I notice a sudden recalculation of the equivalent filament light output ratings on the packaging of all CFLs in the shops in the UK. They are now mostly claiming almost the 1:4 ratio I've always stated, rather than the completely bogus 1:5 and 1:6 ratios they've been lying about for years. I don't know what triggered this change, but it was far too long coming.
I noticed that at the weekend. There no longer seem to be any CFLs available that claim to be equivalent to 100W tungsten.
Agree.
While I haven't seen any comments abouy "lumen inflation" and CFLs recently, it's still common for LED products. The "Bulb Purchasing Guide" download from the EPA, however, also hits your 1:4 ratio about dead center.
I think the old ones simply took the complete light output and the newer ones take account of the way they eye perceives light and so the frequencies produced do matter. Also I've been told newer ones seem to be whiter and get full output faster than the old ones used to. Maybe they had a job lot of crap phosphor to use up that gave off lots of light but not in the right places in the spectrum!
Brian
Ive got a 17W CFL outside the back door an it looks worse than a 15W incandescent.
Cold weather innit.
Normally I avoid the ones with outer glass bulbs because you lose some light in the frosted coatings. However, out in the cold particularly if it's windy and the luminare isn't enclosed, that's the place where you need an outer glass bulb, so the tube can get to its running temperature (normally around 100C).
There never were real 100W equivalents in the supermarkets (which only stock lamps up to around 18W), but of course they used to claim to be, which was probably the main cause of the complaint that they were too dim when people tried their first one. If you go to more specialist outlets (often mail-order), then there are CFLs available up to 100W (native) and more.
The only honestly marked 100W equivalents I've seen before the recent change are the Feit ones stocked by Costco - 23W large spiral tube which is genuinely equivalent to an old 100W (and I've found to be very good in all other respects such as long life at high temperature running, sustaining full light output during life, instant-on). Only problem in some fittings will be physical size, as efficient light output demands a large spiral.
I just checked that website. (thanks) The CFLs have to put out 3 times the lumens/watt of an incandescent.
But the LEDs have no efficiency standard, at least that I could find.
Morrisons stocks 30W and very nice they are too. Don't get silly hot even balls-up in a shade, possibly due to PFC.
I wonder if it was based on the output of the straight tube and didn't allow for some of the light shining through 3 layers.
It was based on the output of softone lamps, which had a painted glass coating, which lost 20% or more of the light. Almost no one used these - it was basically a way of misleading people about the light output of CFLs, but it badly backfired on the industry, because everyone could see they were lying, and it had the effect of making out the lighting industry to be dishonest in the public's eyes.
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