Saw the video on Mythbusters and the Video on Longevity (from 2011), and was wondering about the LED light bulb and the Timer setup.
Do you have the Hours > Longevity completed in a table yet, or is the LED still blink(ing) strong after 2+ years.
The reason I ask, is I posed the same questions to Philips ConsumerService, GE Consumer Service, and to Feit.
Here in Canada, they have implemented the "Energy Efficiency regulations" , since 2006, and the former incandescent Standard bulb of 100, 60, and 75 are no longer imported. The domestic factories that used to exist for manufacturing are converted to container warehouses, where the imported stuff gets stored until demand warrants purchase of new lamps.
There are still bulbs being made in Canada though, the Factory in between Montreal and Quebec-City is making Induction Lighting tubes for Sylvania, and GE still has a factory in Oakville, Ontario.
The factory that used to make Sylvania bulbs in New York state closed, and they are now sourced from the factory in Mexico.
Has anyone had a look at the contacts or on-off switches after you have been using CFLs for a while?
From my electronics experience, ohms law tells me that the current wants to keep on flowing as the switch is opened, and as the contacts start to come apart, the 100 to 250 mA (milli-amperes) tries to continue flowing, and produces a voltage spike in the range to 1- to 10 Kilo-Volts, until the arc is extinguished with the air , and the current stops flowing.
This tends to pit the contact points, as the arc takes the metal and vapourizes a small hole where the arc is sourced from.
Has your set of relays have any Voltage suppressing Devices across the contacts (in parrallel to the contacts) to protect the relays from the voltage arcing?
Sincerely,
TerrificInTahoma
