Do your Compact Fluorescent bulbs (the curly ones) last 9000 hours?

I use them, but my house is old and the wiring, although safe (been checked by experts) is a bit funky. My curly bulbs last waaaaaaay longer than the incandescent ones, but not nearly as long as they probably should. I would log it, like you do, but I think I would be laughed at if they saw my house.

Doubtful. Those numbers are usually derived from best-case-in-the-lab-with-the-test-slanted in some dubious way. Sort of like when they say that this car gets xx miles per gallon and that number is totally invented.

My suspicion is that you’re lucky if you get half that usage in normal daily household environments.

I’m sure mine didn’t last 6 months. It was in an area I don’t use that often, so it was really annoying.

On a side note: My dad worked at Carbide in the 50’s and 60’s. They invented a life long light bulb that my dad got 2 of and put out in the garage. They stopped making them within a short period of time after realizing no one would need light bulbs if they were life long. These lightbulbs were still in the garage, still working when my mother passed away this year and my brother took these bulbs to his home.

I have found that they kept dying on me, within a month or two. Then I read the pack and it indicated that they should not be used in sockets where they would hang directly upside down, or they would burn out much quicker than otherwise.

When I use them in sideways sockets or in sockets where they stand straight up and down, they do seem to live for a very long time.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought Mine was in a stand up socket. That I’m too short to reach, so I had to wait til a tall friend came by to change it. I don’t use them any longer.

There you go! I’ll bet none of us complained or send them back for the warranty!

We need to put our collective feet down. Soon, we will be forced to buy these things.
Let’s make sure they are as good as advertised. The only way to do that is to complain when they don’t work as promised.

I hereby promise to keep the carton and receipt together in my light bulb box.

@chyna, @Imadethisupwithnoforethought, @elbanditoroso, @JilltheTooth
How did you dispose of your bulbs? Toss them in the trash?. Recycle?
Until I find a find a good way to recycle, I have just been keeping them. (That’s how I know how many have burned out.)

No. I have down-lights too. Also supposed to last a long time. Out of six in one room, one is working. I agree, we should keep a note of when we put the things in and then send the stupid things back to the manufacturer. Let me know how you go with the manufacturer @LuckyGuy.

@Bellatrix The bulbs I have are Made in China under the GE Energy Smart label and supposedly come with a 5 year 8000 hour replacement warranty. The next ones I buy I intend to watch like a hawk. And will keep the receipt and UPC label.

We all should.

@Luckyguy – in the trash. My local county trash pickup doesn’t accept them for recycling and I have enough stuff around the house that I am not going to be bothered with storing them abd carrying them to a store for recycling.

I agree @LuckyGuy. It is one of those things that seriously pisses me off. We have been to a few different light shops and whined about the limited life of the fricken things. “Oh you won’t have this problem with these lights! They are the best”. Like fuck they are. I have even had an electrician check to see if it was something to do with the wiring. Nope. Just crap lights.