CFL's in fixtures

[guy bratt]

OK I've got some fixtures that need new lamps. The lable inside says 60 watt max. What can I install? A 60 watt cfl using 13 watts or a 75 watt cfl using 20 watts?

[Jim Katen]

"Watt" is a unit of power. There's no such thing as a 60-wall CFL that uses 13 watts. It's a 13-watt CFL. Likewise, the brighter ones are 20-watt CFLs. (They might produce an amount of light equal to 60-watt or 75-watt incandescent lamps.)

If the fixture label says 60 watt max, that's what it means. In terms of wattage either CFL lamp will be fine.

However, if the fixture has a globe or lens that encloses the lamp, the CFLs might not perform well. They need to have a good amount of air movement around them or they overhead and fail prematurely.

[Nolan Kienitz]

I put this URL in my reports due to all the CFLs showing up in home.

I dislike them pretty much across the board ... even though I'm using about 3 in various locations in my home.

CFL FAQs

[John Kogel]

Something not mentioned in those info notes - CFL's don't work right with rotary dimmer switches. They either come on full or go out.

Or sometimes, they will flicker and drive you crazy. A vacant condo unit last week had a mixture of fluorescent and standard bulbs in the kitchen and dining room on dimmers. It made for an unpleasant afternoon until I loosened a couple of bulbs so the others could relax.

Check out the new LED bulbs. They are supposed to be coming down in price soon.

[Bill Kibbel]

Something not mentioned in those info notes - CFL's don't work right with rotary dimmer switches. They either come on full or go out.

GE now has a line of those squiggly bulbs specifically designed for use with dimmers.

[Tom Raymond]

I don't like them at all.

I have been in several dark stair wells that have CFLs that take far too long to provide useful illumination. Manufacturers are not required to clearly identify lamps that are not 'instant on'. When I fall down one of these stairs I hope I'm well enough to retrieve the bulb. I'm fairly certain my lawyer will want to name the manufacturer in the suit.

My wife converted our house to CFLs because she wanted to realize the purported savings. The lamps we put in the kitchen wash out the finishes we chose, the stainless appliances look flat and the iridescent glass tile looks dirty in the light they cast. I also find that they do not last anywhere near as long as the manufacturers claim, several fixtures are on the third set of CFLs in just a few years. BTW, my electric bill has gone up since converting most of the fixtures to CFL (I still have incandescent bulbs in my 100 year old chandelier and a few other vintage fixtures). There is none of the incidental heat of incandescent bulbs, so my heating season is extended several weeks at either end and my boiler, and by necessity the circ. pump, runs longer and more frequently. So much for reducing consumption.

[rkenney]

Disregarding all the obvious disadvanteges of CFL bulbs, be content that you are supporting a Chinese family or two. Although I've heard that maybe the packaging is made here; maybe just the little tags that say, "Made In China?" [:-weepn]