OK when the CFL packages says 42WATT(150 watt equiv). Does this mean that 150WATTs of light are actually coming out and only energy wise 42WAtts are being used while the light was on? please someone clear this up for me cause i am so confused with all those numbers of wattage. PEACE AND KEEP ON SMOKIN'
its only 42 watts...the 150 is incandesent equivelant. meaning the 42 watt cfl puts off as much light as the 150 watt incandescent.
There is no such thing as "watts of light." Light isn't measured in watts -- wattage is a measure of electricity consumption. What these labels are saying is a shortcut for marketing purposes. Keep in mind that CFLs are produced and sold as a replacement to "regular" (incandescent) household bulbs. We all understand how bright a 75w bulb is, for example, or in your case how bright a 150w incandescent bulb is. What this package is trying to tell you is that the CFL will put out roughly the same amount of light as a 150w incandescent bulb does, but will do so while consuming only 42 watts in the process rather than the 150w that the 150w incandescent bulb would for the same amount of light. You definitely can veg with 42w CFLs, I suggest using at least 2 per plant (3 or more would be better) and making sure they are "daylight" spectrum (6500k color temp). For flower there is some debate how effective CFLs can be, but almost all would say that HPS will work better. Personally I do use CFLs in flower as a supplement to my HPS (in the corners of the grow box, furthest points away from the HPS). For flower you want "soft" or "warm" light (2700k color temp).