"Tim+" wrote in message
...
RJH wrote:
Can't quite think this through. Work has just fitted a 23W CFL in an
Anglepoise type desk lamp, replacing an 11W - I asked for a brighter
bulb.

I've noticed that the shade gets very hot - maybe a little less than a
CH radiator. But still hotter than I would expect. I've also noticed
that the sticker inside seems to indicate CFL max 11W, and incandescent
max 60W.

I've pointed all this out to them, but the thinking seems to be that if
it's OK for 60W, then 23W will be fine, and they can't explain the 11W.

Is this about right? Work asked me to tell them if it gets worse - but
short of burning the building down, I'm not sure what sort of thing I
should be looking for.

Slow work day . . . :-)


Well logically you would think that its all about the ability of a shade
to dissipate heat so that a shade rated for 60W should be safe with any
bulb up to 60W irrespective of the technology used to generate the light.

Nope, incandescent bulbs are fine with much higher temps than cfls.

Where the difference lies is probably in the thermal sensitivity of the
bulb.

No probably about it.

Incandescent bulbs are very heat tolerant, compact fluorescents
much less so. So the shade isnt going to catch fire but the bulb
life may be much shorter than expected.