Posted on 12/28/2011 7:37:38 PM PST by matt04
Compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs, have been counted on to light the way to a more energy-efficient future.
Compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, which will gradually be phased out starting in January, CFLs use about a fifth the power and have a life six to 10 times as great.
However, since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission launched its online safety complaints database in March, there have been 34 reports made by people about CFLs that emitted smoke or a burning odor and four reports of the devices catching fire.
As perspective, though, 272 million CFLs were sold in 2009 in the United States.
Nevertheless, the complaints are a cause for concern, according to Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Fire Services.
“In 2008, the state fire marshal’s office office first alerted the fire chiefs that CFLs could smoke” at the end of their life, she said.
“I’m not aware of any fires that fire departments in the state have responded to that were started by CFLs, but, as a consumer, it’s a good idea to be vigilant,” she said.
An incandescent bulb typically ends its life when the wire filament, which glows to produce light when electricity passes through it, burns out and breaks. Fires from this are almost nonexistent.
A CFL uses electricity to heat an element in the lamp’s base that excites the mercury vapor gas in the coils so that they emit light. When a CFL can no longer produce light, the electronics in its base will still try to function, sometimes leading to overheating, smoke and fire.
(Excerpt) Read more at masslive.com ...
Spoken like a man that tried the early stuff back around 1998, and made up his mind. And that's it.
/johnny
Yea had that one explode on me. Thankfully, it only broke the plastic, not the glass part with mercury. Otherwise, I would have had a Hazmat situation on my hands. Later “analysis” of the thing showed that the most likely culprit of the boom was electrolytic capacitor in the base,which actually exploded.
I’ve had three of these things burst into flames in my house. Two went out before flames could spread. One was scorching the ceiling before I beat the flames out. We had to leave the house because the fumes were searing to our lungs and eyes.
They don’t last any longer than incandescent bulbs, either.
“Specialty” bulbs ought to be around a while yet. It’s probably unwise to use a twisty bulb in an over-the-stove hood, just because they won’t fit where a normal bulb would. A bulb-break accident would mean pitching all uncovered food whether it was twisty or normal bulb.
Why don't you debate whether we need a federal government or not. Because I don't think we do, outside of protecting the borders.
Nope... you are fixated. Made up your mind.
/johnny
You’d think that even the liberal likes of Consumers Union would be going ape over the twisty bulbs that catch fire. Liberals birthed this baby, why can’t they at least rate the best ones?
I'm good with those. But trebuchets are cool. And later, you can load up the weight so the arm is horizontal and hang politicians off of it.
/johnny
Or remove it completely.
Which is why the people who say the southern states had no right to secede are absolutely wrong. The South found the feds position untenable and decided to exercise their rights under the constitution to change their government. We still have that right today and if things get much worse some states should start implementing that right.
“Spoken like a man that tried the early stuff back around 1998, and made up his mind. And that’s it.”
Wrong. Tried the first ones in about 2007. The small floods I put in about 3 years ago in a home office take about 3 minutes to get bright enough to read by.
The safest thing is to mail them to the EPA or to Congress. They're the experts.
Have we tested the actual current draw of CFLs and computed the ACTUAL power they use? Or have we bought the envirocabal’s crock about efficiency just like some have bought the AGW crock? I won’t USE CFLs, and have stocked up on real light bulbs, but on several occasions have noticed how HOT a CFL is when I happen to get near one. IT TAKES POWER to create that much HEAT..........which makes me question just how much less power the CFLs might ACTUALLY use. When LED bulbs get down to a sensible price I’ll use THEM, but no CFLs.
At least the CFLs have really helped the economy in China.
I have had some toasty brown bases too. Couldn't really put a percentage on it. Haven't had any break.
Cheap is expensive.
/johnny
Incandescent bulbs Can and do start fires as well. Many barns have burned down from fires started by bare 100 watt incandescent bulbs.
Also, “explosion proof” enclosures for incandescent bulbs are required in certain industrial locations.
Some of the problems come from the bulbs getting damaged, then failing and starting fires, but not all.
The ballast in standard fluorescent fixtures can cause fires as well.
The biggest fire danger with the CF bulbs are installing them in dimmer equipped circuits, this greatly increases the danger of fire unless special “dimmer compatable” CFLs are used.
I agree they are a fine "choice" for some of us. But shouldn't our only choice along with LED.
I use mixture of bulbs around my house. Got 100W in the garage and garage door. Use 60W in closets and bathrooms. Use CFL's in like 3 rooms. The rest is old bulbs or small fan bulbs. The CFL's are dimmer. So I have do use some 100w equivalent ones. They do now make some that go on faster. The cool benefit from those is they are smaller. So the 100w equivalent is like a 60w equivalent in size.
folks you want safe fluorescent lighting that works in all temps? Go get the good old reliable transformer type ballast fixtures. The heat gets displaced. CFL's and even some newer tube fluorescent are using electronic starters. They are junk. They also fail in temps below about 30 or so.
Now for the million dollar question needing answering. Who made the fortune off of them and got this insane law against incandescents passed to start with?
Yes, actually, this cook has, including the power factor on start-up. You do know the P=I* V * cos(q) rule... right?
In the summer it's MUCH cheaper. In the winter, it's a wash. Edison bulbs do put out some serious heat.
I also look forward to properly diffused LEDs. But they ain't there yet.
/johnny
Really? Just bought a box at Walmart for my 3-way lamp in my office
I’ve had a couple burn a hole clear through the base.
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