Question about energy efficent coil light bulbs...do they all take a while to become bright?

Question

We recently bought one and put it in our outdoor light. When I turn it on though it takes a few minutes for it to actually become bright. Is it slow because it is cold? If I put them in my indoor fixtures would they work faster?

Answer 1

If you look at the rating section of the packaging you will see that the operating temperate is something like 32F to 140F. In other words if it gets cold enough, like below 0F, the light will cease to function at all. This is a property of fluorescent bulbs which function by heating a gas inside the tube and the excited gas molecules zooming around and smashing into the fluorescent coating on the inside of the glass which in turn gets excited and glows brightly. From this you can see that the warmer the gas before the electricity is turned on, the faster the bulb with achieve optimal light output.

Answer 2

Temperature does determine how fast fluorescent gas heats up. Cold temperatures cause delays in brightness.Spiral bulbs are fluorescent like tube lights.

Answer 3

yes. some of it is due to the powder inside and some of it is due to the transformer. The transformer cannot blast the power directly into the bulb, as it would be too much power, too quickly.
This slow ramping up of power extends the life of the transformer and the bulb.

Answer 4

I've noticed this effect as well. Sometimes it happens to the ones I have indoors, but it's usually the ones in my garage, where it is colder.

Remember to recycle your compact flourescents with your waste managements hazardous recyling program since they contain mercury. And if your waste management company doesn't have one...demand one.