converting flourescent to CFL wattage?

[zwitterman]

Ok, getting ready to buy my lights for my small hobby shop. I do understand what 100 watts looks like in flouresent light but how many watts of CFL is equal to 100 watts? Ive bought some for lamps inside that say 13 watts equal to 60 watt bulbs or someting like that but it seems dimmer to me. Cant decide between flourescent, CFL can style lights, Track lighting or what ever. For now im getting the electrician to put plug ins into my rafters until I can decide for sure. My work area is only 10X20 feet.

 

[digdug18]

They are rated in lumens, so 13 watt cfl is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb. Of course the lighting will look different. Sounds like you need a trip to home depot to look at lighting. Sorry can't help you online with that one.

 

[Indy78]

It would take about 20 cfl fixtures to give you 96 fc. Were as it would only take 6 flourescent tube 4' long 2 tubes per fixture to give you the same. To give you an idea of fc-foot candles, it takes 30 fc to do household chores, 50 fc to read, and for people over 40 Years of age it is recomended to light a workshop between 80fc to 100fc. I am in noway a pro at lighting, but this is what I have learned in my searching for lighting my own garage.

 

[Gary S]

Both the long tube florescent lights and the the CFL florescent lights are florescent lights just like their name suggests. Efficiency of florescent lights is very similar across all of them so you can use wattage as your guideline.
Light distribution is a bigger factor than wattage as long as you compare florescent to florescent lights. It is easier to distribute the light without shadowing if you use long tubes because you can't stand in any one place and block an entire light.

 

[ddawg16]

I went with 16 recessed cans loaded up with 23W CFL's...

As a rule of thumb (Thumb had a lot of rules)....3 23W CFL's uses about the same power and put out about the same amount of light as a single 4' fixture with 2 bulbs.

What a lot ov CFL/Can na-sayers fail to mention is that with 4' tubes....the only options you have are color....with CFL's, I have a LOT of choices on wattage and color...

Overall, I found them easier to install and it allowed me to put the light where I want it.

Right now I'm running most the garage on warm white (2700K) bulbs....mainly because I got them for about $1 each.....I want to switch to daylight (4300K)....and maybe 30W....but then I'll have a **** load of spare bulbs.....

One problem with CFL's.....if your waiting for them to burn out so you can replace.....your waiting a long time....so far, I have about 1.5 years on these bulbs.....looks like I have about 3-4 more years to go before they start going....

I think I have some pics of the lights in my build...see the link in my sig....

 

[zwitterman]

Thank you all!