Do your flourescent bulbs actually last like they claim?  Ours haven’t.  We’ve used fluorescent bulbs since we’ve been married (6 years in January!)  and in two different residences.  We started writing the date with a sharpie  on each bulb and saving the receipts with packaging.  The box claimed they’d last five years I think it was, and it wasn’t even a year.  I don’t know if we got ones that were poorly manufactured or what.  I’d recommend saving the packaging and receipt even though it’s annoying because I recently shipped some of ours back to the company and they sent me 2 x $20 coupons to replace the bulbs.  At least it covered shipping.  I don’t mind the color of light  or the slow warm up, I just want them to last like they are supposed to.   After all that is part of the basis for their claims to greatness in savings and environmental benefits.
I saw that in Iowa right now you can get cheap energy star certified CFL bulbs courtesy of Midamerican and Alliant Energy.  Maybe if combined with this coupon, they’d be free.  That would be the only scenario in which I’d purchase them again at this point.  Hey, just came across this NY Times article, guess I’m not alone in my opinions.  Have an opinion?  Feel free to share!
January 30th, 2010 - 4:58 pm
We’ve noticed the same time, and I’ve called the companies on 3 different occasions. Each time they’ve sent me replacement bulbs with no problem. I’m glad to hear you were also taken care of, but aaaacckkkk, I just wish they would work like they’re supposed to!
January 30th, 2010 - 5:20 pm
I’m glad that you received replacements too! Maybe I should just call next time.
I hear they are going to outlaw incandescent bulbs and maybe after that they won’t be so quick to replace them I’m afraid. Are we wrong to expect what’s advertised?
January 30th, 2010 - 7:27 pm
We have also noticed that the bulbs don’t seem to last more than a year, usually less. We’ve been very disappointed. I will try your trick of marking the date on the base with a sharpie and be more diligent about requesting replacements. BUT, why should we have to do that?
It is not asking too much for a product to perform as advertised. I’ve been disappointed in the performance of small appliances recently also. Nothing seems to be made to last longer than a typical American’s attention span.
January 30th, 2010 - 9:02 pm
The expected life of the bulb is ESTIMATED by simple math, they take a regular incandescent light bulb and extrapolate an estimated life expectancy for a CFL bulb. If a regular incandescent lasts, we’ll say 6mo. on average, but uses 60W of electricity converted entirely to heat, and a CFL uses only 6W of electricity and converts it to heat AND light, well that is 10 times less electricity and work by the bulb. So the manufacturer than extrapolates the 6mo. life expectancy to 60mo. Hence 5yrs. Also, I bet the package says UP TO 5yrs. Not guaranteed 5yrs of life. You buy them because they save electricity, and therefore you save money. Also, the company honors their claims buy sending you coupons or rebates for free light bulbs. You should be praising them. Also, your telling me you shipped their light bulbs back w/ a receipt and the $40 of free merchandise was just enough to cover shipping? Did you FedEx overnight them or something? C’mon, I’m sorry it is inconvenient you sent lightbulbs back to them, but they are doing everything they can and then some to right this wrong. You are getting cheaper electricity bills, and longer lasting light bulbs (although not the “UP TO 5yrs” you expected). Maybe you just got a bad batch, I’ve never had to replace a CFL.
January 30th, 2010 - 9:40 pm
I read they go out fast if they are turned off and on a lot, like in a bathroom. So would they last five years if I just left it on all the time? I’m not too excited about the mercury content either.
January 30th, 2010 - 9:46 pm
The packaging said “guaranteed”. I’m holding out for a bulb to last 2 years even. To clarify, the vouchers they sent covered the costs of the bulbs and the shipping. Sorry for the confusion.
January 31st, 2010 - 4:49 pm
Our energy company here in RI gave us seven for free for having an energy audit. . . one died within two weeks. Still waiting on the rest. . .
January 31st, 2010 - 11:50 pm
1) Yes, if you leave a light on all the time, it lasts longer. So then you compare the cost of the electricity to the cost of the bulb! If the bulb is in a hard-to-get-to area, we leave it on all the time!
2) Yes, the CFL bulbs are dangerous if broken, and they are supposed to be returned to a “safe recycling” center (like Home Depot) instead of throwing them away, since they contain mercury. Lots of trouble for the short lifetime.
February 1st, 2010 - 7:07 am
I have been slowly replacing my traditional bulbs with CFL ones as they burn out.
I have lived in my house for 3.5 years. The traditional bulb in my garage door opener lasted about 9 months. I changed it to a CFL and haven’t changed it since (almost three years of use). I use the garage door at least twice per day when it stays on for at least ten minutes at a time. In a year and a half, I changed the traditional bulb in my bedroom at least three times. The CFL I put in has lasted for two years. There are others (6-12 total) scattered throughout the house and none have stopped working yet.
Based on my experience, I believe that they are an vast improvement in length of time from traditional bulbs; so I personally wouldn’t care if they didn’t make it to the five year mark. Disposal will be easy (I haven’t had to replace one yet) as I can bring them on my annual trip to the ECO Depot with other household hazardous waste (batteries, waste oil, paint, etc.).
(The only problem I had was one CFL that I had to return because it didn’t give enough light in my kitchen. This was 2 years ago; so with advancements in technology I will be willing to try again when the traditional bulb burns out.)
February 1st, 2010 - 11:14 am
I always seems to be replacing burned out incandescent light bulbs. That and the energy savings were my incentive to switch to CFLs. Some of the first bulbs I bought didn’t last very long but they are getting better. It also depends upon how many times you switch it on and off like in a bathroom vs. leaving the light burning a little longer in a living room. Cold weather also effects how long they last, like the bulb in my unheated garage. I bought most of the bulbs I have now at Aldi and Dollar General and they’ve been going strong for 2 years and counting.
Even if I have to change one CFL a year, I’m still ahead because I was changing out traditional light bulbs every couple of months. One way that we got around the low light issue is to use the highest level CFL in our lights. A 100 watt equivalent CFL doesn’t use as much energy as a traditional 60 watt bulb that some of our lamps are rated at. I get more light and less energy to boot!
February 1st, 2010 - 11:23 am
Had a similar problem with a far different outcome. The bulb burnt out after six months of minimal use. I contacted the manufacturer and offered to ship the bulb back. They refused to help unless I could also send the store receipt.
I certainly didn’t have store receipt for one light bulb bought 6 months earlier so I need keep the bulb in my home office as a reminder to never buy any of their products again.
February 2nd, 2010 - 11:29 am
The original made in the USA cfl bulbs did have incredible life spans but between made in China and big box store low pricing pressures the newer bulbs are not the same product.
Do not underestimate the danger of broken cfl bulbs. Did you know that if a bulb breaks on carpeting that section of carpet should be cut out & taken to the hazardous disposal center? or that the mess should never, ever be vaccuumed because the exhaust would contain mercury dust & be spread all over the room? The state of Massachusetts has a detailed brochure on safe handling of cfl bulbs.
The danger to children combined with the short life span means we are buying regular bulbs as long as possible. We weighed the environmental costs and decided mercury is a bigger danger than more energy production. We also have small children at home which was a factor in our decision, if it were only two adults then perhaps we might have decided differently.
February 2nd, 2010 - 12:34 pm
I’m with Stephanie for her reasons above, plus my experience replacing my incadecsents with cfls. The cfls all quit on me in a matter of weeks. With 4 kids plus pets, I have a high-vibration home! And when somone knocks over a lamp, I’d rather it be have an inexpensive non-toxic one than a pricey mercury one.
I’ve been stockpiling incandescents in my basement against the day when I can’t buy them any more.
February 3rd, 2010 - 9:46 pm
Thanks for the comments. It’s helped me come to a conclusion to buy incandescents for as long as I can. I never thought I would say that!
February 14th, 2010 - 12:41 pm
Amazing. I had no idea. So far, we’ve had good luck with our CFL bulbs.
M
April 2nd, 2010 - 10:23 am
Has anyone else never tried the halogen bulbs?
http://kingdomfirstmom.com/2010/04/halogen-light-bulbs-from-sylvania.html