September-October 2003

• We tested 14 brands of 60 W, 230 V pear shaped bulbs and 2 brands of 60 W 250 V mushroom shaped bulbs. The brands tested in the 230 V category include Anchor, Bajaj, Cema Super, Crompton, Diamond, ECE Amarjyoti, GE Crystal Clear, Khaitan, Mysore, Osram Classic Clear, Philips Classictone Clear, Surya Super, Sylvania Laxman, and Wipro. In the 250 V category, Orient and Prakash Lites were tested. All the brands were ISI marked as the GLS lamps are covered under mandatory certification. We tested the brands as per the Bureau of Indian Standards - IS-418 1978 with seven amendments.

• Anchor (819.63 hrs), Bajaj (871.75 hrs), Crompton (753.54) and ECE Amarjyoti (937.01 hrs) failed in the life test. They could not meet the requirement of average minimum life of 960 hours.

• 7 bulbs of Crompton and 5 of Bajaj burnt off before 700 hours while the standard allows only 4 failures along with the requirement of lumen at 750 hours.

• Not a single bulb of Philips Classictone Clear, New Cema Super, Osram Classic Clear, GE Crystal Clear, Wipro, Sylvania Laxman, Orient and Prakash Lites burnt off before 700 hours.

• Not a single bulb of GE Crystal Clear, Sylvania Laxman and Prakash Lites burnt off before 700 hours.

• 24 out of 25 samples of Khaitan failed in the initial lumen test. The standard allows a maximum of 4 failures.

• 16 out of 25 samples of Khaitan failed in the initial wattage test. The standard allows a maximum of 4 failures. Khaitan consumed more power and gave less light.

• The average cost/1000 hours of Khaitan was the highest at Rs.262.76. The average cost/1000 hours of other brands ranged between Rs. 245.04 and Rs. 257.04.

• Prakash Lites mentioned the country of manufacture on the cover but not on the bulb.

• The standard does not specify life test beyond 1250 hours, but for the sake of information we continued the test beyond the period. The total average life of GE Crystal Clear (1481.31 hours) was found to be the maximum, followed by Laxman Sylvania (1448.91 hours).

• In the 60 W, 230 V category, GE Crystal Clear topped the list with an overall score of 93, followed by Sylvania Laxman with a score of 83. In the 60 W 250 V category, Orient scored 93.

• GE Crystal Clear is our ‘best buy’ in the 230 V category. In the 250 V category’ Prakash Lites is our ‘best buy’.

• Average efficacy (lumen/wattage) of Khaitan is found to be the lowest, while that of Anchor was found to be the highest.
  

Details of the test report can be had in INSIGHT

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