Which Title 24 bulbs should I use?
#1
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Which Title 24 bulbs should I use?
For California kitchen ceilings that are being inspected after rewiring, I can only use LED or fluorescent bulbs that don't screw in. I also need these as closet lights (National Electrical Code).
The fixtures I bought take 50 watt GU 10 bulbs and I would like something that bright. I bought the only GU 10 fluorescent I found, which was 7 watts and not very bright. A couple of sales people told me 7 watts is about the same as 30 watts incandescent. Which may be OK for a closet, but I want something more useful in the kitchen.
So I looked at LEDs. My fixtures were meant to have small halogen bulbs, which appeared to be very plentiful at Home Depot. But the small LEDs were scarce, and the few I found confuse me:
--A Philips bulb says it's 6 watts and 6 watts equals a 50 watt incandescent and gives off 300 lumens.
--An Ecosmart bulb says it's 6 watts and 6 watts equals a 30 watt incandescent and gives off 320 lumens.
Both say they are dimmable and the color temperature is 3000k. (Oh, and, left on for three hours a day, the Ecosmart will last 23 years while the Philips will give out after 22.8 years.)
A salesperson said the difference is simply that they are made by different companies.
Can a 6 watt in one brand have higher wattage and lower brightness than a 6 watt in another brand? I can buy one of each and try them out--but shouldn't the numbers have the same meaning across the board?
Any suggestions on a brand of small fluorescent or LED GU 10s that would be bright and not outrageously priced?
The fixtures I bought take 50 watt GU 10 bulbs and I would like something that bright. I bought the only GU 10 fluorescent I found, which was 7 watts and not very bright. A couple of sales people told me 7 watts is about the same as 30 watts incandescent. Which may be OK for a closet, but I want something more useful in the kitchen.
So I looked at LEDs. My fixtures were meant to have small halogen bulbs, which appeared to be very plentiful at Home Depot. But the small LEDs were scarce, and the few I found confuse me:
--A Philips bulb says it's 6 watts and 6 watts equals a 50 watt incandescent and gives off 300 lumens.
--An Ecosmart bulb says it's 6 watts and 6 watts equals a 30 watt incandescent and gives off 320 lumens.
Both say they are dimmable and the color temperature is 3000k. (Oh, and, left on for three hours a day, the Ecosmart will last 23 years while the Philips will give out after 22.8 years.)
A salesperson said the difference is simply that they are made by different companies.
Can a 6 watt in one brand have higher wattage and lower brightness than a 6 watt in another brand? I can buy one of each and try them out--but shouldn't the numbers have the same meaning across the board?
Any suggestions on a brand of small fluorescent or LED GU 10s that would be bright and not outrageously priced?
#2
I suggest that you search ebay for GU-10 LED. You can refine the search to "buy it now" if you so desire. Lots of GU-10 LED lamps rated at 9 watts which is definitely bright enough for a kitchen provided you have enough of the recessed housings. Most will have free shipping from China.
#3
You want to do your shopping by lumens and not by watts. We are still accustomed to shopping for a 40, 60 or 100 watt bulb but in this new world of lighting, lumens are the thing. Look at this table:
LED light bulbs: Comparison charts - Eartheasy.com Solutions for Sustainable Living
Incandescent Bulbs (watts), Minimum Light Output (lumens), Watts
40w = 450 Lumens = 9 to 13 watt CFL = 4-5 watt LED
60w = 800 lumens = 13 to 15 watt CFL = 6-8 watt LED
75w = 1,110 lumens = 18 to 25 watt CFL = 9-13 watt LED
100w = 1,600 lumens = 23 to 30 watt CFL = 16-20 watt LED
LED light bulbs: Comparison charts - Eartheasy.com Solutions for Sustainable Living
Incandescent Bulbs (watts), Minimum Light Output (lumens), Watts
40w = 450 Lumens = 9 to 13 watt CFL = 4-5 watt LED
60w = 800 lumens = 13 to 15 watt CFL = 6-8 watt LED
75w = 1,110 lumens = 18 to 25 watt CFL = 9-13 watt LED
100w = 1,600 lumens = 23 to 30 watt CFL = 16-20 watt LED
#4
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Thanks for the information. The chart is helpful, especially showing the difference between LED and CFL watts.
I hadn't thought of eBay. Some prices there are a lot better than local stores, but I'm wary of buying direct from China. Is it likely that they would ship products that wouldn't be up to safety standards here?
I hadn't thought of eBay. Some prices there are a lot better than local stores, but I'm wary of buying direct from China. Is it likely that they would ship products that wouldn't be up to safety standards here?
#5
I'm wary of buying direct from China.
That said, I would never buy light bulbs that way. For openers, the middleman I'm cutting out is my neighbor, who needs his or her job. In addition, I want to be able to look at the light bulbs and their packaging before I buy them (if I'm only buying a few). I want to be able to return them as easily as I bought them, especially if it's just because I didn't like the color rendering when I got them home.
I buy all light bulbs from a home improvement center, a hardware store, or a supply house. And I cover my hands, with gloves, a dish towel, a clean sock, or anything that will allow me to handle the bulb without leaving any skin oil on it, before I pick up a new one to install it. I like to have them light up the first time and last for years - which your new GU-10s should do!