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From: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Halogen Lamps, too (was Re: florescent bulbs replacing incandescent)
Message-ID: <135006@pyramid.pyramid.com>
Date: 20 Nov 90 23:24:58 GMT
Sender: daemon@pyramid.pyramid.com
Reply-To: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 30

In article <10920@rama.UUCP> jdc@rama.UUCP (James D. Cronin) writes:
>
>It seems like energy usage depends on the dimmer setting.  At a full
>500 watts it should use more energy than a 100 (or 150) watt bulb.
>Unless it uses a hydrogen fuel-cell, of the type suppressed by the
>U.S. Navy and large auto companies.
>

The wattage rating of a lamp, halogen, ordinary filament, or
flourescent, is how much power it draws from the line....in no
way reflects how much light it puts out...    A 500 watt lamp
will draw 500 watts from the a.c. line if not dimmed with a
dimmer ckt.   If the dimmer is full on, draw is 500 watts.

Light output is measured typically in lumens.  Watts don't equal
lumens....   Watts x efficiency = lumens.   

Flourescents and halogens tend to be considerably more efficient
than ordinary filaments....a 40 watt cool white flourescent
tends to be comparable to a 75 or 100 watt filament...check the
lumen rating on the box for both.  

Halogens can be more efficient than ordinary filament lamps
because they run MUCH hotter, so you can get more lumens/watt.
Just don't touch the lamp, it will burn you and likely cause the
lamp to fail prematurely.  If you touch it when cold, wipe the
bulb with freon (or head cleaner) or the oils from your skin
will be converted to carbon by the heat when you turn it
on,,,and the tiny carbon deposits will cause local heating of
the bulb causing early failure...