Are CFLs a Bad Choice for Ceiling Cans?
By Randall Whitehead, IALD, Residentiallighting.com

Q: "Having just started on a major renovation and addition to my old Victorian, I found compact fluorescents very useful. However, I heard 'somewhere' that CFLs are not a good choice for ceiling cans because the heat buildup seriously shortens the bulb’s life. True or false?"
A: Both screw-in CFLs and standard incandescent lamps have shorter lives when put into recessed fixtures. The heat rises toward the base and weakens it because the lamps are positioned vertically in the housing. The better-designed recessed fixtures on the market that use hard-wired CFLs are vented to allow the heat to escape. Plus, the lamps are positioned horizontally, which helps keep the heat away from the base. I just happen to prefer the look of LED downlights over CFL downlights for residential use.

Q: "I heard that CFLs do not work with electronic timers. Is this true?"
A: The more advanced screw-in CFLs (like those made by TCP Inc.) have electronic ballasts, so they should be compatible. Also, the fixture manufacturers are mostly using electronic ballasts in their hard-wired fixtures. The type of ballast should be listed in the specifications. Most of what the consumers are buying are the less expensive CFLs with magnetic ballasts.

Q: “The CFLs I bought at IKEA and Home Depot don’t look like or dim like incandescent. What’s up?”
A: I do agree that what people are buying at the grocery and big box stores are not the best CFLs on the market. They are simply the cheapest. For good color quality and dimmability, they need to seek out better CFLs. This is true of most products. A well-made shirt costs more, but it lasts longer and looks better.

Q: “I don’t think that there will ever be anything better than incandescent.”
A: Okay, technically this is not a question but more of a declarative statement. Here’s the bottom line: Seeing is believing. I take potential clients through my home all the time. It isn’t until the end of the tour that I mention all the lighting is fluorescent or LED. It blows them away. I have to practice what I preach. Still, there are a lot of less-than-lovely fluorescent and LED products out there because they do last a long, long time. Until that stuff is off the market, people will continue to have strong negative feelings.