GE "energy smart" CFL bulbs

[sathor]

My basement, aside from the cave, has 3 lights, a CFL, a incandescent, and a LED bulb. The cave I bet has an incandescent, but I am not really sure where the bulb is even at in the cave.

[Smayniac]

I have "decorative" CFLs in my bathrooms and CFL downlights in my hall; I do notice that one of the styles of decor lamps do take quite a while to come to temperature in the winter, but otherwise no complaints. I bought all of those lamps off sale tables at Home Depot at least four years ago and haven't replaced a one.

I have only one incandescent lamp in my house, in tandem with another CFL over my dining table. I also didn't use CFLs in my enclosed fixtures until I could find lamps that didn't tell me not to do that on the packages. I did spend a little extra and get "daylight" tubes for the recessed lighting in my kitchen; I've been glad I did.

I do all my kilt sewing under either flourescent or natural light.

Bob

[SteveB]

I put CFL's in this house when I purchased it in 1995. I have replaced only three bulbs of the thirty-five that are installed. My foray into LED's has found them to be very dear and the light does not have enough range. The only incandescents are in the fridge and the cooker.

As far as power fluctuations in rural areas go, for many years I lived at the end of a long stretch of line through many miles of forest. Line conditioners only make the problem worse. A battery backed conditioner was always necessary for the computer, and being ready to shut it down quickly was also important. The CFL's hate the switch over from commercial lines to generator and back that is a daily routine in many rural ares. (They croke quickly)

[Tobus]

CFL's are only good for upright lights, the bulb needs to give off heat and doesn't work in confined locations like most bulbs.

I wasn't aware that CFLs gave off any appreciable heat. I can touch the bulbs even when they've been on for hours and they're not even warm.

[EagleJCS]

I wasn't aware that CFLs gave off any appreciable heat. I can touch the bulbs even when they've been on for hours and they're not even warm.

Actually, it's the base (the pseudo-ceramic part where the 'ballast' is located) that needs some clearance to give off heat. Just as with the older flourescent tubes, the glass will not get appreciably warmer with use (except near the ends where the electrical connection is made).

IIRC, the first generation of CFLs had warnings on the packaging that they should not be installed in anything other than an upright position. There have been newer developments in the last couple of years that allow CFLs to be used in other configurations (upside down, horizontal, at an angle, etc.).

I use CFLs in most of my general-lighting fixtures. They do OK for that purpose, and I haven't had to replace any yet (going on 6 years - now I say it, I'll probably have to replace one). For task lighting, or situations where I need brighter lights, I still use incandescents (partly because the fixtures don't accept the larger base of the CFLs).