CFLs how long did they last in your household?

Question

Half a year ago we bought several CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps). They are supposed to last between 7,000 and 10,000 hours and save us a bundle on the electricity bills. Of the 12 or so which we installed 5 have by now died a very premature death (FEIT Electric, 13W, source Wal-Mart).

The warning on them says: "Contains Mercury - Dispose According to Local, State or Federal Law." We live in New Jersey, does anyone know what those Laws stipulate?

Answer 1

Mine has lasted a few years. Not as bright, so I need to use a tablelamp to compensate. I'm not being eco-firendly, but I need light to do work.

CFLs need to be disposed properly. Not thrown in the trash. I think local stores should have a CFL recycling bin. If not, complain and get one.

Answer 2

You bought one of the c**p brands.  Stay away from Feit and Lights of America, they self-destruct (I have a blog post coming with pics of the guts of dead LoA Multilights).  Come to think of it, stay away from Wal-Mart in general.

I've been having good luck with Sylvania and other name brands.

Answer 3

They last a lot longer than regular bulbs, but not as long as they are "supposed" to last from what we've discovered.  Yes, you're supposed to dispose of them at a hazardous waste facility, or a lot of hardware stores now have bins to dump them into.

Answer 4

It means they are a hazard, the CFL deal is a joke, granted they do use less electricity but the clencher is that in order for them to do so they make a big splash in the waste pool, the hazard side of the pool.

You can't throw these away in the garbage, you have to take them to a collection center, better yet, you should contact the company you bought them from and complain and maybe you can have them send you new ones and you can send them the old  ones and let them deal with the waste.

One other thing about these CFL's is that even though the lamps burn out, the electrical parts are still good, like disposable cameras, they just take out the guts and put them in a shiny new bulb package before repackaging them for sale. Why they don't just sell new lamps for them is beyond me, they could cut down on waste and transportation costs.

The lamps do however have mercury vapor in them, this why it is a bad idea to be around fluorescent bulbs when they break.

Good luck on your refund.

Answer 5

Well, I'd get a different brand--the ones I sue are either GE or the house brand at Loews, and they seem inclined to last jsut about forever.

As to disposal--its pretty much like any flourescent bulb or things like computer CRT monitors.--just take them to a recycling center.

What I do is keep a box in the utility storage closet, and put dead CFLs in it.  Whenever it gets full (which is taking a long time) I'll take it with me sometime when I'm going by a recycling place and drop them off.

It's nothing to get shook about, either way--theCFLs only contain a tiny amount of mercury (far less, incidentelllly, than burning the coal they save woill release into the atmosphere).  As long as the tubes arent cracked, its sealed inside and so isn't a health hazard--and theres too little to hurt you if they do break.  There's onl y about 1 % as much as in an ordinary household thermometer.

Answer 6

I don't know, I bought one five years ago and moved here, it's still lighting the hall. The hall is dark so I leave it on anytime any of us are here, it gets a lot of use on these dark mornings.

I bought other ones three years ago (Philips). One's still in use, the others are dusty, they are still waiting for the chance to substitute!

I don't live in NJ, but I guess that as a US citizen, you either know what's best or can call city hall to ask the good people who work there to inform you. I would hate to think that the leader of the free world is elected by people who are afraid to seek accurate information from local people who would know the answers.