The price of CFL bulbs has really come down, I bought one back a few years ago (and it’s still working of course) but it was on the expensive side then. I know that I would save money in the long run with a CFL bulb but when you’re at the store, you can only think of the price you have to pay at the counter. Things have changed. I recently bought a new table lamp for the living room and when I checked on the prices of CFL bulbs at Home Depot, I was surprised by how cheap they become.
This Ecosmart bulb comes with a nine year warranty. The company must feel pretty cocky about its lifespan.
I bought a pack of four CFL bulbs from a brand called EcoSmart for less than 6 dollars and it wasn’t even on sale. They are every bit as bright as their incandescent counterparts and the bulbs produce a very fine soft light. Incandescent type bulbs should go extinct soon, I don’t see anyplace for them now. CFL beats it in everyway: Longevity, electricity saved, cooler to the touch so it won’t melt your plastic lamp shades and now it’s affordable too. Ecosmart claims to have 70% less mercury than other CFL bulbs. That’s great and all, but I’m just happy I don’t have to replace the same light bulbs every several months. Now it’s more like every several years! LED bulbs are suppose to be even better, but until they become affordable and plentiful, CFL bulbs are king. High marks for Ecosmart CFL light bulbs for being affordable and being environmentally friendly to boot.
Rating: 9.0
Incandescent are still needed for dimmers. Also, for whatever reason, I get the feeling that the CFLs that I put in the fans didn’t last as long as the ceiling lights (I don’t remember because they did last a long time in the fans), but maybe the new CFLs are better able to handle the vibrations.
They make CFLs that are dimmable. Also, make sure you select the correct bulb for you fixture. Most spiral CFLs are not meant to be used upside down as in a ceiling fan.
There are CFLs, just saw some this past week in stores, that work with dimmers, and others are 3-way. There are also examples that look like incandescent bulbs but have the screw-type product inside. All sorts of wattages now available. Check online for consumer remarks on any brand you might be considering, however; Bright Effects (found at Lowe’s) appear to have a lot of negative reports, but that’s the only such brand I’m aware of w/ bad responses.
wish these bulbs didn’t come in plastic containers.
The Ecosmart floodlight bulbs are terrible. I bought a “120 watt equivalent” Ecosmart floodlight bulb to replace a regular 120 watt GE Reveal bulb. The Ecosmart floodlight bulb puts out less light than a regular 65 watt bulb. I used the Ecosmart bulb for 5 minutes, took it out and threw it in the trash. Thanks US Congress.
Texas Homeowner said:
“I used the Ecosmart bulb for 5 minutes, took it out and threw it in the trash. Thanks US Congress.”
Good one, Tx. Throw that shite in the trash, alongside all the other crap we throw in the trash that SHOULD BE RECYCLED. Dig that CFL out of the trash and take it to Home Depot or Lowes or another recycling center and recycle it (and maybe even get a refund like I did at Home Depot on a defective Ecosmart CFL).
Use yer brain!
Must be that EcoSMART has a grudge against Texas residents ‘cuz today I am returning the SECOND pair of 25 watt, candelabra shaped bulbs that barely lit at all. Only about 10% of the internal spiral glass tube was lit. That’s right two bad packages in a row from two different Home Depot stores. At $13 per pair, that is totally unacceptable and it was my last EcoSMART purchase. I’ve wasted more money returning this junk than I would have saved with the bulbs.
I have had the lights fail and have returned about 2 of every 10 ecosmart bulbs after 1-2 weeks of use. I am using in recessed ceiling with mechanical dimmer. Bulbs are dimmable and on their own circuit so it is definitely a flaw in the quality of the bulbs.
I just love mine! I have had them in for 3 years now…… They must like Californians…. Didn’t really think a state had anything to do with it.
I agree thank you Congress! America needs to use CFL like the rest of the world. We are so far behind in so many things…… I cannot wait for the LED’s to come into play! Have no fear incandescent are being phased out by 2014 or stop manufacturing them 2014. It is time we press forward.
Just this morning, a smoke alarm on the bedroom ceiling went off. It turned out to be an ‘Ecosmart’ CFL smoldering and burning at the base of the tube. It was black, smoking/smoldering, and HOT! The bulb was still working while the base burned. A few more minutes might have led to a fire.
I have a box full of Ecosmart CFL’s, all less then 1 year old that have failed. Most of them have a black haze inside the tube with evidence of high heat and ‘browning’ at the base where the tube meets the plastic case. Some are melted and deformed. Some, the heat was so intense, the bulb actually loosened up and started ‘leaning’ out of the plastic base.
These bulbs were purchased at Home Depot when they had a huge sale – a pack of 6 lights for $1.88. I bought two packs last year. EVERY SINGLE bulb blew out. In fact, the last one burned out 5 minutes before I found this blog and started writing this reply.
I recommend NOT using these CFL’s. The risk of fire is elevated, either due to cheap components or faulty manufacturing. I plan on writing to the company and filing a complaint.
I also have had problems with ecosmart cfl’s overheating. Just had one that got very hot and started melting base. It was in an open fixture with one switch. Had smell of burning plastic and was able to catch before any fire. I like the idea of cfl’s, and will cautiously try again with a different brand. I guess you get what you pay for.
I bought an Ecosmart CFL 23W 3500K (Model IR4023, SKU #567-234) and a few burnt out within six months. These are the big lamps with the cone-shaped frosted reflectors that are typically used on flush-mounted ceiling lamps, facing downwards. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them to anyone. They took more than a few minutes to warm up completely and the ones that burnt out were probably due to intermittent on/off, like going to the bathroom real quick and turning off within a minute (I was told by a few people this is not good for CFL’s).
I got the 23watt “100watt output” EcoSmart CFLs in a 4-pack and the first one burnt out in 3 days. It was very faded and when I attempted to carefully unscrew it 10 minutes after turning it off, the bulb broke and I noticed the plastic base was extremely hot. I wouldn’t suggest this product to anyone that doesn’t want their house burned to the ground.
I have cfl bulbs through out the house. The only problem is that sometimes they will flicker. I have checked the voltage and it is 124.5 vac. I tried replacing the bulb with a new one and it did the same thing. What is causing this?
The cfl is not realy that eco friendly. Its better with led light. You get 30 % more light pr. watt and the light quality is better too.