I have been installing low energy recessed ceiling lights (spot type) on an attrition basis for a few years. It appears that light manufactured by Feit Electric (bought at Home Depot) have a very short life... Lately, I have been collecting the failed bulbs and they continue to fail while original, incandescent bulbs are still operating... they are supposed to have longer life, not shorter.
It seems that low energy bulbs supplied by other manufacturers (I will not buy any more Feit bulbs) are lasting longer, but time will tell.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer's satisfaction.
I'm seeing the same thing. i've gone through one 8-pack of bpce13t/8 bulbs (upc [protected]) in the last couple of years and have another yet unopened. these cfls are billed as 60w incandescent replacements, "energy star" compliant and are supposed to last 8, 000 hours — 7 years in average use, 8 times longer than a standard 60w bulb. they have been installed in open fixtures, with plenty of air circulation. they always fail with a smoky, phenolic smell, but the tube shows little of the darkening typical of old fluorescent tubes. I haven't bothered opening any of them up, but it is obvious that the electronic components are failing long before the fluorescent tube has reached end-of-life, and they're barely lasting longer than incandescent bulbs in the same application.
Since this keeps happening, it's soured me on feit electric and cfls in general. cfls contain mercury, require more energy in their manufacture than a standard bulb and we keep going through them at a prodigious rate. feit electric's insistence on using the cheapest, most marginal electronic parts is the product's undoing, and will ultimately be the undoing of the push to force cfls on an unwilling and rightfully suspicious public. they are not a good deal for me, for the u. s. balance of trade, nor for the environment.
For the record, i'm a degreed electronics engineer, and a registered professional engineer in california.
Dear Brian,
I am a company representative and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter with you personally. Can you please email me directly at jay@feit.com?
Thank you,
Jay Matsueda
I am experiencing the same problem with LED replacement bulbs. I just sent Jay an email explaining the issues I am having.
I am experiencing the same thing with the 60watt led bulb. They start flashing after about 3 months
Oh, I know you were'nt reading the instructions and used them wrong that's why you have not called the company I get it.. man your sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo smart. hey give me a call I think there's a monkey next door that I can see if he available to help you out and count the light bulbs. have'nt you read what is on all the internet cfl's are junk and the people that use them are stupid and big followers man good thing for some of us that believe being special and not followers...
So tell me have you contacted the company as of yet? or are you just # and doing nothing...