Do the CFL blubs really last for Five years?

Question

I mean if I send 2.00 a month on light blubs times 12 times a year times 5 years equals 120.00 - 30.00 I will spend to buy enough blubs for my home. Then I save 90.00 over five years. I like that but do they last five years?

Answer 1

I bought those light bulbs 3 months ago and they still work, but I have no clue about if they work for five years. I am happy that I don't have to get up there and change them as often!

Answer 2

I had some for almost 3 years and they were still working when I moved. I paid about 5.00 for mine at Walmart. If you have a problem with light bulbs burning out often you can also make a smaller investment for the 60 watt 130 volts instead of 120 volts and they last longer. Not anywhere near 5 years maybe only double the life of a 120 volt bulb. But they too can be purchased for about 1.00 a 4 pack.
One more thing,.. on the news about a month ago they said that the old light buld as we know it would be discontinued and all we would have was the others. Walmart is the first in line to stop carrying the old ones. Other countries already have stopped. The new ones do not emit as much heat and are more energy effecient.

Answer 3

Well, I have a few here in my home. The oldest was bought in 2003. It still burns just as brightly as the newer ones. I'm gradually replacing ALL my light bulbs. I have one bulb that has been working fine for over 4 years, and I have the old type that seem to burn out in a matter of months.

The LED light bulbs are supposed to last even longer! My father just replaced all the old fluorescent tube light bulbs in the barns with the LED style. The walkways are brighter and yet it's less glaring too. According to studies they last 20 years and use less energy than any other bulb out there!

By the way, Mythbusters did an experiment on various light bulbs and found that LED bulbs used the least energy and CFL bulbs were next in line. Not only will they reduce the cost of BUYING the bulbs, but they use less power to run, reducing your electric bills too.

Answer 4

It depends on the usage and quality. The CFL bulbs are rated for 8,000 to 10,000 hours, compared to 1,000 hours for regular incandescent bulbs. My first three CFLs were purchased 12 years ago and for first five years, I was obsessed about using just the CFLs to the point where I put extra long extension cords on the floor lamps and carried lamps from room to room. At the time, I lived in small one bedroom apartment so it was possible. Anyway, I am happy to report of the three, one lasted three years, second about five years and the third one is still working!

Six years ago, when I moved to a larger house, I put CFLs on all light fixtures and of some 30 lights I have installed, about 30-40% had to be replaced, mostly in living room and bedrooms where they get most usage. Ones that lastest shortest period were ones I bought at discount store (dollar store) for $1.99 each (four years ago when everywhere else they were selling for $7-$8) and they lasted about three months. Ones I paid regular market price seemed to be ones that lasted longest, probably because they were not cheapo bulbs. I would definitely say they last good 4-6 years minimum.

Answer 5

We started using them in our home about 2.5 years ago and haven't had to replace them yet.

Statistics say CFLs typically have a life span of between 8,000 and 15,000 hours, whereas incandescent lamps are usually manufactured to have a life span of 750 hours or 1000 hours. That's a BIG difference.

What that translates into as far as years depends upon your usage...they could last longer than five years.

Not only do you save money in the purchase, but you also save money because CFLs are much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. So you save money on your energy bill over the long term as well.

Answer 6

No. I've been using fluorescent bulbs from the beginning. They last longer, but not 5 years. I have used them continually for about 2-3 years, but they really don't make it past 3 (24/7/365). (I started using them in the 90's to reduce the electric bill, not out of being eco-friendly. I needed to reduce the amount of wattage being used in an old house because I kept adding electronics.) The bulbs have been continuously improved- a 5 year bulb is possible, maybe in the ones for sale right now, but we won't know til 2012.

Note: You do save cash in the long run on the electric bill.

Answer 7

From my experience: no. But I use them anyways because they save on my electricity bill and on energy from the Electricity Company. However, I believe that like any product you get what you pay for. So far I have only bought the cheapest bulbs around, usually from Wal-Mart or Sam's Club or a generic brand from Home Depot. I truly believe that if I had spent $1.00 more on a three pack of bulbs that are the name brand ones, they may have lasted longer. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Just don't use these bulbs in a situation where you can dim the lights, they can't handle it and burn out really fast. If you really want to save some energy and have a light that lasts seemingly forever, invest in LED bulbs. They are a little more up front, but emit less heat, use less electricity, last longer, and can handle any lighting situation (dim, flash, full on, long use).

Answer 9

No, they probably won't all last for 5 years-it depends on how often they are used and if your wiring is done right. If the bulbs lasted 30 days, they would save more energy than regular bulbs in 30 days.

Answer 10

No, it depends on what brand you go with, or what kind of fixture you have. If it is a light that is on alot, or you have wiring issues, they will last at least six months. I bought a bunch of them for my house just over 18 months ago, and I have no original bulbs left. Of course, they were some no-name company, but they did honor the guarantee and let me replace them for no charge (just keep original package and reciept) at the store. Sylvania are still going good, they have been in for about 4-6 months now. I am disappointed they do not work in my porchlight fixture, but we do what we can eh? They do cutdown on the wattage used too!