They talk about how they’ll last for ten-years, and yet the one I installed a couple of months ago goes off and then goes back on by itself when I have it turned on. On top of that, they DON’T emit as much light as the regular kind, not even close. Anyway, no big deal but I thought someone should say the truth about 'e
Oh, almost forgot, they also make an annoying crackling sound.
Huh? Where did you buy your light bulbs? A flea market? I have MOVED with those light bulbs. Multiple times.
If your CFL is making a crackling noise and failing after a few months, you have either a defective bulb or a wiring problem. That is NOT normal behavior for these bulbs. The light output should also be pretty close to its incandescent equivalent. If it’s not, again, it’s likely a defective bulb or possibly a wiring issue.
I really wish they’d pass a law requiring the lumens output on those lights. They have it on all incadensent, but not on the compact flourenscents. The same watt incandescents have different lumens of output depending on the coating. They need to give the lumens, and the spectrum.
I bought 'em at Home Depot.
During the California manufactured energy crisis, there was a HUGE push for CFL.
They SUCKED.
Now, a few years later…I have some. I have one that I actually fooled someone with…fooled him into believing it was a regular bulb.
I have some on my reading lamps…for the most part, they look much better than the originals, but they still have a fluorescenty tinge.
They don’t work well in some situations. I tried one on my front porch in a photo voltaic socket. It gave me interference on the radio, and also it didn’t do well during twilight…it flickered. Also…it was the LOWEST wattage, and was TOO bright.
I dunno what to tell you…I still think the warmth of halogen is the best, but I’m hoping that some day CFLs will be as good, if not better.
I finally found some that don’t have ugly flourescenty light (GE Soft White, I think) but they still look dim to me and I can’t find a three way in that brand, in the stores anyway.
I have been reluctant to try them because I got a CF “torch light” that was pathetic compared to the halogen ones I have had. I used it as the only light source in my bedroom for two years, and it was never bright enough in there. I was just too cheap to buy another lamp, so I lived with it. Maybe I will give the socket type CF a try, but not until I run out of my stock of incandescents.
I’m completely ignorant to the science behind these bulbs, but the wattages are far from equivalent to normal incandescent bulbs. Unfortunately they don’t sell anything dimmer than 15w, which is a shame, because I think that’s equivalent to a 60w incandescent.
I loves me my fluorescent bulbs. They use less wattage to create a comparable amount of light, so you can get really bright light without generating a lot of heat or creating high energy bills. Also, I prefer the quality of light–it seems whiter than incandescent light. I have lived places with really shitty fluorescent bulbs–they took a while to reach maximum brightness, and the quality of the light was poor–but I think the modern ones are great.
I’ve seen 7w CFLs, which are 40 w equivalents.
But yeah, you’ve got to start thinking in lumens, because the light output can be very different depending on the colour spectrum of the CFL.
Of course, in five years we’ll all be bitching about LEDs anyway 
Over-rated? Are you kidding?
They kick ass. I use 'em primarily in the kitchen and bathroom, and in “utility” type situations - lighting hallways and whatnot. With the fixtures that were alrieady in the house, they provide better light while drawing less power – and I’ve yet to have to change one, five years after seeing the light. Plus-plus-plus.
I wouldn’t use them in the living-room or bedroom, but by-and-large they are much better than incandescent bulbs.
I’ve had a compact fluorescent in my kitchen since 1992. I’m not complaining.
I use nearly 100% CFC’s and I love them. Hardly ever have to change them, the electric bill is down, etc. They should not make any noise, sounds like a defective bulb or socket, maybe wiring.
They have equivlancies, a 15W is about a 60w, 25W CFC= about 100W incandescent.
I use them, and I don’t know if it’s just lumens, or the spectrum or what, but I don’t like the light.
The bulb itself looks pretty white, but the light doesn’t seem as nice. It’s hard to put into words, just a quality of the light.
The one that I’m most aware of is a couch-side lamp that I use for reading. I don’t care about the porch light so much.
As our regular bulbs die, we are replacing them with CF; so far, no complaints at all.
I already started about the LEDS and others have complained about the same problem. They hurt my eye’s when around them for a while. I don’t know if it’s the spectrum or that they run some on alternating current and that gives them a 60 htz flicker. I think it’s the 60 htz flicker.
The key to selling the flourencents is putting the spectrum on them, I don’t want a ten dollar bulb that is the wrong color of light.
Me too. And some of them are scarily bright - over 100w equivalent, I’d guess. However, I have encountered some crappy cheapo ones that are dim, take a second to come on and then gradually ramp up to 40W-equivalent brightness over a period of 5 min or so. I think the OP may have some of those, or be using them in a dimmer circuit or something, which they are definitely not meant for.
We’re putting them everywhere we can. They won’t work in our 3-way lamps (don’t fit under the harp) but we use 'em where we can. I have one right here on my desk and the light appears to be as bright as the old bulb.
I’ve replaced almost all of the lighting in my house with CFs. The light is fine, and my electric bill dropped 30%. No problems with flicker, noise, or dimness (except the porch lights in winter - when it’s below 20 F or so outside, it takes the bulb a little while to “warm up.”)