Readers share their stories about energy-saving
lightbulbs.
A year ago we suffered a power surge. Two nearly new energy
saving bulbs failed, but none of the traditional filament
bulbs were affected.
Roger Browne
Alexandra
My parents bought 6 energy-saving bulbs and half of them
failed within 3 months. Experts acknowledge that they are far
more expensive than normal bulbs but since they will last for
years (the box said 9 years) then over time we will
eventually save money. Since half have already failed and had
to be replaced, the other 3 original bulbs will have to last
for 18 years if they are to break even. Based on the evidence
so far, this is extremely unlikely.
In your Aug 5 article you quoted a fire safety officer saying
that we can't use energy-saving bulbs where there isn't good
air flow, presumably to aid cooling. Yet energy-saving bulb
experts tell us these bulbs DON'T emit heat like the old
incandescent bulbs, some even telling us we can now block off
vents in ceiling downlights. Who is right, the energy-saving
bulb experts or the fire safety officer?
Also a previous comment, from the DCC I think, said we must
drive to the Green Island Waste Disposal site to safely
dispose of faulty bulbs since they contain toxic material.
With the cost of petrol these days, this adds greatly to the
overall cost of each bulb.
While they may save us a little electricity, remembering that
lighting is a small proportion of our electricity bill, it
appears they will only cost us in other ways - high initial
cost, high disposal costs, high failure rate and replacement
of some light fittings since we're told that we are unable to
use them with dimmers and seemingly now with many forms of
enclosed lampshade.
John Cotton
Dunedin
Hi, I bought two of the same bulbs as in the paper and they
lasted three weeks and both failed one after the other. I
then bought the eco bulbs from Shell on July 4, 2007. These
bulbs go from 7.30 am until 10.00pm 7 days a week and they
are still going strong [they are in down lights ]
Doug
Brighton
I bought 10 of the eco light bulbs from Shell garages last
year and so far 5 have already blown. Energy Mad warranties
them for 2 years but it is very difficult to access
this.
Helen
I have been using energy-saving light bulbs for several years
without any problems, until last month. I replaced one in my
passage light with an 'Eco' brand bulb on the 16th July. 12
days later when I turned on the light I heard a slight
cracking sound as if someone was crushing plastic and then
smoke poured out of the light. It had only been used for a
few hours.
I got an electrician to check my light socket in case that
had caused the problem but it is fine.
It would be interesting to know if these problems have only
occurred recently or have they been happening since people
starting using the energy-saving bulbs.
Helen Laney
Oamaru
The ODT has featured a few articles lately about these energy
saving light bulbs.
I have a house that is about 5 years old and has inset light
bulb cavities in the ceiling, I have brought about 25 of
these so called new, and soon to become compulsory light
bulbs to try them out.
I have already had to replace 15 of them as they only lasted
about 3 weeks! Not very good considering they are very
expensive in comparison to those that last longer.
Also the heat could be an issue, I recently replaced one and
was told they produced light and not heat, that was the
reason they were more efficient, so I turned off the light
switch and went to replace the bulb for a brighter one, it
was very very hot.
Your suggestion of also holding the body of the bulb to screw
into the recessed cavity is impossible, you just can't,
there's no room and you have to gently screw them in with the
actual glass bulb.
I am very disappointed in them mainly because they just don't
last, the last pack of Osram Bulbs I brought claimed they
last 3 years.
I don't usually worry about things like this, or would change
the brand, or continue with the existing old type of light
bulb, but when they are being toasted as 'the best thing
since sliced bread' feedback is necessary, the budget is
stretched far enough without having to buy a product that is
expensive and unreliable.
Karen Robertson
My experience is that they don't last as claimed and are
unreliable. Nor do they work with dimmers (fire
hazard).
They burn out dramatically and alarmingly. Great for outside
but inside is a worry.
It appears that our own authorities are unaware of the risks
involved and unaware of the overseas reports.
Some serious allegations are made regarding the mercury
content and the form of same (being a powder). Risks are
serious if inadvertently broken. These claims need to be
settled.
My view is that the current filament bulbs should be allowed
to continue until the true environmental issue of disposal of
these new bulbs is sorted out.
The companies promoting these products have a vested interest
in claiming no health risk so an independent assessment
should be carried out.
Jemima Fatima
The trouble I've had has been with the high-end curly spiral
ones. Two have gone in a couple of years and one went bang
and dropped a few inches. I started keeping the dockets
(proof of purchase) and returned one to Lighting Direct -
they refunded the cash - $24- without a problem and said they
don't sell those any more. They might save power but they
don't save money.
Doug Haworth
I read with interest your story on energy saving
lightbulbs.
I bought my lightbulbs during the promotion last year and
replaced nearly all my bulbs as the old ones died. I moved to
a new address on 1st April this year and proceeded to replace
standard bulbs with energy saving ones immediately and I had
two I had replaced in the lounge.
Within 2 weeks one of the bulbs exploded and sprayed shards
of broken glass all over the carpet and also the main unit
had been blown out of the socket in ceiling and was on the
floor amongst the glass.
6 days later a second bulb just across the ceiling from the
first bulb also exploded spraying me and the floor with
shards of glass again when I was sitting just under and in
front of the light at my computer.
I am now wary of all the other bulbs that are in my house,
but I have been told by an electrician there is nothing wrong
with my wiring as it is a fairly new house and he said
sometimes these energy bulbs have been known to explode
occasionally. I apparently was unlucky to have two explode in
short space of time.
I will let you know if any more decide to depart company with
the light sockets.
Carol Markham
I purchased 10 ECO long-life light bulbs from the Kaikorai
Valley Service station when they had them on a promotion The
first one I put in lasted 20 minutes, the second one 3 min.
Not good eh?.
Dennis Sharp
Energy Saving Bulbs / Ecobulbs
My first trials were in our indoor hall light which is on all night (for the benefit of anybody visiting the toilet). They were of the Philips brand and lasted about two months. Some of the old incandescent bulbs had exploded on switching on, leaving glass on the carpet and a metal part in the socket to be extracted with pliers.Since switching to the Warehouse "Red Stamp" brand, which were on offer at 5 for $10, I have had no failures, even with the hall light staying on 24/7 for the last three years.The only reservation I have is the claim that a 20 Watt lamp is equivalent in light output to a 100 Watt incandescent. I would class them as more like 60 Watt and they can take several minutes to reach full brightness.My bathroom light, a 150 Watt incandescent, and my outdoor security lights, one 300 Watt halogen tube and two PAR38 globes, have not been replaced in 13 years, despite being turned on and off by neighbourhood cats every night (the security lights, not the bathroom). (One PAR38 failed about two weeks ago but has not yet been replaced).I am planning to try white LED lights, primarily as power failure backup, but if they prove OK I may use them for all-night and security lighting.
Girl holding burnt-out eco bulb.
When reading the August Investigate article re the eco bulbs we were told mercury vapour from broken bulbs is very injurious to health, particularly the brain. Therefore the wisdom of allowing a girl to hold a burnt-out bulb is lacking, while the controversy is unsettled. I believe the ODT should get INDEPENDENT technical opinion re this important subject before compulsion becomes law. Actually if the people warning against the eco bulbs from a health point of view are correct, every day the public remain uninformed, public health is being seriously compromised.
Energy Saving bulbs
We have been using the energy saving bulbs for about 10 years and have had no real problems with them at all. We've had two blow but those were the ones we had right from the beginning. Ten years is a good life span for a light bulb.
Renae,
Dunedin