Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

[jsfinn]

I want to replace some incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.

Say my lamp is rated for 75 max watts. Is it safe if I replace the bulb with a compact fluorescent that is 23 watts but its incandescent equal is 100 watts?

Seems to me that I get more light output from the lamp, use less watts, and I'm not overloading the lamp. Is that correct?

Thank you!

 

[JB]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Yup, that is correct. You will use slightly less than 33% of the power and get about 33% more light.

Depending on the model CFL you may also get a spectrum much closer to daylight.

 

[dimock44]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

I want to replace some incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.

Say my lamp is rated for 75 max watts. Is it safe if I replace the bulb with a compact fluorescent that is 23 watts but its incandescent equal is 100 watts?

Seems to me that I get more light output from the lamp, use less watts, and I'm not overloading the lamp. Is that correct?

Thank you!

I believe the lamp rating is determined by the heat generated by the bulb not the amp draw. Since the cfl,s run cooler I would think you would be safe to increase the size. Another benifit is less heat load on the A/C system.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Ayuh,....... I Agree.......

Btw,.......
I haven't bought an Incandescent Blub in Years now.......
Other than the little bit Slow light when you 1st turn it On,.......
I Love'em......

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Thanks everyone. I've had several of them for years and I think they are great.

I was asking because they don't work well for fixtures that have dimmers (ceiling fans, dining room fixture) or fixtures that are operated by a photocell (outdoor lamps that turn on automatically when it gets dark).

I saw dimmable CFLs for the first time yesterday at the hardware store, so these should work on dimmable and photocell operated fixtures. The only problem was they were a replacement for 100 watt bulbs and I think some of my fixtures are 60 watt so I wanted to be sure I wasn't going to run in to problems first.

Anyone use them in their bathroom with the globe style CFLs? Do they look funny?

 

[JB]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

The wattage rating is based only on the amount of power used, without regard to whether it uses it to make heat or make light.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Hi js,

I installed those dimmable ones in my kitchen and they work great at full power, but the dimmable feature really isn't worth the extra cost in my opinion. You don't get the full brightness range like you do with regular bulbs. They seem to dim in steps and you can't get them nearly as dim as regular bulbs. Kind of annoying and the dimmers are about twice as much.

Be careful what color you get too. The big box stores usually have some lit in the store so you can see what they look like. The wrong color will make your kitchen feel like a warehouse. I personally don't like the ones they tout as full spectrum or natural light. I prefer the ones that cast a slight yellowish color like regular bulbs.

 

[newbie4life]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Interesting that this post showed up when it did....

I saw a report that the incandescent lightbulb will be PHASED OUT by the year 2012.

I'm not so sure I like this yet..... I know they'll save me lots of money, but I just haven't decided that I like the light from them yet. I have a tall house (24 foot ceilings) with recessed lights. I bought a couple of the flood cfl's, and stuck them in a couple of lights, and turned them on. Looks like a glass flood light with a twisted flourescent in it........ just because that's exactly what it is.

Are there others out there that look better when lit?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Interesting that this post showed up when it did....

I saw a report that the incandescent lightbulb will be PHASED OUT by the year 2012.

I'm not so sure I like this yet..... I know they'll save me lots of money, but I just haven't decided that I like the light from them yet. I have a tall house (24 foot ceilings) with recessed lights. I bought a couple of the flood cfl's, and stuck them in a couple of lights, and turned them on. Looks like a glass flood light with a twisted flourescent in it........ just because that's exactly what it is.

Are there others out there that look better when lit?

I just read that report on Yahoo, phase out starts in 2012, all gone by 2014! Better stock up on incandescent lights now!

I hope some nice LED light bulbs come out that are cheap and dimmable.

I have some CF outdoor floods. I really like them because they make a much more even light pattern without the ususal "hot spot" that an incandescent flood makes.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Hmmm...the way the energy bill reads is that all light bulbs must be 25-35% more efficient by 2012-2014. It does not specifically rule out incandescents. I read that GE is developing a more energy efficient incandescent specifically to meet this goal...

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

When it drops below zero good luck getting a florescent bulb to fire. I have 4 ft tubes in the garage and the screw in florescent outside and they wont fire when they are cold. Even around 30 degrees they dont produce the same amount of light as they do when it is 70 out

 

[rwise]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

A huge draw back on the *new* energy savers is they do make heat! If they are in to small a fixture (enclosed) it will burn them out in short order!

They do not last long enuf to pay for them selves, so there is no real savings. (my experience)

They cannot (at this time) be used in a ceiling fan, to much vibration! (per GE)
(they did replace them at no cost)(2-$20 coupons)

If it is a light that will be turned on and off many times a day, this burns them out fast. To get any kind of *savings* from them they would need to run at least 8 hours a day, continuous! (per GE)

Now I still have some in my home, and I will keep trying them they may get it right some day. I do not like the fact that they have to warm up before putting out good light. But making them mandatory is just big government, yes daddy I'll use those lights! :no smillie:

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Also the Compact Fluorescent Bulbs contain mercury so the disposal of them is hazardous waste.

 

[Mike722]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

I like the Fluorescents, but I am worried about the mercury as well.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

There are many advantages to CFL's for most applications. I've replaced most of our standard incandescents with CFL's. That's most but not all. There are still some applications where they're just not appropriate.

I applaud efforts to use energy resources wisely, and I want to be as frugal as I can. But I fear legislating them will prevent reason and common sense in those applications where an incandescent makes sense. In applications where a light may be switched on and off a lot, or subject to vibration, a CFL is a poor choice.

At our lakeside cottage up north, many neighbors leave a 100W incandescent in their pumphouse to keep their water well pump from freezing and provide water when they visit over the winter for snowmobiling etc. Somehow I doubt a CFL would provide the same benefit. (Local building and health codes prohibit any well pump from being below ground level).

And, as many have pointed out, there's the mercury issue. Anyone care to guess the uproar when governments prohibit old flourescent lights from landfills?

I suspect other technologies have great promise, like LED's. I seem to recall some organic compounds also show some early promise (can't remember any specifics, though).

I've always felt legislative efforts to require or prohibit are extremely ill-advised. Instead, tax and regulate. Want to reduce use of incandescent bulbs? Put a 50c per bulb federal tax on 'em. Make 'em more expensive to use than other types of lights. Want to reduce billboards? Put an annual tax per square foot. etc.

 

[Link]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

They are spendy and for the most part directional but I love them and will pay for themselves over time.
LED lights
ccrane.com/lights/index.aspx
Two drawbacks for me and fluorescents are they dont like cold temps and are
very noisy for am radio and shortwave bands.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

My wife and I use nothing but CFL's except in 2 fixtures that have unique bulbs that no cfl currently fits.

We figured out from our energy bills that we save about $48/month after switching to the CFL's. We've been using the CFL's for about 2 years now, and we've only had to replace 4 of them (one of those was DOA, and therefore replaced at no cost by home depot).

We use them in all of our ceiling fans, and apart from the one I hit with my hand, we have not had any of them burn out or fail, and we run our ceiling fans frequently.

We use the bathroom globe ones, and they look just like normal bathroom globe lights.

We use tiny ones in the chandalier, and one of those did burn out.

We have the 150w bright white ones for the front and back porch lights, they are much brighter, but I had the first one I used burn out the first time it rained. The second one I used, I sealed with silicone caulk first, and it's lasted ever since without a problem. I've never had a problem with them firing up even in the winter when it's below freezing; although they do start out at about half their brightness and work up to full brightness after about a minute when it get's that cold.

We also use them for our motion detector lights, fridge light, stove light, and in a 3-way lamp. I think they are great, and I would definately recommend them to just about anyone.

 

[newbie4life]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Well, it's official..... I hate 'em.

After reading this thread, thinking, 'Hey, I'd like to save $48 a month on my electric bill!', I decided to buy some.

I installed them last night. Then, I found the problem. If you have an open house plan, you're forced to put many switches in few spots. With very few interior walls, you put the light switches wherever you can.

Why does this pertain? Stay tuned.

With 3, 4 or even 5 switches in a box, I can't remember what switch does what all the time. Built the house myself, wired the house myself. CRS (Can't Remember Sh..... Stuff) is apparently rearing it's ugly head.

Flip on the switch, nothing happens, shut it off, move to the next one. Nothing. Shut it off, move to the next one, etc. It takes awhile before these stupid things light up. Now, not that I'm in such a hurry that I can't wait the second, second and a half before they light, but when I turn on a light switch..... I'm used to the sucker doing something!

I'll take my incandescents. On the other hand, my flourescents are going back to the store.

 

[DJ]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

It doesn't matter what we think of them. Incandescent bulbs are about to be legislated out of existance.

 

[newbie4life]

Re: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

It doesn't matter what we think of them. Incandescent bulbs are about to be legislated out of existance.

Then, the way I see it, I have about 6 years to stock up on my light bulbs that come on when I want them to.

I've gotta believe there'll be something else that'll come out within the 6 years, that'll work. The LEDs are coming a long way... I'll see what they look like.