BulbCollector Forums
BULB DISCUSSION BOARDS => Modern Electric Lighting => Topic started by: mr_big on February 02, 2005, 11:14:29 am
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I have been noticing that when run base up the very end of compact fluorescent lamps has been turning completly black
Any ideas what might be causing this
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These are the pl-9 and 13 watt lamps that this has been happening in
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Have you tried operating the lamps in another position?
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thanks for the help I will try that
and see if the works if not I will try a different brand of bulb
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The self ballasted compact fluorescent bulbs have had this problem to and I want to know why it is happening
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Usually end darkening occurs from electrode wear.
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I don't think it was from electrode wear because the ends did turn dark but the rest of the bulb did to
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How old is this lamp? Is it one of the types that you can change the tubes? If so, do you have a tube of the correct wattage installed?
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this is not one of the lamps that you can change the tubes on it has a permanently installed ballast
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Post some pictures of the lamp and where you run it.
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I am going to post some pictures when I run it
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here are some pictures of the lamp running
The only way I can get this lamp to light is with a plasma sphere it will not light when I put it in the fixture
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here is a picture of the pl-13 tube that has blown out
it is also being lit by my plasma sphere without it the lamp would start and then go out
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These look to have died from old age. The end blackening is a symptom of normal use.
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I have bad luck with lamps from this company. They are a little black on the end but they
only last a couple of month not the time stated on the package.
Carl
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which company are you talking about they are both from different companies
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I was referring to the Feit Electric Compact Fluorescent Bulb.
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I don't know that bulb was about 5 years old and run every day for about 9 hours
I have had bad luck with GE bulbs
I have had relatively good luck with The Feit Electric Bulbs
I have one of their compact fluorescent bulbs in my kitchen and it is still going good after three years
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I think compact fluorescent are getting better but their bad batches of these lamps. I remember the first round fluorescent that I put into a table lamp. It did not last very long and did not have much light output. The circular ceiling fixtures have a much better life. So I think it is the ballast that has failed and not the bulb.
Carl
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I like the Commercial Electric CFLs sold at Home Depot. From my experience they seem to be pretty good lamps. The first time you start them they take about a minute to warm up, but after that point they start almost instantly. Life has yet to be seen, I have only had these lamps for a few months.
http://www.metal-halide.net/index.php?id=gallery&cat=Fluorescent&scat=CFL&bulb=EDXO-18-19
I have some Sylvania Daylight Extra lamps. They are quite nice as well. These lamps started almost instantly out of the box. They seem to be holding up quite well, there is no visible blackening yet.
http://www.metal-halide.net/index.php?id=gallery&cat=Fluorescent&scat=CFL&bulb=CF13EL-MINITWIST-DAY
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I have used those sylvania daylight bulbs before They are not my particular favorite mine died within several seconds of smoke and a bright orange glow in the base
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I think you might have a wiring fault or something. I have about 10 of those lamps and not a single one had a problem. Have you checked the voltage to your sockets/outlets? Maybe it's just a coincidence, but with all those lamps dying prematurely I have to think there is something going on with your wiring. I could be wrong and you are just good at picking out lemons lol.
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This is typical of many Chinese made compact fluorescent lamps. All of the Feit, GE and Philips spiral CFL lamps are being sourced in from Chinese factories now, and all show these defects from time to time.
The Spiral tube CFL, though small, is a remarkably bad creation. No reputable CFL factory anywhere is making them with the exception of German firm Narva. The problem on these tubes is getting good phosphor coating thickess control. If you coat the tubes before bending, the phosphor deteriorates dramatically when the glass is melted and spiralled. If you coat the tubes after bending then the liquid coating suspension falls under gravity and you get a much thicker coating on the underside of each spiral than above, it is not possible to achieve the uniform optimum thickness.
James
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I am now using a sylvania daylight compact fluorescent bulb in the lamp by my computer I think I might have got a good one but it is only a couple of months old and the one of the ends of the lamp has been getting dark
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The Sylvania daylight was broken when my cat knocked my lamp off of my table
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I think you might have a wiring fault or something.? I have about 10 of those lamps and not a single one had a problem.? Have you checked the voltage to your sockets/outlets?? Maybe it's just a coincidence, but with all those lamps dying prematurely I have to think there is something going on with your wiring.? I could be wrong and you are just good at picking out lemons lol.
I think I just get lemons every time and as for the wiring problem the voltage was 130 volts last time I looked although I don't think this would cause any problems with compact fluorescent bulbs but I am really not sure