with a claimed 8 year life have died after a year.

As far as I can tell the lifespan is pretty random and the 'guarantee' is based on the fact that in a years time you'll have p*ss all paperwork to prove when you bought the bulb and will meekly bend over and buy another one. Yes I'm talking to you Philips.

 

[streetlighter]

when fitting the lamp use a permanent marker pen to write the install date on the cap. This current month and year would be written as 11-08

 

[ricicle]

I brought two long life high efficiency lamp bulbs for my outdoor lamp posts, one in front garden and one at the rear.
I had previously been using 25 watt bc incandescent lamp bulbs which gave out a reasonable amount of light.

The new so called high efficiency lamps are suposed to consume 7 watts, and give an equivalent light output of a 45 watt lamp.

What a load or rubbish, £5.99 each and they are visably dimmer than the previous bulbs, never again!
Incandescents in future, despite having to replace more frequently.

Wotan

Your company did'nt make them did they?

 

[Master of None]

Yep the don't do what it says on the tin.
They do get to full brightness quicky after install, but then after a short while they seem to take a while to brighten up. And I have never had one that lasts the stated lifespan. However considering the consumption and being domestic user (no refitting costs, they probably do save money over their lifetime. And it saves the planet? How pouting is mercury anyway??

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It seems to be pot luck really.

I re-lamped eight external swan neck fittings on a pub with CFLs around three years ago.

They were all done at the same time, using the same lamps bought from the same place.

Whilst some of the fittings have been re-lamped twice since then, two of the fittings are still running on their original lamps.

How odd.

Not as odd as you might think - when a maker claims a lamp has a life of X'000 hours what he means is that by X'000 hours 50% of the lamps will have failed.

I've got CFLs in various places in the house - can't say how long they've been running, but some have been in for a number of years and are still going. I've not had any fail yet. I actually like the 10-15s ramp-up to full brightness...

Got 3 outside, and the light from them is fine.



I wonder if orientation affects life? Mine are all installed either horizontally or base-down...


I've also got some electrodeless induction lamps, and apart from one catastrophic failure I've been very pleased with them indeed - they work extremely well, and I shall be sorry to see them go - great technology but GE never got round to making anything other than an RO80 lamp. However there have been a few other packages launched by other manufacturers recently, so who knows?

LEDs? I too have tried GU10 ones, and they were truly awful - horrible cold colour and useless at lighting up a room. But they will get a lot brighter - commercially you can now get LED street lighting, and the lamps go up to well over 100W, so I imagine they're pretty bright, and if the makers expect them to be a success they must have a decent spread too. The technology will trickle down - it always does. How many years ago, for example, would people have thought you were mad to say we'd soon have metal halide lights in our homes and our cars?

I'd like to try some dimmable fluorescents, and I would really like to re-find a new lamp type I chanced upon on a website a couple of months ago which was a flat panel, 10's of cm square and very thin, but I can't remember who made it or what technology it was.

 

[radioredcat]

I brought two long life high efficiency lamp bulbs for my outdoor lamp posts, one in front garden and one at the rear.
I had previously been using 25 watt bc incandescent lamp bulbs which gave out a reasonable amount of light.

The new so called high efficiency lamps are suposed to consume 7 watts, and give an equivalent light output of a 45 watt lamp.

What a load or rubbish, £5.99 each and they are visably dimmer than the previous bulbs, never again!
Incandescents in future, despite having to replace more frequently.

Wotan

I have just replaced a 25W incandesent with a 7W=40W low energy lamp and it is just a bit brighter than the 25W lamp.
Another thing to consider is if they are used outside and it's cold that will probibly reduce the light output as they do with fluorescent tubes.
Also if you happen to cctv with lamps outside if you replace them with low energy lamps the light on the picture will be reduced because they don't emit as much infra red as an incandesent does.
I learnt that some years ago when i picked up somebodys camera that they had in the communal hallway in a block of flats outside their front door they had it connected to a video sender which was tuned to uhf CH21,I came across it on day when i had repaired a tv and was checing the channels and got this picture of a front door.
They have double 8W lamps in the hallways but the camera did not see much but they had fitted their own lamps above their door and had a PIR on it and when anybody went up the stairs the light would come and it was amazing the difference with the incandesent and the fluorescent lamps but to the eye they looked the same.


andy

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As a random aside which may be of use - the CCDs in digital cameras are sensitive to IR, so if someone has a remote car-key/fob, or a TV etc remote that's not working they can do a quick check to see if anything is coming out of it by pointing it at the camera and looking at the display screen...