[BobM]

In the process of upgrading my home (big rip down and rebuild). Top keep this somewhat audio related - I will finally have my own dedicated audio space in the basement  

Now for the real question - they are putting hi-hats on the exterior of the house to light it up on the 2nd floor peaks. There's going to be about 8-10 of them. That's a lot of draw and will cost bundles here in NY if I use them every night.

Can I put cost effective fluorescent's in instead of those Phillips spotlight bulbs? Will they work outdoors or do they present me with weather related problems?

All opinions welcome (but especially experienced responses),
Bob

[bubba966]

Bob,

Someone's making CF's in outdoor spotlight cases now. So you could use those. I forget whose making them though. Can't even recall where I saw 'em...

[woodsyi]

I have never seen flourescent bulbs outdoors.  You may have to have some big ass ballasts that gets hot and sing(hum) all night.   Why not get a group of switches each controlling a pair of spot lights so that you can control how many you use.  On a normal night I wouldn't think you need all of them.  You can also put motion detector on them so they will only light when needed......

[BobM]

I'm not talking about the typical long tube fluorescent's. I'm talking about those regular bulb replacement fluorescents. The kind that simply screw into your regular fixtures.

Bob

[Russell Dawkins]

I bought some CFs in a glass floodlight enclosure, not the large but medium size, at Home Depot a couple of years ago. I think they were about 17, maybe 25 watts and completely enclosed and weathertight. Only thing is, they specifically say they are not to be used on a motion sensitive-type circuit as the chopped AC that substitutes for smooth 60Hz AC on a regular switch circuit causes their early demise. I was using them in my basement in ceiling pots on just such a circuit (the lights come on when you walk into the room) and, though they provided a nice light, they did fail early. So, if they will be used on a simple switched circuit I would do it. They were a little slow to come up to full brightness - about 1 minute, but they work. I am also using the regular indoor type in a back door fixture that is not totally protected from the weather and it is doing fine, too, and been in use for 3 years.

[woodsyi]

Here are some facts about CF's.http://members.misty.com/don/cfbest.html#o  How cold does it get outside in the winter?

[ScottMayo]

Can I put cost effective fluorescent's in instead of those Phillips spotlight bulbs? Will they work outdoors or do they present me with weather related problems?

I've done it. They don't put out as much light, which can be a problem outside. They also seem to fail faster than I expected, but then I expect light bulbs to go forever, so that might not be germaine. They do work reasonably well in cold weather.

I'd try it. Just keep track of how fast they fail - you can switch to incandys if they don't seem to hold up.

Obvious caveat - it's nice if you can mount the lights so that you can get to them from windows and decks; ladders (especially in winter) are absolutely no fun at all.

[BobM]

ladders (especially in winter) are absolutely no fun at all.

Unfortunately these bulbs are going to be way high up in the air. 2nd floor and attic peaks. I'll need one of those long pole jobs with the claw to get to them. So YES (emphatically), the reliability of the bulbs is as important as the cost savings.

When you said they failed, did they last as long as a regular bulb would last? I've had regular Phillips hi-hat bulbs in my basement cieling for probably 10 years now. They got used every day and only had 1 fail. I've also had screw-in fluorescents around the house for almost as long and they're still going strong too.

Bob

[ScottMayo]

When you said they failed, did they last as long as a regular bulb would last? I've had regular Phillips hi-hat bulbs in my basement cieling for probably 10 years now. They got used every day and only had 1 fail.

I haven't had that kind of luck with any bulb. :-/ I'm waiting for LED clusters to drop just a little more...

I'm going to say that I think they last about as long as incandys under equal conditions, and rain and snow didn't seem to faze them, even the time that a soffit leak poured icy water over one. (A lot of incandys would have blown at that point.) Try it.

[Scott F.]

Bob,

Be careful using Compact Flourescents outdoors. Even though they say in the product literature that they can handle it, the ballasts don't like cold starts.

Here is a link to the Philips lighting website. The first one is the Alto flood PDF. The second is is to the other floods Philps offers.

http://www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/ecatalog/cfl/pdf/p-8516.pdf

http://www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/ecatalog/cfl/

If it were me, I wouldn't use them, especially in Long Island. Its way too cold. I'd stick with incandescents. The other thing, the output lumens of a 20 watt CF might not give you the architectural effect you are looking for. And in cold weather, they will be even less bright as the ballast struggles to stay warm.

[Glen B]

I have been using Lights of America fluorescent outdoor wall [#9011] and floodlight fixtures [#9266] to illuminate my backyard and area ouside my garage for a number of years and have had no problems whatsoever.

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/floods.htm
http://www.lightsofamerica.com/walllights.htm

To illuminate the front of the house I use a screw-in compact fluorescent, 42watts/5100K in a weatherproof fixture.  I also use several of these inside the detached, unheated garage.

http://bulbs.com/products/product_detail.asp?page=products&inventory=11809

Temps where I am fall into single digits during the winter.  These lights have been operating perfectly for years.

[BobM]

I spoke to the electrician last night and he doesn't want to use fluorescent's. He plans on going with a 50 Watt halogen instead. Apparently that's the max you can use in a 4" exterior fixture.

He's used the fluorescent's before and says they dim quite a bit in the wintertime here on Long Island, NY. Apparently the ballast can't handle the cold weather very well. It very well be the bulb he's used. I'm sure there are differences in the brands.

Well, if my electrical bill comes back really high with these halogens I may just get out the ladder and put in fluorescent's myself (cheap bastard that I am) and give it a shot the following year.

Thanks for all the advice. Now I at least know that it is possible to use them and that they seem to work well for most of you.

Bob