Anyone use Energy Miser CFLs?

[belle09]

What brand of CFL are you using? I'm looking to replace some lightbulbs on high ceilings and need to purchase some for a good deal, but I also don't want that awful "fluorescent" color light.

I found Energy Miser bulbs online at 1000bulbs for $1.88/bulb for 13W warm-white (2700K) bulbs, which is the best price I've seen for a CFL, but was wondering if anyone had experience with the bulbs/company before I ordered.

Thanks!

 

[TheRatPack]

We have a mixture of different ones in our house (mainly whatever was on sale). One went out the other night and it STUNK!!! It smelled like the wires were on fire or something.....we even went so far as to unwire the light fixture (in the ceiling) and check for hotspots....etc, but it was just the bulb. It's the first one we've had that burned out....so we're not sure if this is something that is 'normal' or not, but it was scary and I hope they don't all stink when they burn out.

Edited to add: yes it seems it's pretty common....check here for myths about CFL's. http://www.ul.com/newsroom/cfl/myths.html

The example/description of how one burns out is exactly what ours did. It dimmed over time, they aren't that bright to begin with, then it flickered like a regular long fluorescent bulbs and then it popped and started smelling like burning wires.

 

[mhconley]

I spent just over $100 to replace every lightbulb in and outside our 3800 sq. ft. home with CFL's in January of this year. Unfortunately I have seen no reduction in our electrical bill. I purchased all new warm white bulbs.

Our local Ace Hardware had 16 watt (75 watt equivalent) and 23 watt (100 watt eq.) bulbs subsidized by PGE at just over and under $1 each. I also purchased a case of 16 watt (75 watt eq.) warm white CFL R40 flood lights off eBay for the many recessed cans in our home. These were 1/4 the price of any I had seen anywhere else.

I like the light from these higher wattage warm white CFL's - very close to the incandescents they've replaced. I can't stand lower wattage or cool white CFL bulbs. They need to warm up for several seconds to reach full brightness in the summer and as much as a minute in the winter. Our outside fixtures flicker on colder nights.

Beware that the new dimmable CFL bulbs cannot be used with a digital dimmer - they must be on a reostat type dimmer. I had to leave one bulb in our family room a standard bulb for the digital dimmer to work.

Martin

 

[Doityourselfguy]

Hello,
When purchasing CFL bulbs make sure they have the energystar logo on them. The Energystar testing got a bad rap a few years ago so they have doubled down their efforts to be sure that to put their mark on bulbs the bulb must have gone through their testing. I buy all of my energy efficient bulbs at wholesalebulbs.net because they offer great quality Energy Star bulbs at awesome prices direct to the contractor and consumer.

thanks!
Lou