Xref: utzoo sci.electronics:11236 misc.consumers.house:10820
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!tellab5!chrz
From: chrz@tellab5.tellabs.com (Peter Chrzanowski)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Florescent Problems
Message-ID: <2390@tellab5.tellabs.com>
Date: 10 Apr 90 23:00:28 GMT
References: <29716@amdcad.AMD.COM> <14870@cbnewsc.ATT.COM> <28713@cup.portal.com>
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Distribution: usa
Organization: Tellabs, Inc. Lisle, IL
Lines: 36

In article <28713@cup.portal.com>, ISW@cup.portal.com (Isaac S Wingfield) writes:
> There's been some recent commentary concerning those screw-base
> fluorescent conversion units. Does anybody know:
> 
> 1) What is the "incandescent equavalent" light output? None that I've seen
> mention it.

A "compact flourescent" bulb that uses 15 watts is equivalent to about
60 watts incandescent; an 18 watt equiv ~75 watts.  Note that incandescents
are brightest when new, as the filament evaporates onto the inside of the
the bulb (light loss is about 10%).
> 
> 2) What is the economic payback time, including initial purchase?
> 

Varies a lot depending on usage, price, electricity cost.  Why not
calculate your own, assuming 10,000 hours avg life for the flour.?

> 3) Do they hum, buzz, or do other antisocial fluorescent type things?
> 

Buzz or hum?  No.  They use high frequency (>30Khz) electronic "ballasts".

The light color is very good -- much better than "warm white" flour.
lamps.  I put two table lamps next to each other, one with a compact
flourescent and one with incandescent: the difference was not noticeable.

The relative lack of heat output makes them much more pleasant to use
in hot weather.

Some drawbacks:

	1.  You can't use a dimmer.
	2.  You can't get a compact flourescent replacement equivalent to
		a 100 watt incandescent.
	3.  Thunderstorms sometimes destroy the electronic ballast.