The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Day: January 28, 2012

  • Moderate Lifetime CFL Failure

    Not all CFL bulbs fail after a year. This one seems to have lasted six years, only to burn out a few days after the other one:

    Burned-out CFL bulb
    Burned-out CFL bulb

    I’m sure the date code just over the base means January 2006, not June 2001, simply because I used much larger bulbs a decade ago. Those have long since failed…

    These bulbs all operate in nearly the worst possible condition: base-up inside a ceiling downlight can, although without a cover glass. It’s much cooler in there than with the equivalent incandescent bulb, but they still get pretty toasty. The housing discoloration and the brittle bosses around the tube glass looks a bit less saturated in real life, but this will give you an idea:

    CFL bulb - heat damage
    CFL bulb – heat damage