Do cfl bulbs degrade over time?

i.e. do they produce less light the more theyre used? Anyone know?

yes it says on the package how many hours it has but i don't remember how often you should really swap

yes and should be replaced every grow,because they get weaker and weaker,u could prob get away with 2 grows no more plants will suffer!!

what i do is right the date on them with a shapie
and i chang them out every other grow regarde less the more you use them you will see the differance in the brightness of the ones the you replace

Before you start throwing your money away on buying bulbs every grow,
Invest in a light meter, they only go for about $30 at any grow shop.

That 5hit said:

what i do is right the date on them with a shapie
and i chang them out every other grow regarde less the more you use them you will see the differance in the brightness of the ones the you replace

Click to expand...

thanks. thats what i thought. it just sucks that the costs never stop. it sounds like hids may be a bit cheaper to use. I hear you can get a good two grows atleast out of hids so if you buy a 600w bulb for say $50 how many 42w cfls can you get for $50? 6- i think. That's only about 250 watts. But you need a ballast and thats $200. How long are they good for. 5 grows?

Where's the cheapest/best place online to buy cfls? thanks.