I'm in the process of switching most of the bulbs in my house from incandescent to floursecent...

That said, I have a dumb/quick question.

Obviously, the fluorescent light bulbs (the ones that fit in a standard screw-in fixture) pull considerably less wattage (about a quarter) of what the same wattage output bulb in an incandescent variety pulls.

For example... a 100w incandescent pulls, well -- 100 w. The same lumen output bulb in a fluorescent only pulls around 25w.

That said, if a fixture is rated to 100w for the bulb... could I, theoretically, go with a 150w lumen output fluorescent bulb (ie: about 35w fluorescent) in the same socket with no problem in lieu of an incandescent??

I guess what I'm getting at is can I toss in a MUCH higher output (in lumens) bulb in a fluorescent variety in the place of a incandescent? I mean, the rating is based on pull from the bulb -- correct?

 

I would think the same way that you are thinking. It is based upon energy used, not actual output as far as I know.

 

It's my understanding that the wattage rating for a light fixture has more to do with the heat output of the incandescent rather then the actual wattage of the bulb. If a fixture is rated for 100w then installing a 150w bulb becomes a fire risk because of the extra heat it would produce. Theoretically, because fluorescents run much cooler then you should be able to use a bulb that produces more light even if it exceeds the wattage rating of the fixture.

 

All that matters is how much current the bulb is drawing, not it's equivalent in brightness. If a flourescent bulb draws 100w, and is the equivalent in brightness of a 500w incandescent, then so be it, it still draws 100w, which is about .9 amps- what the fixture's internals are rated for.

 

Also, be aware that the fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, so they need to be disposed of properly.

It's good to conserve electricity, but I think that putting mercury into our land fills will negate the benefits.

 

FYI,
I just got back from attending an energy symposium.
Major changes are now in production for LED lighting and fixtures for commercial and home use that contain no toxic materials and use only a fraction of the power of CFL's.

 

Thanks. I manage 90% of the environmental program for a 1000+ Acre Fortune 500 company here in Louisville. I've got that part covered.

 

Kind of what I was thinking... I appreciate your insight and help.

 

Thanks for all the help and pointers guys. I appreciate it!

 

Hey RP,
I started using the flourescent bulbs a few years back. They do save energy and we're all for that concept.

There are some drawbacks.

You can't use them in dimming applications.

They are life rated for continuous burning. When used in an area with a high amount of on/off cycles, like a bathroom, they tend to burnout faster than incandescents.

I use the flourescent floodlights for my outside lighting. The only problem there is they take a long time to warm up, especially when it's cold. So I use an incandescent to light the critcal paths like a sidewalk.

It's just few things to think about when placing them.

 

I changed EVERY screw in bulb in my house with the compact flourescent bulbs. It cost me about $170 buck but it was worth it.

I got my electric bill for April & it was $240. This was using the old incandscent bulbs & NO air conditioning. When I got my bill for May, it was $125 AAANNNDDD I was using the AC.

The bulbs paid for themselves in less than 3 months & they put out at least as much or more lumens than the equivalent incandscent bulb.

KC-10 FE out...

 

Until they make them dimmable, they are worthless to me. I've got my cans on touchpad dimmers. Not to mention the mercury factor.

 

You don't care that the earth has a fever?

 

Then go with halogen bulbs, they're almost as energy efficient and can be used with a dimmer.

 

Halogens produce more heat though. I'm just responsible, and turn off my lights when I'm not in that room, and don't have them full bright when I'm in there. As for the earth having a fever, I'm of the camp that thinks the earth has natural heating and cooling, the sun expands, etc, and that man alone cannot affect the climate. Doesn't mean we need to be irresponsible though. I'm all for wind farms, solar power, etc, and I don't care where they build it!!!! (see Ted Kennedy)