Part IV - Bad quality ISI Mark CFL
In my last post, I wrote about how packaged drinking water is being marketed without testing by BIS licensees under its compulsory ISI Mark scheme. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) is yet another product where consumer is being cheated by licensees behind false claims of BIS about ISI Mark. Like drinking water CFL is also under mandatory certification by BIS.
BIS has so far granted 57 licenses for CFL and earns a minimum of Rs. 85 lakhs every year. Consumers pay a very high price for these CFL, but what they get in return? Let me show this by my personal experience.
I bought 2 CFL of 5W and 8W of HPL brand and one CFL of 15W of Havells brand. As per manufacturers’ declaration the life of these CFL should have been 4 years @ of 4 hrs/day, but one HPL CFL failed within a year itself (manufactured in Nov 10’), other HPL CFL failed within 2 years (manufactured in June 09’) and Havells CFL failed in a year (purchased in July 10’). The usage was not more than 3 hrs/day in case of all three CFL.
Four more CFL of other brands are in use in my house. I am watching their performance.
I invite you to share your experience.
