# What makes consumer "screw in" CFLs cheaper than pin-based CFLs?



## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

screw in CFLs ranging from 9 to 26W with built-in ballast can be had for $1 to $2 each in single qty. (Made in China) 

PL-C 13 and 26W pin-base lamps cost around $5/ea even in a box qty and these don't have a ballast. (Made in Netherlands) 

Do the latter cost more because of quality and lower volume, or do the former cost less because of subsidy?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Electric_Light said:


> screw in CFLs ranging from 9 to 26W with built-in ballast can be had for $1 to $2 each in single qty. (Made in China)
> 
> PL-C 13 and 26W pin-base lamps cost around $5/ea even in a box qty and these don't have a ballast. (Made in Netherlands)
> 
> Do the latter cost more because of quality and lower volume, or do the former cost less because of subsidy?


Good old supply and demand.. I haven't seen a pin socket in years :no:


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

Black4Truck said:


> Good old supply and demand..


I agree to some extent and the fact that every factory in the ROC is cranking out junk screw in CFLs.



> I haven't seen a pin socket in years :no:


You need to get out more, every CFL fixture in commercial work are pin sockets.

I only see pin type CFLs from major manufacturers that stand behind their products.


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

Black4Truck said:


> Good old supply and demand.. I haven't seen a pin socket in years :no:


I just saw one yesterday.........actually, many of them........


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

Black4Truck said:


> Good old supply and demand.. I haven't seen a pin socket in years :no:


And you're from NY? I would have thought they're pretty close to CA in energy codes.

medium base luminaires do not meet high efficacy standards in state of CA even if they're fitted with CFLs, because the consumer may re-lamp them with incandescent lamps. 

Dual lamp PL-C 26W can light is very common in commercial buildings. A single 18W PL-C will probably become common in CALIFORNIA.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Electric_Light said:


> ... (Made in China)
> 
> and the other... (Made in Netherlands)


That'd be the simplest answer right there.


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Electric_Light said:


> And you're from NY? I would have thought they're pretty close to CA in energy codes.
> 
> medium base luminaires do not meet high efficacy standards in state of CA even if they're fitted with CFLs, because the consumer may re-lamp them with incandescent lamps.
> 
> Dual lamp PL-C 26W can light is very common in commercial buildings. A single 18W PL-C will probably become common in CALIFORNIA.


As far as I know, the only state with energy codes as strict as CA is Washington state.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Around here the Edison base CFL's are subsidized by the PoCo's so they are quite inexpensive at the retail end, how much myself & other customers pay in added KWH costs to subsidize them is unknown by me.


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

Norcal said:


> Around here the Edison base CFL's are subsidized by the PoCo's so they are quite inexpensive at the retail end, how much myself & other customers pay in added KWH costs to subsidize them is unknown by me.


Probably not as much as "low income assistance fee" that gets tacked on as an additional fee to everyone's bill in order to assist some people freeload.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

I do more ballast changes than I think I should with gl40 cfl fixtures at malls and restaraunts. I like the work,I don't like failure rate.


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

bobelectric said:


> I do more ballast changes than I think I should with gl40 cfl fixtures at malls and restaraunts. I like the work,*I don't like failure rate*.


Which is roughly how much? If they're 15 year old existing installs, failure rate is bound to go up, just like people.


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