[RitzLondon]

I am a new homeowner and had a pretty basic question.

IF a light fixture says max 60w..... can I put in there (2) 26 watt CFL bulbs?

or do I need to look at it as... since 26watts is equivalent to 100w incandescent...... so I will going over the wattage (100w times 2 bulbs) with 2 of these??

Anyone have a good brand to recommend for CFL bulbs.... I am looking for a daylight bulb... looking for a cooler, brighter light. Probably as compact as possible... so they will fit inside these small fixture the contractors install.

Any opinions?

Thanks

 

[mterry]

I am a new homeowner and had a pretty basic question.

IF a light fixture says max 60w..... can I put in there (2) 26 watt CFL bulbs?

or do I need to look at it as... since 26watts is equivalent to 100w incandescent...... so I will going over the wattage (100w times 2 bulbs) with 2 of these?

Yes. That just means that the light output of the 26 watt cfl bulb is supposed to be equivalent to the light output of a 100 watt incandescent, it really uses 26 watts

 

[RitzLondon]

Yes. That just means that the light output of the 26 watt cfl bulb is supposed to be equivalent to the light output of a 100 watt incandescent, it really uses 26 watts

So for a fixture that says 60w max, I am ok with (2) 26w CFLs???

 

[tylernt]

So for a fixture that says 60w max, I am ok with (2) 26w CFLs???

Yes, from an electrical wiring and fire safety standpoint, 2x26W CFLs consume 52W and are completely safe to put in a 60W luminaire. Electrically, watts is watts -- the "incandescent equivalent" is used only for comparing light output (lumens). IMHO we should just use lumens and forget about this "equivalency" junk.

However, if this is an enclosed fixture, or one that the bulbs screw in base-up, you may find that the CFLs don't last as long as they should. The electronic ballast inside the CFL tends to slowly cook itself. When I buy fixtures, I try to get ones that mount base-down or at least base-sideways. If I do get a base-up fixture, I make sure the bottom is open or there are ventilation holes/slots.

You asked for bulb recommendations. I'm using "micro-mini" 3500K Sylvania CFLs in my bathroom. The base is kind of fat, but otherwise the curly part is no bigger than an incandescent and should have no trouble fitting in a tight fixture. They are instant-on, but come on a bit dim and take a minute or so to brighten up. That's actually good, so I don't dazzle my eyes first thing in the morning. Once they warm up they give a nice clean white light without being harsh (but I realize that's subjective).

I hate the dirty yellow light that 2700K bulbs make. Sylvania does make a 6500K "daylight" bulb, and I have used daylight bulbs in the past, but now I'm really digging these 3500K bulbs. They're not a hard blue like 6000K bulbs, but they're not yellow either -- kind of a Goldilocks "just right" color temperature.