ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area 120volt vs 130 volt light bulbs

Kale:
Yup. I always pop open the box and check the print on the bulb. Also hold them up to the light to make sure that the filaments are intact (you can sort of see through the frosting).

It's not only off-brand dollar store bulbs that are sometimes rated for 110 volts, mind you. Last year I saw one supermarket in the Harlem district here in New York City that was stocking some 110-volt Sylvania bulbs -- 75 watt clear ones. Our voltage is roughly between 118-121.

Well known scam. I've told my mom about it also....

Hey, I wonder what makes the regular household General Electric 75 and 100 watt bulbs only last 750 hours while their (cheaper) off-brand competitors and even Ikea's rebranded bulbs last for, and have a life of 1,000 to 1,500 hours printed on the package? Hmmm....

GE _does_ stamp its bulbs as 120 volts....but the filaments are not properly supported (they sag and break) and I betcha they actually design the bulb for 110-115 volts. Crooks....

According to my little Osram Sylvana lamp dimming calculator here are the voltage relations:

130V lamp at 130V-100%light output, 100%wattage used, 100% life
130V lamp at 120V- 78% light output, 88%wattage used, 300% life
120V lamp at 125V-114%light output, 107%wattage used, 60% life
130V lamp at 125V- 88%light output, 94%wattage used, 170% life
110V lamp at 125V- 147%light output, 120%wattage used, 22% life

Hope this helps...

[This message has been edited by Mike Wescoatt (edited 05-10-2003).]

I've got to agree with Bjarney.
Get off of your "A-19" lamps...S

My personal problem with CFL's is that they ruin my AM radio reception at home...especially long distance AM reception which is bad enough because I'm fighting old elevator motors in my building whose ground connections have probably rotten away (if they even existed in the first place).

Also, the light they give out gives me a headache - it's not enough and at the wrong frequencies.

I prefer those long fluorecent tubes I have at work. They give out a much brighter and even light output. Only problem is when there's a loose connection at the ballast and they start buzzing.

Last year I asked one of the building electricians at work if they could check out one of the lights in my stock room because it was buzzing like a chainsaw.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 05-11-2003).]