Hi all,
If I have a fixture that is intended to be used with 3 60W bulbs, but I want to get more lumens out of it, can I use 3 23W (100W equivalent) energy-saving bulbs? Is this only limited by the wattage?
(the fixture is not fully-enclosed and is not controlled by a dimmer)
If I wanted to use a dimmer, could I just use analogous dimmable bulbs?
Thanks, Arkadiy
Yes, you should get more light with the 100W equivalent bulbs; but, you might find there is a delay of minutes before they come up to full brightness. I am told that not all of them do this but the ones that I have tried are annoying in this regard.
Dimmers are usually a no-no (I have heard of high efficiency bulbs that can be dimmed with a special unit, but don't where to get them or anything else about them).
personally, i don't understand this fascination with the obsession some people have for brighter & brighter lights. when is it going to stop ? when we have 1 mil cp aircraft landing lights adapted into ceiling high hats ?
i have perfect 20/20 vision and am a former military aviator. i find these 100 watt bulbs in hotel rooms to be offensively obnoxious enough to impair my ability to read things comfortably (as opposed to a lower cp or lumen level).
i've witnessed people install high intensity halogen lamps in bedroom spaces and find myself needing some sunglasses when they're fully powered on.
am i the only one that feels this way ?
I have 20/10 vision (better than perfect?!) and like a lot of light when I am reading or working. If bright lights bother you, you might want to speak to a doctor; you shouldn't ever need sunglasses indoors.
Basically yes.
Yes.
Yes, the watts rating is what the wiring can handle electrically and what the fixture can handle thermally. A 20W CFL gets as hot as a 20W incandescent (watts is watts is watts, if the CFL manufacturer is honest and includes the wattage of the ballast).
I have a 150W equivalent (45W) CFL in a socket rated for a 100W incandescent. Works great, wish I had more light though (it's in my garage where I work on my cars).
Correct Tyle, the wattage rating for a fixture is really for protecting the fixture and the wiring from overheating.
I've done a lot of fixture replacements in my life and you can always tell when someone has been burning too high a wattage bulb in the fixture because the wires in the ceiling box have insulation that cracks and falls off. That's why the base of the fixture has insulation. It's not really for keeping heat or cold from coming in but to keep the wires in the electrical box from baking.
If you have a lampholder that is porcelain, that's much better then the cheap paper lined brass lampholders.
Nope, I am with you there.
Unfortunately, the girlie is the exact opposite. So there's a dimmer switch in the dining room and we each play with it when the other isn't looking :)
nate
I'd have to disagree. The whole point of CFLs is that they produce more light out of the wattage. More light means less heat. The sum of the power converted to light and the power converted to heat would equal the wattage of the bulb.
Bob
I think we might actually agree. ;) Yes, CFLs make more light with less heat and less wattage. So,
15W incandescent = 250 lumens 15W CFL (i.e., a 60W-equivalent) = 1,000 lumensor
60W incandescent = 1,000 lumens 15W CFL (i.e., a 60W equivalent) = 1,000 lumensWith CFLs, you can either keep the wattage/heat the same and get more light, or, keep the light the same and use fewer watts / produce less heat.
... I think. :)
With CFLs, the wattage/heat is not the same. They produce more light and less heat for a given wattage. That is specifically why they are more efficient.Some of the light may be converted to heat when it hits something, but that heat is not a problem for the fixture.
Bob
You are correct of course, he should have said "a 20w cfl gets nearly as hot as a 20w incandescent." An incandenscent puts 98% of the electricity into heat; a CFL only makes 94% heat. I am not sure you could measure the difference, but it is there.
Ok, I stand corrected. I forgot that the energy that goes into making light doesn't heat the lamp/fixture itself, but rather the walls/floor/ ceiling and people/pets/etc that it shines on. So from that perspective, yes, a 15W CFL will have a lower surface temperature (by about 15%, assuming 5% incandescent efficiency and 20% CFL efficiency) than a 15W incandescent. You're still producing the same number of BTUs (BTUs = Watt-hours x 3.414), just some of them are in a roundabout way (important for HVAC calculations, but not for fixture ratings).
In any case, it's still safe to use a 23W (100W-equivalent) CFL in a fixture rated for 60W. :)
I hope the Mall of America isn't forced to switch to CFL's. The complex is unheated except for lighting, even though it's in Minnesota!
Rob
Vitamin D deficiency, that's my theory.
add "corneas" & "retinas" of people that it shines on.
i wouldn't be surprised if years from now we start reading more about people with vision problems as a result of this obsession with more brighter & brighter lights.
(like the sun worshippers getting more skin cancer and cataracts - albeit it's UV vs. IR, why risk it? military IR jammer pods are labeled with eye hazard warnings by the way).
20/10 simply means you're far sighted, like me. I can read street signs before my wife can see find them at all. But that measurement is only for "visual acutity" or how fuzzy are things.
I am not aware of a measurement for brightness sensitivity. It is well established the eye gradually needs more light past age 20. I have notice that there is wide range of brightness preferances.
Futher complicating the issue is how the eye adapts to the overall brightness when you move from dark to bright and back.
Richard Reid, LC
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