Anyone use these

[bones1]

These are incredible if they work.Anyone ever try them. Four of these would replace 20 100 watt bulbs at the price of burning 400 watts.
Compact Fluorescent - 105 Watt - Full Spectrum 5000k - EIKO #81180 Light Bulb

 

[kenmac]

These are incredible if they work.Anyone ever try them.
Compact Fluorescent - 105 Watt - Full Spectrum 5000k - EIKO #81180 Light Bulb

I use the ones that look like the regular light blub but are fluorescent.My only complaint is that,It takes them a little time to warm up to full light when you 1 st. turn the light switch on.I guess it saves energy as, 1 15 watt is = to a 60 watt regular bulb

 

[DocHeb]

Be careful, some do not permit installation with the Edison base in the upright position. They also contain mercury, so there is some ecological considerations if they break.

 

[schmism]

They also contain mercury, so there is some ecological considerations if they break.

ahhhhh what fluorescent tube doesnt?

 

[bones1]

Well I ordered 4 of them today.We'll see how they do in place of my 4 150 watt bulbs.

 

[jinman]

I use the ones that look like the regular light blub but are fluorescent.My only complaint is that,It takes them a little time to warm up to full light when you 1 st. turn the light switch on.I guess it saves energy as, 1 15 watt is = to a 60 watt regular bulb

I use lots of compact fluorescents. Buy GE bulbs at any box store and I think you will be surprised how much better they are. I have a few of the slow starters and I hate them. The same GE bulb is much faster to full brightness.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

We re-lamped the shop and office at work last spring. We found a number of existing fixtures that just simply didn't have the additional room for the screw in flourescents. In order to swap, we needed to change the entire fixture.

Some of our lighted areas' such as shop restrooms, parts storage area, and security lighting are on motion detectors. Flourescents aren't the best choice for constant off/on/off/on lighting due to slow starting. Better over the long haul just to leave them on during business hours. Flourescents in areas with constant off/on cycling didn't last any longer, and in some cases, not as long as conventional incandescent bulbs.

Also, in the entrance area, we had several banks of lights controlled by slide dimmers. Flourescents won't work with them.

Initial cost/estimated electrical savings/lifespan of bulbs considered, savings are no where near what the GE sales propaganda indicated, but we're saving SOME none the less.

 

[DocHeb]

ahhhh what flourescent tube doesnt?

Of course you are correct. All flourescent and halide bulbs have some metals that are used to generate the light in the visible spectrum. The mercury in flourescent bulbs has caused some communities around me to classify the bulbs as hazardous waste. This makes them difficult to dispose of. This makes folks just break them up and hide them in the regular trash. This leads to increases in environmental mercury, which really is a significant toxin (and not just media hype.)

Just a reminder of TANSTAAFL.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch - everything has risks and benefits. The feel good about using less energy (both in your wallet and your global warming conscience) does come with corresponding risks.

 

[tallyho8]

Well I ordered 4 of them today.We'll see how they do in place of my 4 150 watt bulbs.

You aren't saving anything if you replace 150 watt lights with these. These are meant to replace 500 watt lights. You use the 42 watt bulbs to replace 150 watt incandescents. 42 watt

 

[Tig]

First bought CFs in 1990. Still have those. They were not ready for prime time. Slow start and flicker. I only use the old ones in conbination with an incandescent. Helps cover the strobe effect when they turn on. New ones are much better. Light can appear tinted a bit if you are real fussy. My parents pointed that out to me. They seemed to think one brand was too blue and the other too green.
Now when an incandescent dies I replace with aCF. I have about 80% of my bulbs converted

 

[bones1]

You aren't saving anything if you replace 150 watt lights with these. These are meant to replace 500 watt lights. You use the 42 watt bulbs to replace 150 watt incandescents. 42 watt

I'm replacing the 4 150's with the 500 watt cfl's.The way I figure it I should get 2000 watts of light output for 420 watt of actual usage.The bulbs are rated to draw 105 watts each.Saving 80 watts and getting 3.3 times the light.This can't be true can it?.

 

[tallyho8]

Yes, this will be a savings since your primary consideration is to increase your light output and not just to maintain your present light output with bulbs than use less electricity. If you were going to maintain the same light output that you presently have and have dramatic savings on electricity then you would use the 42 watt bulbs and consume 168 watts instead of 600.

 

[Podunkadunk]

These are incredible if they work.Anyone ever try them. Four of these would replace 20 100 watt bulbs at the price of burning 400 watts.
Compact Fluorescent - 105 Watt - Full Spectrum 5000k - EIKO #81180 Light Bulb

Yes. I bought over $150.00 worth of them for the entire house. Some I got from bLowe's, the rest from Wally Mart. They had warranty's of 5 and 7 years. I bought all 26watt "bulbs". They equal 100w bulbs.

THEY ARE EXPENSIVE...AND 6 OF THEM HAVE BLOWN ALREADY!!!

They've only been up since June. Of course I can take them back, but I thought they were better than that! I spent a lot of money on them, I wonder if I'll ever get a break even return on my investment

Of course, I could have just bought from a bad batch too. I'm not giving up, I'll keep taking them back. It's just a pain...some of the bulbs require a tall ladder to get to.

Podunk

 

[LMTC]

There are dimmable CFs now. I am looking at a box of them on the shelf above my desk right now. Got them on ebay, very happy with them, ended up buying three different sizes from that seller....these seem brighter than what I have gotten at Sams in the past. We are using CFs in most fixtures in our house, and in my office.

 

[Tig]

I bought 4 CFs in 1990. $10 each. I still have three. Of the new style bulbs I have not lost one in 5 years. I think you got a bad batch, Podunk.

 

[shaley]

LMTC, Where did you get the dimmable CF. Most of my lights are dimmable so I've been holding off.

 

[Podunkadunk]

Maybe it's the recessed receptacle that's causing it. I have 8 recessed lights above the kitchen island. They have all blown from there. Maybe that's the problem, not the bulb.

 

[SnowRidge]

Well, I thought the OP was posting about the particular bulbs he linked to, but maybe not.

We have CFs here and there, including in outdoor fixtures where they don't work too well in cold weather. However, we have never had a single one fail. Interestingly, we have had some regular fluorescent tubes die.

We have had lots of bad incandescent bulbs recently. Most of them have such shoddy bases that they don't make good contact in the sockets.

I am so tired of the junk coming in from China.

 

[AlanB]

Maybe it is the heat, voltage or contacts? Be worth checking.

We have been steadily putting them in every time a regular bulb goes out over the last couple of years and I do not think we have changed any of the CF's out yet.

 

[bones1]

Yes, this will be a savings since your primary consideration is to increase your light output and not just to maintain your present light output with bulbs than use less electricity. If you were going to maintain the same light output that you presently have and have dramatic savings on electricity then you would use the 42 watt bulbs and consume 168 watts instead of 600.

Yes the whole idea is to not spend hundreds on 4 or 8 ft fixtures and use these instead.The pole barn needs much more than the 4 150's I have now.We'll just see what 2000 watts using the cf's looks like.