Energy saving bulbs

[BMW9700]

these energy saving bulbs seem to be a scam..the purchase cost is really high compared to the conventional bulbs..in my experience they do not last that long to warrant a savings over the conventional bulbs..would appreciate your experiences

regards

[kwchang]

Then you are using the wrong ones my friend. There was a discussion in another thread some time ago over the same matter.

There are more than one type of energy saver bulbs in the market .. have you done your research?

The common ones are those with the rounded heavy base and these are the costly ones that you are referring to. Their high cost is because you pay for the ballast and attached electronics with every bulb. I believe they also tend to fail faster because of the attached ballast

Then there are the ones with no ballast or electronics attached. These are the PL and PLC bulbs. These are just mini flourescent tubes that require a separate ballast attached to the lamp-holder (note, not the bulb). I use them for my downlights at home and I have yet to change any of them since 2003 ... that's 5 years. Great energy savers and much cheaper than the ones with a heavy ballast attached.

[starrnorth88]

I buy mine from Ikea - they have cheap ones -- rm19.90 for pack of 3's

Also notice there are some on sale at the ACE.

[timtim]

There are many types available. Please buy Philips / Osram / Hitachi and they are reputable and can last many many years. Please make some effort to save the Earth, your effort in saving more energy is highly appreciated by many although the cost is slightly higher than the normal brand.

[mohua]

I bought 2 local/chinese brand from My*** and they both blew off in less than 10 days. Unhappy with the performance, I bought Philips and no trouble since then...

[BMW9700]

the way to go is in LED lights...it has a much longer lifespan like 50000 hours...it is 'green' and unlike the unreliable CFLs...CFLs are also not 'green' and is dangerous if broken..

[xt900]

I buy mine from Ikea - they have cheap ones -- rm19.90 for pack of 3's

Also notice there are some on sale at the ACE.

How reliable are ikea bulbs? Life span?

[birdy]

Then you are using the wrong ones my friend. There was a discussion in another thread some time ago over the same matter.

There are more than one type of energy saver bulbs in the market .. have you done your research?

The common ones are those with the rounded heavy base and these are the costly ones that you are referring to. Their high cost is because you pay for the ballast and attached electronics with every bulb. I believe they also tend to fail faster because of the attached ballast

Then there are the ones with no ballast or electronics attached. These are the PL and PLC bulbs. These are just mini flourescent tubes that require a separate ballast attached to the lamp-holder (note, not the bulb). I use them for my downlights at home and I have yet to change any of them since 2003 ... that's 5 years. Great energy savers and much cheaper than the ones with a heavy ballast attached.
Hi Chang,

Seem u r expert in this bulb thing, just want to check with you if you know the reason why the bulb constantly blown (maybe few months, instead it suppose to be years) even I used branded one like Philips and Osram :eek: . Is it because of the wiring problem? :confused:

[Naka]

I was told that some Made In China ones are 220V......whereas it is 250V in Boleh.

That is over 13% difference in voltage and you find it is brighter than it was designed for.

It is hotter, brighter but the life span of the bulb is greatly reduced.

That's what I understand it.

So it's important to check the voltage.

[kwchang]

Hi Chang,

Seem u r expert in this bulb thing, just want to check with you if you know the reason why the bulb constantly blown...
Sorry, I am no expert. My views are based on my experience as a user of such bulbs.

Recently I had to change 2 PL-C bulbs. I noticed that the 2 spoilt ones that I took down were made in the Netherlands (origin of Phillips?) and they were just 2 out of the many down-lights I have installed in my house. All of them have not been changed for 5 years.

At the DIY shop, the guy at the counter told me he only have Phillips from China and he cannot vouch for its quality (his words). I have no way of knowing if what he said was true so I will let you know when the 2 China-made ones go kaput.

Regardless of where the bulbs are made, I guess quality control is important. However, we do note that we have experienced some bad power surge or brownouts before - I wonder if these "unclean" power flows will affect the life of the bulbs?

[Good Guy]

I have one blown out in less than a year; and seldom switched on.
MIC : Made In China!!!

[birdy]

Regardless of where the bulbs are made, I guess quality control is important. However, we do note that we have experienced some bad power surge or brownouts before - I wonder if these "unclean" power flows will affect the life of the bulbs?
Will installing those with starter type downlight help to ease this problem? From experience, the longest bulb (MIC) that I have is 2 yrs and yet this bulb wasn't turn on everyday. :o

[currymee]

If possible, switch over the flourescent lamps - lower consumption and brighter - changed the whole house lighting to flourescent lamps when renovating a few years back.

[birdy]

If possible, switch over the flourescent lamps - lower consumption and brighter - changed the whole house lighting to flourescent lamps when renovating a few years back.
The purpose of putting up downlight is to create a modern look to the 15 years old construction :p .... I heard that these energy saving bulb will actually give lower power consumption compared to the fluorescent tube in long run but now looks like it is otherwise, the bulb itself is costing my pocket big holes ... :eek:

[currymee]

The purpose of putting up downlight is to create a modern look to the 15 years old construction :p .... I heard that these energy saving bulb will actually give lower power consumption compared to the fluorescent tube in long run but now looks like it is otherwise, the bulb itself is costing my pocket big holes ... :eek:

Hahaha .... ok-lah, my house still looks like a coffeeshop of the 1970s :D (by choice) - no fancy fancy modern lightings, plaster ceiling, downlight, uplight etc .... all I am missing at home is a decent currymee stall .... :D

Seriously, I have checked against all sorts of lighting systems, nothing beats the good ol fashion flourescent - highest consumption rating for regular household use is 36W and if you use on of those fancy new eco-friendly flouroscent type, down to 24W for same luminescene as 36W

[QuietStorm]

I've been using an energy saving bulb in my toilet for years. Haven't replaced it in a long time, touch wood. An ordinary bulb would have blown a long, long time ago. :D

[kwchang]

If possible, switch over the flourescent lamps - lower consumption and brighter - ...
PL-C bulbs do not have the ballast incorporated and thus light in weight and cheaper. They are mini-flourescent lamps ... which means my whole house is lighted entirely by flourescent bulbs, only they look nicer being recessed downlights. By the way they are each 25W rated, so are very bright and low cost on electricity. Do note that just like the long flourescent tubes, these PL-C's also come in 3 colour types. I use the off-white (color code = 840) which gives the room a warm light but not pure white (like coffee shop) and not yellow (like incandescent bulbs)

[currymee]

PL-C bulbs do not have the ballast incorporated and thus light in weight and cheaper. They are mini-flourescent lamps ... which means my whole house is lighted entirely by flourescent bulbs, only they look nicer being recessed downlights. By the way they are each 25W rated, so are very bright and low cost on electricity. Do note that just like the long flourescent tubes, these PL-C's also come in 3 colour types. I use the off-white (color code = 840) which gives the room a warm light but not pure white (like coffee shop) and not yellow (like incandescent bulbs)

KW, thanks for the info :) Everytime I ask the shops about these new eco-blubs etc , they always say since you are using long flourescent, no need to change !! :p

[CCY]

The main cause of failure on these PL-E bulbs is heat generated and due to it's compact size the thermal gradient to ambient is rather high. Components use have to withstand these greater than 100 degree Centigrade prolong thermal stresses and unfortunately some of these component use have not been develop up to the mark yet.

Have enough of these bulbs and it doesn't matter which brand or where it is manufactured....have tried most of them , Phillips , GE , Osram , National , Panasonic ...etc ...
Have started switching back to PL-C types to reduce the long term expensive headache..

[Mammoth]

So, meaning these bulb is not meant for daily use. These bulb is only meant to beautify when there are guests.

My car porch is using downlight with 'choke' (or is it call starter?) and turn on for about 8 to 10 hrs every day..I have been using it for 2 years now although initially hardly switch on at night. So far the bulb isn't giving me problem. Just wonder if the choke or starter has any help to those complaining having problem with their energy saving bulbs? :confused: :confused:

[kwchang]

So, meaning these bulb is not meant for daily use. These bulb is only meant to beautify when there are guests.

My car porch is using downlight with 'choke' (or is it call starter?)...
When I mentioned PL-C bulbs, those are the ones which have a separate ballast (the choke, to some people). Just like the normal flourescent lights, the ballast is a separate entity and the ballast actually last a long time, even after many bulb changes.

In my house, the PL-C downlights are not meant for showing off the living room when I have guests. Since I use only PL-C and regular flourescent tubes in my house, they are used daily. So far, after 5 years, I am still using the same set of PL-C bulbs except for for 3 which I had to change recently. In fact I had to change the flourescent bulbs many times already in these 5 years while all (except 3) of the original PL-Cs are still running with no problems.

Take note that an 18 watt PL-C produces light equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent bulb. I remember in the past when my parents were using incandescent bulbs, they were only 40 or 60 watts each. Now with 18 watts, you actually use less than half the power but easily more than double the brightness! I use 25 watt PL-C bulbs - can you imagine how bright they are? With a downlight system, I only need to turn on 2 in the living room and it is already very bright.

[xt900]

Can anyone recommend where can I buy cheaper Osram bulbs?

[akiyoshi]

Can anyone recommend where can I buy cheaper Osram bulbs?

You can try Great Lite Trading in Taipan,
same row as Victoria Station, Secret Recipe, Maybank.
They are old-timers and their Phillips PL-C 18 watt lights were the cheapest
I can find.
I too was once looking for OSRAM but this place offered alternative that
was so much cheaper.

[VeeJay]

My last couple of purchases had been Hitachi and its cheaper and so far (3 yrs...first purchase) its been good.

[birdy]

I think the holder of the bulb is also very important. A lot cheap ones selling in the market, I think those are not of good standard and will likely to cause bulb easily blown because they don't hold the bulb intact.

[xt900]

You can try Great Lite Trading in Taipan,
same row as Victoria Station, Secret Recipe, Maybank.
They are old-timers and their Phillips PL-C 18 watt lights were the cheapest
I can find.
I too was once looking for OSRAM but this place offered alternative that
was so much cheaper.

Thanks. I will check it out.