Energy saving lightbulbs

pinkichiban

Is it just me or do these last no time at all? Often on packets they claim to last however may thousands of hours, but in reality it seems they last mere weeks. I can't be more precise as I don't have the time to monitor, but I am sure they do not match the claims made on packets. The kitchen has just gone again and I am sure I replaced it 6 weeks ago ish. I think we are being ripped off yet again...

CyCo_2

That's odd, the last time I changed one of my energy saving lightbulbs was well over a year ago, whereas the low voltage bulbs I have in the kitchen go every 3 or 4 months. Have you checked there isn't a fault with the fitting?

Techhead_2

Mine certainly seem to last several years. I'd certainly suspect a fault rather than all massive rip-off.

anotherbaldrick

pinkichiban wrote: »

Is it just me or do these last no time at all? Often on packets they claim to last however may thousands of hours, but in reality it seems they last mere weeks. I can't be more precise as I don't have the time to monitor, but I am sure they do not match the claims made on packets. The kitchen has just gone again and I am sure I replaced it 6 weeks ago ish. I think we are being ripped off yet again...

Are you referring to energy saving bulbs or the infamous GU10 down lighter bulbs which are total bummers ?

paulsad

IMO with downlighters - the better makes far outlast the cheapies you get from thrift shops, really a case of you do actually get what you pay for in this instance.

DCFC79

They seem to last a long time here, cant remember last time i changed 1, must be at least a year

skiddlydiddly

Got some in that have lasted 5 years+, only had to replace 2 or 3 in the whole house and got those for pennies form Homebase-10p for regular ones and 30p for some brighter ones.

Paul_Varjak

pinkichiban wrote: »

Is it just me or do these last no time at all? Often on packets they claim to last however may thousands of hours, but in reality it seems they last mere weeks. I can't be more precise as I don't have the time to monitor, but I am sure they do not match the claims made on packets. The kitchen has just gone again and I am sure I replaced it 6 weeks ago ish. I think we are being ripped off yet again...

Are you using the bulbs with any form of electronic switching or a dimmer?

fwor

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Are you using the bulbs with any form of electronic switching or a dimmer?

For a year or so I used them with a switch which (unknown to me) had a suppressing capacitor built-in. This caused my compact fluorescent bulbs to fail every few months. One tell-tale sign was a very quiet "ting" from the bulb every few seconds.

kazzah60

I can sympathise with the OP - I have two light fittings in my lounge each with 5 bulbs - before I used energy saving bulbs I hardly ever used to change them - nowadays they seem to go every couple of months - it's costing a fortune - we don't have a dimmer switch or anything like that

in fact I have now changed light fittings as the others had downlighter shades and needed to mini spiral bulbs and now have uplighter ones which can take the "normal" sized bulbs - these I can get for £10 for 4 from B&Q whereas the other mini ones in a 15w I could only get via mail order and they regularly cost me £30 for 4 !

pinkichiban

As far as I know, no faults, no dimmer switch etc. Previously these bulbs seemed to last ages. I don't buy the cheapest, I'd say about mid-range.