We've replace the regular bulbs over 2 of the tables where I play with 100 watt equivalent spiral bulbs. These bulbs came from Wal Mart, and out of eleven bulbs used 4 have gone bad in less than 3 weeks. These things are made in China for GE. On the package in states that if the bulb doesn't last 5 years to send them back to GE. Nice! It would cost as much to ship them back as just buying more bulbs. And that's not including the gas and time to go to the post office. Just wondering if anyone else is having problems with this type of bulb not lasting?
Spiral Light Bulbs Going Bad
- Thread starter thinman
- Start date
Jerry Forsyth
Well-known member
GE Bulbs
Yeah, I sure did. Same thing. GE bulbs last a month or two and then die. Great Chinese engineering. I switched to Phillips and have had them over my table now (3 bulbs at 150 W each) for over two years and they are all still working well. Would not surprise me to find these are also Chinese, but a different factory.
Yeah, I sure did. Same thing. GE bulbs last a month or two and then die. Great Chinese engineering. I switched to Phillips and have had them over my table now (3 bulbs at 150 W each) for over two years and they are all still working well. Would not surprise me to find these are also Chinese, but a different factory.
I've had problems with these lights as well. They are supposed to last 5 years, I don't think I've had one last that long yet. Max 3 years. I'm sure they are banking on the fact that most people are too lazy to take them back to the store.
bought mine at the Depot
I bought my spiral bulbs at Home Depot. I'm not sure of the brand off hand and they are forty-five miles away. One bulb buzzed badly and never made it into service. The others seem like they dimmed rapidly. Light was fine when I first put them in my shop, now I need more light just a few months later. They seemed like a great idea for a handful of reasons but I'll probably replace them with standard long tube fluorescents in a light range I like.
Hu
I bought my spiral bulbs at Home Depot. I'm not sure of the brand off hand and they are forty-five miles away. One bulb buzzed badly and never made it into service. The others seem like they dimmed rapidly. Light was fine when I first put them in my shop, now I need more light just a few months later. They seemed like a great idea for a handful of reasons but I'll probably replace them with standard long tube fluorescents in a light range I like.
Hu
don't give up
i work in a pool hall with 37 tables, and we have these lights on every table, no problems and they last along time! i will check the brand while at work tonight!........jeremythinman said:
Jerry Forsyth
Well-known member
Buzzing Lights
For the earlier poster who said the spiral lights buzzed real bad: You cannot put them in a fixture that is controlled by a rheostat where you can adjust the brightness up and down. That causes them to buzz very loudly, got no idea why. I had them in my living room fixture with a rheostat and took them right out because they were so loud. In a regular fixture they make no noise at all. They do put out a lot more light per watt and they are cooler as well (it seems to me).
For the earlier poster who said the spiral lights buzzed real bad: You cannot put them in a fixture that is controlled by a rheostat where you can adjust the brightness up and down. That causes them to buzz very loudly, got no idea why. I had them in my living room fixture with a rheostat and took them right out because they were so loud. In a regular fixture they make no noise at all. They do put out a lot more light per watt and they are cooler as well (it seems to me).
From what I understand, the high efficiency bulbs that mimic daylight are quite dangerous. They contain mercury, which when the light is in use, becomes radioactive. This is what I heard on a regular morning show on a Toronto radio station.
A lady in Toronto called in and said she had one accidentally break in her house, and ended up having to pay close to $3000 to have her entire house de-contaminated.
I personally don't use them. Better to be safe than sorry.
I know this is a little off topic, but I thought I would put that out there just in case there is some truth to it.
A lady in Toronto called in and said she had one accidentally break in her house, and ended up having to pay close to $3000 to have her entire house de-contaminated.
I personally don't use them. Better to be safe than sorry.
I know this is a little off topic, but I thought I would put that out there just in case there is some truth to it.
Me three
I also had problems with some of my spriral lights over the table. One kept blinking like it had a short in it. I also agree that it is almost more trouble than it is worth to get it/ or the package replace.
I had one not work right out of the package.
I do like the light they give though.
FWIW
I also had problems with some of my spriral lights over the table. One kept blinking like it had a short in it. I also agree that it is almost more trouble than it is worth to get it/ or the package replace.
I had one not work right out of the package.
I do like the light they give though.
FWIW
John Barton
New member
Jerry Forsyth said:
It's not "Chinese Engineering" it's GE Engineering. And Phillips, and Kodak and all the other Fortune 500 companies that produce here in China.
Come on Jerry, you know better than that.
Do you honestly think that GE has electronic products made here that they don't control?
A bad batch of bulbs could come from anywhere. I have had fluorescent bulbs go bad in a few days and I just take them back. No big deal.
If you want great Chinese engineering though then you should buy Firefly bulbs - made by a relatively small company here in Xiamen. Firefly bulbs have won awards for being better than those from Phillips, GE, etc...
Of course you probably can't GET these great lightbulbs in the USA because the distribution channels are flooded with products from the much larger companies.
one out of four
Only one out of four buzzed loudly enough to be annoying although they all hum a little. This is in standard on/off fixtures. I have used one of the smaller spiral bulbs in a three way fixture and it works fine, in one position which is all I expected. The large 100-150 watt equivalent bulbs are the ones I have problems with and the real problems are dimming and yellowing. The light seems distinctly dimmer and more yellow after only a few months use.
Hu
Jerry Forsyth said:
Only one out of four buzzed loudly enough to be annoying although they all hum a little. This is in standard on/off fixtures. I have used one of the smaller spiral bulbs in a three way fixture and it works fine, in one position which is all I expected. The large 100-150 watt equivalent bulbs are the ones I have problems with and the real problems are dimming and yellowing. The light seems distinctly dimmer and more yellow after only a few months use.
Hu
Please call your electric utility before buying any more bulbs...you may be pleasantly surprised. They will generally have a very attractive offer (or mail-in rebate) for compact flourescent lights.
For example, my electric utility offered (up to) "100W" compact flourescent lights for $1 a piece and NONE of them have failed in roughly 2 years.
Quantities were limited to 10 bulbs for residential customers, but I'm sure they have a similar program for commercial customers like yourself.
For example, my electric utility offered (up to) "100W" compact flourescent lights for $1 a piece and NONE of them have failed in roughly 2 years.
Quantities were limited to 10 bulbs for residential customers, but I'm sure they have a similar program for commercial customers like yourself.
Compact Flouescent Lights
These lights are the wave of the future as more and more states are trying to do away with the regular incandescent light bulb.
Advantages -
They are much more efficient. Energy saving can be significant.
They last longer, though they tend to have a shortened lifespan with frequent on/off cycles.
Disadvantages -
They are more expensive. Energy savings are supposed to offset this.
They have mercury and are not supposed to be discarded with your regular trash. Accidentally broken bulbs are considered hazardous.
I have not heard anything about them being radioactive, as Cheez Dawg mentioned. From what I know, I can't believe this to be true.
Johnnyt said:
These lights are the wave of the future as more and more states are trying to do away with the regular incandescent light bulb.
Advantages -
They are much more efficient. Energy saving can be significant.
They last longer, though they tend to have a shortened lifespan with frequent on/off cycles.
Disadvantages -
They are more expensive. Energy savings are supposed to offset this.
They have mercury and are not supposed to be discarded with your regular trash. Accidentally broken bulbs are considered hazardous.
I have not heard anything about them being radioactive, as Cheez Dawg mentioned. From what I know, I can't believe this to be true.
Jerry Forsyth said:
I think most of the Phillips bulbs are manufactured in India.
good idea but . . . .
That is a good idea but a few years back the same utility started a campaign for us users to conserve electricity. We did. Six months later they requested a rate hike because they were selling less electricity!!!
That story is true but I will still check with DEMCO anyway. No doubt if they offer cheap light bulbs I am paying for them anyway, I might as well get them.
Hu
That is a good idea but a few years back the same utility started a campaign for us users to conserve electricity. We did. Six months later they requested a rate hike because they were selling less electricity!!!
That story is true but I will still check with DEMCO anyway. No doubt if they offer cheap light bulbs I am paying for them anyway, I might as well get them.
Hu
mosconiac said:
ShootingArts said:
Ahhh yes, you've caught on to their little secret. The utility makes their money one way or another. How conserving energy helps them is that they can delay building another power generating plant or expanding an existing plant, if you conserve.
If they had unlimited capacity, they would surely sell you all the energy you wanted, and would likely encourage you to use more!
thinman said:
Just take it back to Wal-Mart. I have seen some interesting things taken back, or heard about them no less. My sister works there and she tells me all about it. They have taken back everything you can think of: half-eaten candy, old fruit, used toddler toilets (yes thats right!), used pharmacy drugs, and everyother thing you can think of. So, yes you can take back a defective light bulb, I'm sure they will be happy to see an atual defect.