ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Overlamping and Energy Efficient Bulbs

If that's the case then just about the only lights fixtures we could use CF's would be Table lights. Where did you hear this?

I admit it is anecdotal but on usenet folks are trying to determine the cause of early end of life failures of CF lamps and they are usually in lampholders that hold the lamp base up. (cans, jelly jars etc)

I would not make too much of this "base up" stuff.

I have a few restaraunts as customers, and they all have CFL's in their cooking hoods. This is surely a location of elevated temps; being inside a "jelly jar" fixture makes sure it gets warm inside. The CFL's, according to my customers, far outlast conventional bulbs.

Likewise, I have a number of CFL's mounted horizontally, in open 'keyless' bases. Some CFL's last; others crap out inside a month.

I spoke with a man who has been in every factory (no kidding) that makes CFL's. His opinion of ALL of them is that they are pretty sloppy manufacturing facilities. I suspect that CFL failures are almost all due to poor quality control. You simply won't get the "beast and the brightest" when your manufacturing philosophy is "quickest and cheapest."

When I needed to light a friend's new workshop the big orange box didn't have the right trim for the amount of light I needed, especially since I needed an IC rating. So I went with a PAR 38 CFL lamp and made it bright enough. 27W versus 120W, doesn't trip the thermal cutout.

JJM,

What State are you in?

Typically, if you are figuring Loads on Branch Circuits, you would apply a Fixture's _MAXIMUM_ Wattage (if using Incandescent Lamps), and apply that Maximum rated Lamp Wattage as Volt-Amps (E x I or Watts = VA).

Example:
If the Fixture lists "100 Watt Lamp Maximum", then figure all of these type of Luminaires at 100 VA Each - regardless of the type / Wattage of Lamps installed.

If you are dealing with Fluorescent Fixtures (if CFL, only on Fixtures _WITHOUT_ Screwshells for Lamp Mounting), then ratings per Fixture corresponds to the Manufacturer's Specifications and Listed values.
Load VA may also be found on the Ballast.

Same goes for HID Lighting.

In a nutshell, if you are compiling data for Energy Conservation forms (or installing Lighting to comply with Energy Conservation Codes), the installed Wattage of a given Fixture is obtained from Manufacturer's Listings (look for "ANSI Watts" in cut-sheets).

Feel free to ask additional questions if needed.

Good luck.

Scott35

Cheap electronic dimmers and motion sensors will kill CF bulbs in a hurry, I know that much. Does everyone already take that into account, or do people out there keep plugging CF bulbs into occupancy-sensor-controlled fixtures and gripe when they die after a month?