Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

[spotify95]

Does anyone on here use those dreaded "compact fluorescent" type light bulbs? (also known as "energy savers")

I think they're so shite... the equivalent wattages aren't correct, they're more expensive to buy, they contain mercury, they cannot be used with dimmers, turning them on/off all the time considerably shortens their lifespan... and the most annoying thing?
I need light, instantly. Not in 2 or 3 minutes, but instantly. Those bulbs routinely take >1 minute to turn on!

The below video is a test carried out (somewhere in the US I believe?) but it quite clearly shows the warm up time for those bulbs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkcx28X3DlY

Now who would want to wait that long for light? Incandescents all the way, shame they got banned from retail!

[spotify95]

From the Telegraph:

How the energy saving bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs
Traditional incandescent:
Osram 60W (700 lumens) – 126 lux
Philips 60 W (700 lumens) -114 lux
Tesco 60W (700 lumens) – 122 lux
Maxim Pearl 60W pearled (no lumen info) – 101 lux
Energy Saving (all claim to be equivalent to 60W):
Philips 12W T60 Softone (610 lumens) – 77 lux
Southern Electric/GE 11W (610 lumens) – 79 lux
Tesco Greener living stick 11W (640 lumens) – 70 lux
Eveready Energy Saver 11W (no lumen info) – 60 lux
Osram Duluxstar 11W (600 lumens) – 67 lux

Reference: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... uture.html

So the CFL bulbs, even after warm up, give off barely 60% of the light given by incandescents! Therefore, how on earth can a 11W CFL be equivalent to 60W Incandescent?
They can't be!!!!

Yet another reason why CFL's are crap.... shame they banned incandescents.

[pinkteddyx64]

From the Telegraph:

How the energy saving bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs
Traditional incandescent:
Osram 60W (700 lumens) – 126 lux
Philips 60 W (700 lumens) -114 lux
Tesco 60W (700 lumens) – 122 lux
Maxim Pearl 60W pearled (no lumen info) – 101 lux
Energy Saving (all claim to be equivalent to 60W):
Philips 12W T60 Softone (610 lumens) – 77 lux
Southern Electric/GE 11W (610 lumens) – 79 lux
Tesco Greener living stick 11W (640 lumens) – 70 lux
Eveready Energy Saver 11W (no lumen info) – 60 lux
Osram Duluxstar 11W (600 lumens) – 67 lux

Reference: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... uture.html

So the CFL bulbs, even after warm up, give off barely 60% of the light given by incandescents! Therefore, how on earth can a 11W CFL be equivalent to 60W Incandescent?
They can't be!!!!

Yet another reason why CFL's are crap.... shame they banned incandescents.

You could always sue for it!

[spotify95]

From the Telegraph:

How the energy saving bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs
Traditional incandescent:
Osram 60W (700 lumens) – 126 lux
Philips 60 W (700 lumens) -114 lux
Tesco 60W (700 lumens) – 122 lux
Maxim Pearl 60W pearled (no lumen info) – 101 lux
Energy Saving (all claim to be equivalent to 60W):
Philips 12W T60 Softone (610 lumens) – 77 lux
Southern Electric/GE 11W (610 lumens) – 79 lux
Tesco Greener living stick 11W (640 lumens) – 70 lux
Eveready Energy Saver 11W (no lumen info) – 60 lux
Osram Duluxstar 11W (600 lumens) – 67 lux

Reference: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... uture.html

So the CFL bulbs, even after warm up, give off barely 60% of the light given by incandescents! Therefore, how on earth can a 11W CFL be equivalent to 60W Incandescent?
They can't be!!!!

Yet another reason why CFL's are crap.... shame they banned incandescents.

You could always sue for it!

Nah, I wouldn't sue - I'd just want my standard incandescent light back.

Having said that, if you dropped one of them bulbs, and the mercury got everywhere - you could sue!

[pinkteddyx64]

Sue who?

[spotify95]

Sue who?

Whoever gave you said compact fluorescent?

Additionally, do you have any of those compact fluorescent thingies at home?

Unfortunately, our university uses them...

[pinkteddyx64]

Sue who?

Whoever gave you said compact fluorescent?

Additionally, do you have any of those compact fluorescent thingies at home?

Unfortunately, our university uses them...

Yes, I do.

[spotify95]

Sue who?

Whoever gave you said compact fluorescent?

Additionally, do you have any of those compact fluorescent thingies at home?

Unfortunately, our university uses them...

Yes, I do.

Have you noticed how long they take to turn on?

A good idea? Go to any non specialist shop (so long as it isn't a supermarket) and I can guarantee that they'll sell "rough service bulbs". They're made for industrial use - but because of this, they're not banned. So then you get the good old incandescent back.

Even our Home Bargains store, which is only 15 minutes up the road, sell rough service bulbs!

[pinkteddyx64]

Yes, I have noticed, plus they always give me severe headaches!

[spotify95]

Yes, I have noticed, plus they always give me severe headaches!

In that case get the rough service bulbs, or at least the halogen type bulbs!

I have heard that CFLs can give headaches. what utter rubbish those bulbs are.

[pinkteddyx64]

Yes, I have noticed, plus they always give me severe headaches!

In that case get the rough service bulbs, or at least the halogen type bulbs!

I have heard that CFLs can give headaches. what utter rubbish those bulbs are.

My parents refuse to.

[spotify95]

Yes, I have noticed, plus they always give me severe headaches!

In that case get the rough service bulbs, or at least the halogen type bulbs!

I have heard that CFLs can give headaches. what utter rubbish those bulbs are.

My parents refuse to.

Because they "apparently" save 80% energy?

Those claims of 80% energy saving is total bollocks - if you replace a 60W with an 11W CFL you'll get substantially less light! Plus they won't work in dimmers, so if you have a dimmer you'll need to use a halogen/Incandescent!

The halogens are imo the best, as they save 30% energy yet still perform like an incandescent.

Also - best to inform your parents on what they need to do should one of those bulbs break (it's a very long list!) This is due to the mercury inside those CFL bulbs.
Plus, frequent on/offs will HEAVILY reduce the lifespan of the bulb.

Best to get away from them - use halogens instead. Or if you want energy savings, go LED.

Have a look at this video and see what you think to their inexcusable start ups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkcx28X3DlY

[pinkteddyx64]

I think it is totally fucking beyond inexcusable!

[spotify95]

I think it is totally fucking beyond inexcusable!

You'd be better off using candle light! at least candles give off 100% of their light output instantly! that dim effect 15W bulb was barely giving off 10% light at startup!

[pinkteddyx64]

I think it is totally fucking beyond inexcusable!

You'd be better off using candle light! at least candles give off 100% of their light output instantly! that dim effect 15W bulb was barely giving off 10% light at startup!

But candles can be accidentally knocked over and thus set fire to things!

[spotify95]

I think it is totally fucking beyond inexcusable!

You'd be better off using candle light! at least candles give off 100% of their light output instantly! that dim effect 15W bulb was barely giving off 10% light at startup!

But candles can be accidentally knocked over and thus set fire to things!

Yes, but the bases of the CFL bulbs can get bloody hot when the bulb fails (at end of life), and because they decided to use plastic for the base, the electronics can ignite the plastic base of the CFL and cause a fire!

Plus, if you try using a CFL in a dimmer switch, you will have a ballast problem - also possibly causing fire problems!

[pinkteddyx64]

Plus, if you try using a CFL in a dimmer switch, you will have a ballast problem - also possibly causing fire problems!

Wow, never really thought about it that way!

[spotify95]

Plus, if you try using a CFL in a dimmer switch, you will have a ballast problem - also possibly causing fire problems!

Wow, never really thought about it that way!

You can have a look at a few more CFL facts here: http://edisontechcenter.org/CFLs-Rick.html

Not good, is it?

[pinkteddyx64]

Plus, if you try using a CFL in a dimmer switch, you will have a ballast problem - also possibly causing fire problems!

Wow, never really thought about it that way!

You can have a look at a few more CFL facts here: http://edisontechcenter.org/CFLs-Rick.html

Not good, is it?

Not at all.

[spotify95]

I've just timed one of the 20W CFL's at the university I'm at, to find it's warm up time. The bulb was an ASDA 20W CFL (100W equivalent - yeah right me thinks!) and it wasn't very good, certainly in terms of warm up time.

I timed the warm up time and it took over a minute and a half to reach its full light output. How shocking.

The thing being, most people believe the bulbs are "good" and "energy efficient" so the plebs will buy them in their thousands.

[pinkteddyx64]

I've just timed one of the 20W CFL's at the university I'm at, to find it's warm up time. The bulb was an ASDA 20W CFL (100W equivalent - yeah right me thinks!) and it wasn't very good, certainly in terms of warm up time.

I timed the warm up time and it took over a minute and a half to reach its full light output. How shocking.

The thing being, most people believe the bulbs are "good" and "energy efficient" so the plebs will buy them in their thousands.

[spotify95]

I've just timed one of the 20W CFL's at the university I'm at, to find it's warm up time. The bulb was an ASDA 20W CFL (100W equivalent - yeah right me thinks!) and it wasn't very good, certainly in terms of warm up time.

I timed the warm up time and it took over a minute and a half to reach its full light output. How shocking.

The thing being, most people believe the bulbs are "good" and "energy efficient" so the plebs will buy them in their thousands.

In fact I don't think it warmed up properly, as now it seemed much brighter than earlier!

God, those bulbs are awful!

[pinkteddyx64]

You MAY be able to sue the DS forum user maurice45 for it!

[spotify95]

One of those twisty compact fluorescent's has blown at university!

That didn't reach 10,000 hours did it?

Those bulbs are all bollox

[pinkteddyx64]

One of those twisty compact fluorescent's has blown at university!

That didn't reach 10,000 hours did it?

Those bulbs are all bollox

You might as well use dog poo as a replacement!