Why are 'energy saver' lights so much weaker than they claim?

Question

Why are 'energy saver' lights so much weaker than they claim?

I had three 10W (=40W) globes in my lounge room and it was too dark. So changed them and put in three 15W (=75W) and the room was still too dark.

So I gave up and put three traditional 60W globes, and it is LOVELY! By by the recommended equivilents, it should be darker?

Why are the equilivent brighnesses so wrong?

Answer 1

Now-a-days, they have to print "lumens" on the boxes.  This is the true measure of light.  

In theory, there are "standard" bulbs, and these are the values you see for lumens expressed on "Green" bulbs.  A 75 watt "standard" bulb produces X lumens of light.  Well, the "standards" were laid down way back when, when light bulbs were of poorer quality.  You have to look really hard to find light bulbs crappy enough to produce the same lumens as the "standard" bulbs - just about everybody's incandecent lightbulbs produce higher lumens.  But frankly, these old standards are the only standards ever officially published.

I agree, they are way off, and the goverment should defined more realistic lumen values (i.e. you can't say it is "equivalent" to a 75 watt bulb unless it produces Y lumens of light...).  But at this point, it is buyer beware.  At least you can read the lumens off the package of the incandecent bulbs you like and go out and look for florecent ones that have those same lumens or higher.

Answer 2

well it could be the brand you bought, some are not as good as others, or it could be that you you did not wait long enough for them to come fully to life, it can take them up to 10 minutes to get to full brightness.

Answer 3

The bulbs have different levels of brightness.  I bought a crf bulb at Home Depot that was too bright.  If I were you I would check out what HD has to offer.  And, like another answer it does take some time for a cf bulb to warm up.