Lightbulb burning for 107 years

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light

Thats a really long time. Why can't we make more lightbulbs that last this long? I understand because its low power it lasts longer, but it seems to me there has got to be more to it.:shrug:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest-lasting_light_bulbs

The stories are cool. Thanks for the link.

Of course we can make super-long-lasting bulbs. All you have to do is to make them miserably inefficient, just like that pathetically dim carbon filament one. For reasons you can imagine, people are happier with more efficient bulbs that you have to replace every now and then.

Would a led last as long if given very low current?

106 years are 928560 hours. When you consider that even the 100000 hours lifespan that so often gets attributed to LEDs is a gross overestimate, it seems doubtful that even an underdriven LED could last that long without becoming uselessly dim.

But IIRC red LEDs last much longer, so maybe a very underdriven red Cree could manage it. This is just a wild guess, though.

Take any manufactured item.

Continuous service life will follow a normal distribution curve.

Some will fail instantly, most will last the manufacturer's rated service life, and a few will go on and on and on. That is the RH tail of the curve.

There was a Newcomen atmospheric beam engine that ran in continuous revenue service in the UK for over 150 years, before being retired. It didn't break down, they just stopped using it. The engine in your car? 25 years, tops.

I guess that was before manufacturers figured out the concept of planned obsolescence. ;-)

scott.cr said:

I guess that was before manufacturers figured out the concept of planned obsolescence. ;-)

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And for some strange reason no one believes me when I tell them that manufactures do that.

Marduke said:

And for some strange reason no one believes me when I tell them that manufactures do that.

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They also make things like vacuum cleaners louder so people think they're working better.

scott.cr said:

I guess that was before manufacturers figured out the concept of planned obsolescence. ;-)

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I was pretty young at the time and it was a very long time ago, so maybe I have this wrong, but when I was growing up I thought the power company offered free trade-ins for light bulbs. That would have been incentive for moving the product toward more reliability. Of course, now that I'm older the whole free exchange program sounds less & less realistic, so I'm thinking more that my childish memory of that was just that -- a childish memory but not reality.

binky said:

I was pretty young at the time and it was a very long time ago, so maybe I have this wrong, but when I was growing up I thought the power company offered free trade-ins for light bulbs.

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We definitely had that in Lansing, MI (early 1980s).

Marduke said:

And for some strange reason no one believes me when I tell them that manufactures do that.

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Do you give them specific examples with evidence?

A simple example of manufacturing a product so it's used more quickly;

My shampoo used to come in a squeeze bottle with a long neck, small opening and thick sides.

Now it comes in bottle with a softer, thinner skin. The opening a about 50% bigger. The bottle is bigger with more air.

As soon as the bottle is 1/4 used he air pocket inside allows the shampoo to literally pour out. I end up with twice as much in my hand now as I did when it was new.

Thats an example of a simple, transparent change that ensures the product is used twice as fast.

Daniel

Although mine is still pretty young; I have a 25 watt "Vanity" globe in the downstairs bathroom that's lasted. It was installed in 1989 when we moved in which would make it roughly 19 years old. The bulb was made by Angelo Brothers Co (Abco) and is showing a good sign of age; it's noticeably dimmer than the 5 newer bulbs next to it and the entire top of the bulb directly above the filament is discolored brown. I used to have two of these bulbs until about two months ago when the "other" burned out. I've replaced it with a Sylvania vanity globe from Lowe's but however, a week ago, I noticed the new bulb I put in had burnt out roughly after two months :thumbsdow

Oh well, the fixture still holds 5 working ones. Now I wonder how long I've had that GE compact fluorescent that's across the room. :thinking:

asdalton said:

Do you give them specific examples with evidence?

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Yes, but ignorance is bliss.