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 ...
When I still used CFL’s I had one in a lamp. All of sudden I head a pop, the light went out and a horrible smell filled the room. The glass had broken off the base and the base was in the process of melting into a pile of sludge.
I bagged up the lamp and shade and disposed of it, along with every other CFL I had at the time.
Now in economic arson sizes.
/johnny
To each their own. Devil take the leftists.
/johnny
I like the CFLs for some things too. They are a fine “Choice” for those who want them.
I’ll say one thing for the CFLs, they are an outstanding way to introduce more mercury into the landfills. A big thank you shout out to the dumbass environazis!
And whether, such a government, so constituted, should remain in power. Or whether it's legitimacy is long gone.
"--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
We get a do over if we don't like it.
Personally, I have no use for a Federal government outside of protecting the borders. States do well at laws.
But the whole meddle in our business thing?
Out. Right out.
/johnny
This lone “data point” has had multiple personal experiences with fried/scorched CFLs that fail scarily. No fires, but they wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Fluorescents’ actual failure rate (among dozens in my home) is extraordinarily high compared to the promised lamp life.
They really stink.
/johnny
Fred Upton is the next district over from mine but I can’t decide whether to lay siege to his district or Ann Arbor on the other side.
So in the entire 10 years that you’ve had CFL’s, you’ve never had to change a single one? Because that’s what the pro-CFL crowd claims. I write this in the dark because my CFL’s tend to burn out every 2-3 weeks.
Not true for us. Personally, we replace our CFLs because of failure at a rate about the same as we did when they were real bulbs.
I've stockpiled incandescents. Putting a CFL, that takes a minute or two to fire up, in places like closets or bathrooms is silly. And, putting them in places where a bulb can can get broken is nuts.
I saw two cases at home depot last week.
But it should never come to blows. One of our founding documents says that we have a right to modify our government.
Or remove it completely.
Of course, the people in charge of the current government get pissy about it.
But I'm for non-violent change. It's a shame Geo. Wash. had to get scrappy about it to get left alone.
/johnny
At least half of the twisty bulbs I’ve used, get a toasty brown base when they die, and many smoke or fill the area with a burnt odor.
I wonder if a dirty little secret is that they are not rated past 120 volts. When it’s common today to get household voltages up to 130 in newer neighborhoods where the power distribution has been upgraded for all the McMansions that were expected.
Whoa, nelly... I never said that.
I've had a few burn out. Less, actually, than tubes in my Drake receiver.
And if you buy crappy chineese stuff, expect to change the bulbs a lot.
Cheap is expensive. Pry open that wallet and look for quality instead of best price.
/johnny
When are the rules for disposing of used up CFL’s going to be coming out?
I expect a fee for their disposal because of the toxic mercury they hold.
Also——Who here on FR wants to use such a bulb OVER their cooking areas????
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