Light bulb wattage problem

[Doc]

Many months ago, I was in a big box retailer and picked up a case of special purchase/promotional Sunbeam light bulbs marked 60 watts on the package and on the bulbs.

I used one for the first time last week and noticed that the output seemed dim so I tried another one. It- and several others were all the same-- putting out about 40 watts (measured with a light meter).

I took them back to the merchant and complained that they are mismarked but since I didn't have my receipt, he would only give me the lowest clearance price- $2.00- which wasn't worth it.

I really have no use for 40 watt bulbs and short of letting the kids use them as targets, I don't know what to do with them. Any ideas?

Doc

[jim]

throw them out for trash.. thats what the manufacturer should have dont instead of unloading them onto home depot who unloaded them onto the customer....

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You can measure watts with a light meter? I though lumens was the standard for that. Ed

[Charlie Bress]

What voltage are they rated for? You may have 130 volt lamps used for longer life and rougher duty.

Charlie

[indago]

Turn the light bulb on and let it heat up for a while, then tap it a couple of times with your fingernail. It should brighten up some. Don't overtap it; it just may go out and not come back on again.

Actually, the wattage rating is not the criteria for light output, although, generally, the higher the wattage rating, the higher the lumens output. The wattage rating is what is to be expected that the bulb will draw from the power source. Lumens is the light output.

[Joseph Meehan]

Light meters measure light not watts. Assuming you accuractly did your measurments, what you measured it those 60W lamps were giving you about the same amount of light as the 40W you were comparing them to.

Chances are they were either 130V (which means they were have lasted a lot longer than standard lamps) or they were long life lamps (which means they are marked 120V but are designed for higher voltage.

In either case they were not defective. They were just not what you wanted. Seems you bought the wrong thing.

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Before there was ruff service and long life light bulbs there was just 130 volt lite bulb. You can still order them from the electrical warehouse at about $.90 each and are very good bulbs for lasting a very long time. They put out not as much light as the regular 60 watt bulb but they will last hooked up to 120 volts about 3 to 6 years. These bulbs are used on Helicopter landing plateform on offshore production rigs. If you want a 60 watt lite out of them , just get a 75 watt and if you want 75 watts get 100 watt. Johnston Supply and Sesco still sell them for Exit signs and out of the way lighting fixtures that stay on all the time 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Before you throw them away. Send them to me for i use them for my trouble shooting light and they will take a beating and keep on ticking. With regular light bulbs , I use about 4 to 6 a week. With them I get a month or more out of one bulb.

Look on the end and usely you will see written on it 130 volt Commercial service.

TURTLE

[red]

Hmm Sunbeam bulbs. I bought a box of those for $2.00 when kmart closed. Advertises long life. Damn things burn out in a week. There cheap and aren't worth all the trouble

[Doc]

Thanks for all the interesting suggestions!

Just to clarify a point or two-- I got them at Target, not Home Depot or Kmart. And I used a light meter to take reflective readings off an 18% gray card under the bulbs in question compared to known good 40 and 60 watt bulbs-- so I guess technically I wasn't measuring wattage but light output.

Doc

[Doc]

...and they're marked 120 volt too.

Doc

[George E. Cawthon]

Sounds like a photographer. But the test is valid as far as light output. If you read light bulb boxes, you will find out the lumen output varies considerably even though the bulbs are all rated the same wattage. None-the-less, a 60 watt bulb that puts out the same lumens as 40 watt bulb is a little extreme.

[TURTLE]

this is Turtle.

Ruff service 60 watt light bulbs will not put as much light out as a regular

60 watt light bulb for they are rated at 130 volts and regular light bulbs are rated at 120 volts. If they are rated at 130 volts they are running not as hot as they normally be and not emitt as much light as the 120 volt rated bulb. there is a difference in them.

TURTLE

[George E. Cawthon]

And your point? He said they were 120V bulbs.

[Childfree Scott]

Which is what I was going to say. You need to measure the amps under load and multiply that by the volts (also measured under load) to get the watts.