Don't Buy Cheap Compact Fluorescents

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I got this bulb at the Walmart for $5 and I put it in a ceiling lamp and upon turning it on I was greeted with a loud pop and big spark, and a tripped breaker. It looks very poorly made inside also (Made in China). So don't buy cheap Compact Flourescent Bulbs

-ComputerWizKid

Let me put this as diplomatically as I can...
I am extremely familiar with the conditions and practices within virtually every plant - be it American or Chinese or whatever- that makes compact fluorescents for the mass market. I include the "big box store" brand in this comment.
These manufacturers are, without a doubt, slipshod, disorganised, cespits of third-world conditions and technology. Not one of them is even close of being ISO 9000 ready. Their records are spotty, and production controls barely adequate.

Quite simply, it is unfair to expect "rocket science" from those whose development of rockets stopped in the fourth century.

Looks like one of the diodes in the rectifier section totally disintegrated. Probably had an internal short?

Maybe it was just a faulty component that looked OK, and that just happened to be one particular lamp that didn't go through random QC sampling?

At least it was just a quick "POP", blowing a circuit breaker and not an overheat till it started melting and smoking.

What can I say. Stuff happens.

They go out at the worst times. [Linked Image]

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Quite simply, it is unfair to expect "rocket science" from those whose development of rockets stopped in the fourth century.

Uh, you DO know that China put a man into space a year or so ago, and is planning another launch (leading to an eventual moon landing) for next year, right?

[Linked Image]

Do they still produce anything in Electronics or energy saving equipment outside of China? I can't recall the last time I saw a product of this type with a good ole "made in the USA" label. I ran across some bug lights in that arena recently for 50 cents or a $1 each in a local grocery bargain bin. I picked up several although I haven't test fired any of them yet. Flash, snap, pop .... blowing the circuit has to be energy conservation too, doesn't it?

In Candada, there is a recall on a certain batch of CF bulbs made last year or so.

Globe Electric Mini Spiral.
Some have caught fire, one I have here is yellowed (but thankfully out of service).

Here is the text of the recall from the Underwriters Lab Canada ULc web site http://www.ulc.ca/news/news_viewer.asp?News_ID=59&Redirect=release

Here's a cut/paste from one of my posts elsewhere on this board:

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I've had a statistically significant number of premature CFL failures in my five-socket dining room fixture- I wonder if it's substandard quality control or if they don't like being operated BO (Base Oblique)...
I do insert them metal-side first so improper installation can probably be ruled out.

I thoroughly enjoy the extra lumens per watt that the CFLs provide, however, I'm beginning to think the long-life claims of these bulbs only apply if they're left in the package!!!!!

The price per lamp is a little disturbing. Averaging $4-5/lamp here in Canada.

Has anyone tried the reusable screw-in ballasts that take a standard 13W twin-tube?
(Just curious if they're a any better quality.)

Of the spiral types, I've had two die prematurely out of about a dozen. Half were free promos from the POCO so I can't complain too much [Linked Image]

The most recent fixtures I've put up in and around the house all take the push-in PL13's. $2/lamp is more like it [Linked Image]

I just looked at the bases of the Osram/Sylvania CF's I'm using all over my apt., they're ALL made in China! [Linked Image]

Even odder since Osram was/is a German based company...

Anyone wanna take bets that if I open one it'll be exactly like the one in this thread?

Osram/Sylvania is in the process of closing a plant in Bangor Maine now, they sent some of the workers to Mexico to train their replacements [Linked Image]