Reply #50: Wha? I don't think so. [View All]

[Xithras]

Straight from the mouth of one of the manufacturers: http://www.gelighting.com/na/business_lighting/faqs/cfl.htm#4

No vibration, no enclosed recessed fixtures, a reference to frequently turning them off and on. Sealed outdoor fixtures in hot environments (it can hit 105F where I live in the summer) have the same issues as sealed recessed lights, and ANYONE who has used CFL's outdoors in a cold environment can tell you about startup issues. CFL's are also pretty useless in any kind of shop environment, because they cannot deal with shock or abuse AT ALL. I tried putting one in my droplight once, and the thing lasted all of 20 minutes...the first time I dropped the light three inches, the bulb broke. The manufactrers generally warn against that kind of use anyway, since the dirty power and vibrations found in most shops will fry CFL electronics pretty quickly.

As for the power surge, the ballast electronics in a CFL work by precharging a capacitor, which then discharges into the cathode to excite the light. That initial charge, on a cold bulb, DOES draw more power than an incandescent at startup. Where CFL's are more efficient is in their ongoing power draw. While a bright CFL may initially draw 150 watts or more to light, its power requirements will quickly drop to 10 watts or less as the bulb warms over several minutes of use. The incandescent equivalent, of course, may pull 75 watts of power and keep pulling at that level indefinitely. That's the strength of a CFL...if the light is going to be left on, it will quickly become the more efficient solution. The idea only fails in locations where CFL's aren't left on long enough to reach maximm efficiency...water closets, refrigerators, that sort of thing. Incandescents are actually a more efficient solution in those situations.

If you want to refute any of this, please do so. Don't just drop a "BWAH, THAT'S NOT TRUE!" and leave it hanging.