Light bulb replacement

mopowers

The bulbs in my 1.5 year old kitchen are starting burn out. They are GE 4-pin plug-in CFLs that use a GX24q-3 base. I went to lowes and it looks like the bulbs are $15 each; and I need 10 of them! Do you folks know of a more affordable supplier??

Also, shouldn't these things last for more than 1.5 years? That's only about 1100 hours assuming they are on 2 hours a day.

AllanJ

How many off and on cycles did they go through? A fluorescent, compact or otherwise, that is turned off and on frequently will not last as long as one that has not gone through too many turn-ons even if the latter has had somewhat more burning hours.

Are the lamps pointed or facing down with the ballast units directly above? Are the lamps enclosed by a shade or diffuser? This can result in a higher temperature inside that shortens the life of both bulbs and ballasts.

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mopowers

They are turned on and off pretty frequently. That probably explains it. They are pointed down (can lights) with no diffuser.

Thanks for the info.