Compact Fluorescent Lamps [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

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Jeff,
Does your article include bad CFLs right out of the package? One of the 
tubes in the n:vision brand 14-watt soft white 4-pack flashed and died upon 
startup. I returned it with the others, but I'm sure most people just throw 
bad CFLs in the trash that goes to the landfill.
Joel Davidson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Yago" <jryago at netscape.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:42 AM
Subject: RE: Compact Fluorescent Lamps [RE-wrenches]


>
> Boy is this timely. I just submitted an article last month that will be on 
> the new-stands in September in BackWoodsHome magazine on the very poor 
> performance of the newer CFL being made in China.
>
> I tested over 12 different name brands (Phillips, Sylvania, Westinghouse, 
> GE) and found that ALL were now made in China, and these were not lasting 
> anywhere long enough to justify their higher cost over a standard light 
> bulb. Yes, I know wrenches only care about the lower watts which allows a 
> down-size of inverter loads and battery size and I agree in off grid 
> application that is needed regardless of cost or lamp life.   But these 
> are being pushed by state governments and the industry as having a $30 to 
> $40 energy savings if replacing an incandescent bulb of higher wattage.
>
> When we built our solar home in 1994, Almost all were CFL made by Oshram 
> from Italy and Germany except for a few 40 watt halogen PAR 30 recessed 
> lights. All lights were installed at the same time and all new in November 
> 1994 when we moved in, and we had almost no lamp failures until last year 
> (12 years of operation!) for a typical residential hours of operation. But 
> many of the failed CFL's we replaced last year have already failed. As 
> research for this article, I contacted owners of grid-tie systems we have 
> installed in the past 2 years where we also installed CFL's instead of 
> incandescent bulbs and most indicated a 50% failure rate of the CFL's in 
> less than one year of use, also having documented install dates.
>
> Also according to my research, "Lights of America" is now the only 
> manufacturer still operating in the US that is making CFL's and they are 
> an independent (small) - so you have to really search to find their "made 
> in USA"  CFL's in the stores.
>
> Why this is a big deal, California is about to outlaw most incandescent 
> bulbs and require CFL's in all new construction, three other states are 
> considering this legislation, and incandescent bulbs have already been 
> banned in Canada and Australia. You say, so what if they only last 6 
> months instead of 10 years as advertised?  These things contain mercury 
> and are about to fill up our land fills. Wal-Mart has already announced in 
> a public news release this spring that they have purchased from China and 
> plan to sell 100 million CFL's by 2008, thats 100,000,000 mercury 
> containing bulbs that have a failure rate almost 10 times their advertised 
> life. With their volume buying power, and no doubt a large discounted 
> price, I think we can assume these will not be the Oshram brand that 
> lasted 12 years for me!
>
> Finally, I realize China does make some really good products, but I 
> believe the US distributors are trying to get the price of CFL's much 
> lower to make it easier for joe 6-pack to switch from a 50 cent light bulb 
> to what has been a $5.00 CFL, and this pressure on drastically lowering 
> manufacturing costs no doubt is affecting quality and burn time.
>
> In closing, I hope none of you live near a landfill and if you do, don't 
> drink well water!
>
> Jeff Yago
>
>
>
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