# Choosing a CFL (or LED?) bulb for outdoor light



## ilyaz (Aug 28, 2014)

I just installed a patio light that is rated for max 100W bulb. Do I understand it right that if I put a more powerful incandescent bulb (say 150W) the insides of the lamp may overheat? The 100W is not giving me a bright enough light so I want to have something brighter. So CFL (or maybe LED?) is the way to go, right? With something like 150-200W equivalent lumens. Now, I also would like a CFL light that warms up fast. Can you recommend a specific brand/model of CFL bulbs with a fast warm up? Or is LED better? I don't mind paying more for a bulb as long as it warms up fast and is bright enough. Thanks!


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## Wuzzat? (Aug 28, 2014)

ilyaz said:


> the insides of the lamp may overheat?


And the insulation of the connecting wires will get brittle before their 50 year life is up, possibly.  

So the life of this fixture is shortened, from 10? years down to five.  The incand bulbs may also not last long.

Can you use a floodlight?

See the chart at the bottom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy


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## beachguy005 (Aug 28, 2014)

Incandescent bulbs convert about 85% of energy used to heat.  A 100 watt lamp produces about 85 watts of heat....makes them more efficient as a heater than a light.  So yes, don't go over the rated wattage of the fixture for it's lamp type.
Led or CFL, I would go with a Cree LED unit.  I like them because they're made in the States and that company has done a lot to drive the LED market.  Just compare the lumen output of the 100 watt you're using to an LED that will fit in your fixture.


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## bud16415 (Aug 28, 2014)

Watts are watts and lumens are lumens what you really want is the most lumens you can get staying under 100 watts. We are so ingrained into incandescent bulbs and we know how bright a 100 watt bulb is we have interchanged the terms. Now they are coming out with new bulbs that are much more efficient but they market them as 100 watt brightness but only so many amps etc. Someday I guess we will be used to the new bulbs and look for them based on how bright they are in lumens. 

I can&#8217;t suggest for you what is better my guess is LED&#8217;s would be the way to go. Factoring in cost and then life it gets a little complex. IMO the CFL&#8217;s don&#8217;t last anywhere close to what they say they will.


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## ilyaz (Aug 28, 2014)

Wuzzat? said:


> Can you use a floodlight?



Since I just installed the new light, I don't want to replace it with something else, so for now I am just looking for a better bulb, not a better light


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## ilyaz (Aug 28, 2014)

beachguy005 said:


> Led or CFL, I would go with a Cree LED unit.  I like them because they're made in the States and that company has done a lot to drive the LED market.  Just compare the lumen output of the 100 watt you're using to an LED that will fit in your fixture.



Thanks for the pointer. Made in US is great, but I could only find max 100W-equivalent LED lights by them. I want 150W or even 200W equiv if I can find one


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## beachguy005 (Aug 28, 2014)

You need to compare the lumen output.  A 100 incandescent is about 1000 lumens. An 18 watt LED is listed up to 1600 lumens.  I don't know what you're existing lamp is but you shouldn't just compare them as 100 watt equivalent incandescent being the same as 100 watt equivalent LED.
If your existing lamp is a 100w A19...you may find that it's really a 90 watt energy saver that's been sold for years.  Again...I don't know what your actually using now.


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## Wuzzat? (Aug 29, 2014)

The spectrum given off by LEDs and CFLs bothers some people, mostly women.  Incands more nearly approximate sunlight.

Sodium vapor may do 250 lumens per watt but the light is yellow.


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## kok328 (Aug 29, 2014)

I would lean towards LED or Halogen.
CFL's are junk and are not photo-eye friendly.


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## slownsteady (Aug 30, 2014)

All good advice above. Wuzzat mentioned a spotlight, which throws a more focused beam in one direction. So more lumens 'land' where you want them. Some spotlights or floodlights fit the same size base as standard bulb so you may not have to change the fixture to use the bulb. Maybe you could post a picture of the fixture so we have a better idea of what you're starting with. It may need a reflector or something to help it.
I'm a big fan of LED bulbs but I think the light from them falls off in intensity rather quickly, so it may not be suitable if the fixture is not close to the area you want the light to be.


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## ilyaz (Aug 31, 2014)

slownsteady said:


> Maybe you could post a picture of the fixture so we have a better idea of what you're starting with.



It's *this one*. It's a bit too small for larger CFL bulbs so in retrospect I should have probably gotten a different one. But my wife likes it which is also important.


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