On Fri, 7 Jan 1994, Mike Burdick wrote:
> halogen bulbs draw less current. Putting a conventional bulb in a
> system designed for halogens risks melting wires.
>
> This does not really address Roland's question about bulb temperature
> though. While drawing less current, a halogen bulb is still brighter
> and must be radiating more energy.... I don't know! The rest of the
I already have talked way too much today, but damn. Seems to me this is
getting all messed up, because of comparing apples and oranges. If you
replace a 32 w incandescent with a 32 w halogen, it seems to me both
should draw the same current, because the current draw defines the wattage
in a constant voltage system. IF, in fact, halogens are more efficient
than conventional (as I expect they are), then the 32 w halogen would give
more light. It would be like replacing a 40 watt incandescent bulb with
two 20 watt fluorescents. More light, same power. Heat should decrease,
but whether the decrease would be substantial or not, I cannot say. Seems
I remember that the power dissipation by heat is a lot greater than the
power dissipation in the form of light, so one might get a lot more light
without much decreasing the heat output.
But I thought the thread was to replace something like a 32 watt
conventional bulb by something like a 55 watt halogen, and in that case I
expect the current and heat would be very likely to go up.
We need a pro, so far there is more heat than light in the discussion,
whether or not there is in the bulbs.
Ray (I am ready for the weekend) Gibbons
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