Helmut Wabnig wrote:
That's not my experience. I've never seen one claiming to have *13* times the
life though. 6 times, 9 x , 12 x and 15x for different brands and models but
never 13 x.
It's been my limited experience the compact fluorescents do _not_ last
as long. I have a pair of sockets for my living room that are near
each other in the ceiling (20 feet up, yes I have room for two floors
in that room.) When I first bought the place, there were two
incandescents already there. One eventually went out and I replaced
it with a compact fluorescent... twice... before the other one finally
expired (it was also incandescent.) They are on the same circuit and
attached to the same light switch so they are either both on or both
off, always. That's only one example case here in the house. I've
been tracking this elsewhere around the home, because of that
experience, and it seems consistent that I cannot get the same life
out of a compact fluorescent as I do a similar-rated (in lumens)
incandescent. Not 4 time, not 2 times, not equal. But decidedly less
and perhaps about half.
Now, I did go read a data sheet on an IC being sold to those who make
compact fluorescent bulbs. The gist of my reading through it suggest
to my limited hobbyist eyes that there are cheaper things you can do
that destroy lifetime (the data sheet goes to some length to explain
why you want to do certain things in your design to greatly improve
lifespan.) I take it then that perhaps some companies add the nickels
needed and some don't. The compacts I have bought for many of the
lighting around the house have been from Costco and are branded as
Philips "Marathon" units. The ones I've tried in that ceiling (where
I _want_ longer life because of their height), were from FEIT ELECTRIC
CO, UL#E170906. The package says "lasts 4 times longer," which simply
has not been even close to my experience with them.
This is a newer industry, though. Incandescents have had the time for
pretty much all of the materials science stuff to get refined to a
gnat's eyebrow, by now. Ratings there may even mean something,
because they combine much known theory as well as a lot of engineering
knowledge and practice. Fluorescents are being pushed out the door as
replacement business and a lot of folks are looking to muscle into a
market they may not have had much chance to with incandescents because
of the high vertical barriers there (technical and marketing.) Perhaps
this will all settle out in time, but right now I suspect that there
are some really good compact fluorescent designs out there but you
really need to do your research, still.
I very much am reading this for good, measured experiences. I see
Osram mentioned and I haven't tried theirs. I may have to search for
them and see. But Philips is not on my 'good' list, right now. At
least, not those Marathon units sold through Costco.
Jon