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Growing under Lights

CFL vs. incandescent

20 years ago

I have added supplemental lighting to my phals in an east window. I am using a goose-neck type lamp that is rated 60 watts max. Could I safely use a 30 watt CFL (equivalent to 125 watt incandescent) in it? I think this question has been answered before, but I couldn't find the post.

Thanks, Boyne

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Comments (2)

zink
20 years ago
Absolutely! The CFL converts more of the electricity to light - about 4 times more. An incandescent bulb wastes that unused energy as heat. This means you could even use a 100watt CFL (if you can find one) and still not overheat the fixture.

At Home Depot, and a few other places, you can buy a 42 watt CFL (160 watt incandescent equivalent).

Zink
shrubs_n_bulbs
20 years ago
To keep things simple, you can use any CFL up to the power rating listed on your lamp. In this case 60W. The 42W that Zink mentions is the highest power CFL you are likely to find in a local store and that may be too large to fit in your lamp. Even a 30W will be larger than a regular incandescent bulb but should fit in most bare lampholders.
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