Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
It seems like many modern light fixtures say that you should use no more
than a 60-watt bulb. In doing some learning about compact fluorescent bulbs, I see that a 23 watt CFL provides around the same amount of lumens as a 100-watt incandescent bulb (1600, compared to 800 lumens from a 60-watt incandescent). So it seems like I should be able to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 23-watt CFL and get twice as much light, while still staying well below the fixture's limit of 60 watts... Is that correct?? It somehow feels like cheating... Thanks! |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
Is that correct??
Yep - if it says 23 watts, that's all it's using. With incandescent bulbs, most of that 100 watts (about 97 percent of the energy, IIRC) is just turned into heat. CFLs are obviously more efficient, turning more of the energy into light instead of heat. As you pointed out, they're about 4 times more efficient (1/4 the wattage for roughly the same light output), so you're still only getting about 90% of the electrical energy turned into light, but it's a lot better. And the color and warm-up time of CFLs has increased dramatically over the last few years, while price has decreased. I've gotten them on sale at Home Depot etc. for about $10 for a pack of 4, and some electric companies have rebates. LEDs are the next step - not many available for home use yet that I know of, (more in flashlights etc), but they're somewhere around 10-15 times more efficient than incandescents. I recently read something about micro-LEDs incorporated into wall paint, so a small current could be applied to a whole wall, which would give off a soft glow and almost no heat. No telling when or if that will become practical, but that's probably what people said about hybrid cars a while back... I almost exclusively use CFLs at home (incandescents for porch/garage, where cold temps can interfere with most CFLs), and I think they're definitely the way to go. Good luck, Andy |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
Details are in a web file of mine: http://www.misty.com/~don/lede.html GREAT website, but didn't see much data on the relative efficiency of leds in home lighting, but I will look again |
#5
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
In article RoUsf.3583$yx.617@trndny01, yourname wrote:
Details are in a web file of mine: http://www.misty.com/~don/lede.html GREAT website, but didn't see much data on the relative efficiency of leds in home lighting, but I will look again That's because there are no significantly marketed general home lighting LED lightbulbs (equivalent to 40-100 watt incandescent) to get data from. The most efficient significantly marketed white LEDs (last time I checked a few weeks ago) are Lumileds "Luxeon" "1 watt" models, with typical luminous efficacy of 37.6 lumens per watt with chip temperature 25 C, and about 34 lumens/watt typically in the more reasonable condition of heatsink temperature of 35 C. LEDs will need a ballast of some kind or another, and losses in that will result in overall luminous efficacy slightly lower still. 100 watt 120V 750 hour incandescents get 16.7-17.5 lumens/watt, and 60 watt 1000 hour ones get 14-14.8 lumens/watt. Better compact fluorescents get mostly about 60 lumens/watt. - Don Klipstein ) |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
On 28 Dec 2005 20:54:21 -0800, wrote:
Is that correct?? Yep - if it says 23 watts, that's all it's using. With incandescent bulbs, most of that 100 watts (about 97 percent of the energy, IIRC) is just turned into heat. CFLs are obviously more efficient, turning more of the energy into light instead of heat. As you pointed out, they're about 4 times more efficient (1/4 the wattage for roughly the same light output), so you're still only getting about 90% of the electrical energy turned into light, but it's a lot better. And the color and warm-up time of CFLs has increased dramatically over the last few years, while price has decreased. I've gotten them on sale at Home Depot etc. for about $10 for a pack of 4, and some electric companies have rebates. LEDs are the next step - not many available for home use yet that I know of, (more in flashlights etc), but they're somewhere around 10-15 times more efficient than incandescents. I recently read something about micro-LEDs incorporated into wall paint, so a small current could be applied to a whole wall, which would give off a soft glow and almost no heat. No telling when or if that will become practical, but that's probably what people said about hybrid cars a while back... I'd like to see a TV that you apply to a wall like paint, and could be as big as the wall. Maybe not so impossible with modern technology. I almost exclusively use CFLs at home (incandescents for porch/garage, where cold temps can interfere with most CFLs), and I think they're definitely the way to go. Although there's a problem using them with X10 (the normal X10 light switches are actually dimmers, the relay-type switches require a neutral wire). Good luck, Andy -- Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin |
#7
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
"Romanoda" wrote in message . com... It seems like many modern light fixtures say that you should use no more than a 60-watt bulb. In doing some learning about compact fluorescent bulbs, I see that a 23 watt CFL provides around the same amount of lumens as a 100-watt incandescent bulb (1600, compared to 800 lumens from a 60-watt incandescent). So it seems like I should be able to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 23-watt CFL and get twice as much light, while still staying well below the fixture's limit of 60 watts... Is that correct?? It somehow feels like cheating... Yes and no. It is safe to do it, but the heat will likely shorten the life of the CFL. I read that somewhere... Just make sure you don't have a dimmer on the circuit unless the bulbs are designed for dimmers. |
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
yes, but: the widely available compact flourescent bulbs can be used in
open indoor fixtures. at our house we put them into 4 and 5 bulb ceiling fan fixtures and really brighten up the kitchen and office. they are not for enclosed fixtures they overheat. read the installation restrictions on your particular bulb in fine print before you buy. other types including outdoor styles are available at higher price ranges. see interesting energy saving stuff like i bought at: http://www.energyfederation.org/consumer/default.php |
#9
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Light fixture wattage limit and compact fluorescent bulbs
Romanoda wrote:
It seems like many modern light fixtures say that you should use no more than a 60-watt bulb. In doing some learning about compact fluorescent bulbs, I see that a 23 watt CFL provides around the same amount of lumens as a 100-watt incandescent bulb (1600, compared to 800 lumens from a 60-watt incandescent). So it seems like I should be able to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 23-watt CFL and get twice as much light, while still staying well below the fixture's limit of 60 watts... Is that correct?? It somehow feels like cheating... I know - ain't it great?! http://www.eere.energy.gov/femp/tech...fluor_lamp.cfm R |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
LED light bulbs - temperature sensivity | Home Repair |