# Fluorescent tubes, is there a 20 watt incandescent equivalent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 8, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407 "2021-02-08T00:10:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/1 "2021-02-08T00:10:18Z")
Basically I’m looking for a standard 36" tube but one with a very minimal amount of light, no more than what a 20 or 40 watt incandescent would produce. I have a short hallway that is currently painted yellow, and has two 2-bulb fixtures. It’s a goddamned operating room. I’ve removed one bulb from each fixture, and that does help, but it’s still too bright. A new coat of paint and new lighting is on the To Do list, but this covidyear has put a giant crimp in previous plans, alas. I could take both bulbs out of one of them, but the layout is such that one fixture is on the kitchen/living room end and the other lights up the bedroom end. I can’t decide which one would be less irritating to have bright. Personally I’m fine with never turning the damned things on, but my husband turns on lights almost out of habit, and says I live like a mole. (He may be right. Unless it’s natural sunlight I mostly prefer minimal pools of light, not overhead glare). So, what do I look for? Lowest wattage or lowest lumens? And is there even such a thing? Hmm, I wonder if I could paint the inside of the covers? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/2 "2021-02-08T02:27:05Z")
I don’t think you are going to find a plug-in replacement, but you could get something like this: > **[luluan Dimmable Under Cabinet Lighting, 3 Color Temperature Portable USB Reading...](https://www.amazon.com/LULUAN-Dimmable-Lighting-Temperature-Portable/dp/B07L8XXR3J)** > > luluan Dimmable Under Cabinet Lighting, 3 Color Temperature Portable USB Reading Strips Craft Light Eye-Care LED Desk Reading Lamp Light Great for Craft Table, Pianos, Music Stands, Kitchen, Shelf - - Amazon.com and set it at low brightness ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/3 "2021-02-08T21:20:48Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Hmm, I wonder if I could paint the inside of the covers? Paint might be too opaque. I was thinking putting plain paper in the fixture. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/4 "2021-02-08T21:32:58Z")
maybe something like this? > **[Fulight (2-Pack) Ballast-Bypass & True-Color Warm T8 LED Tube Light...](https://www.amazon.com/Fulight-Ballast-Bypass-True-Color-Equivalent-Double-End/dp/B08GS8R5T4)** > > Fulight (2-Pack) Ballast-Bypass & True-Color Warm T8 LED Tube Light (Dimmable)- 3FT 36-Inch 14W (25W Equivalent), Soft White 3000K, F25T8/CW, Double-End Powered, 110/120VAC - 95CRI - - Amazon.com You’ll have to rewire the fixture to remove the fluorescent ballast, and install a new LED-compatible dimmer. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/5 "2021-02-09T21:38:41Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > You’ll have to rewire the fixture to remove the fluorescent ballast, and install a new LED-compatible dimmer. Just to tag on to this, you may also see “ballast compatible” LED tubes for sale that **don’t** require you to cut/splice wires to bypass the existing ballast, but this wastes electricity, generates noise, and you get less life out of the bulb, so should be avoided if possible. Cutting the old ballast wires and splicing in the new connection via wire-nuts is a pretty simple, as long as you take basic precautions around working with electricity. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/6 "2021-02-10T07:50:44Z")
Just to tag on to this 🙂 If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to at least try taking one tube out of one fixture. Depending on how it’s wired, the fixtures may work perfectly well with only one tube each. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/7 "2021-02-10T11:20:46Z")
… > [@saje](#): > > I have a short hallway that is currently painted yellow, and has two 2-bulb fixtures. It’s a goddamned operating room. I’ve removed one bulb from each fixture, and that does help, but it’s still too bright. A new coat of paint and new lighting is on the To Do list, but this covidyear has put a giant crimp in previous plans, alas. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/8 "2021-02-10T11:33:01Z")
Dammit, missed the edit window ~ Thanks all. I’m not handy enough to do (or to want to do, really) any rewiring and there’s nowhere to put a lower light under-cabinet strip. Guess I’ll maybe kill one at a time and see which light bugs me the least, and/or try fiddling with the covers. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/9 "2021-02-11T02:28:25Z")
Saje, Ive done this - pull the covers and give the inside a light coat of white spray paint. They will still transmit a fair amount of light, and you can experiment with heavier paint and bulb numbers, as needed. Dan ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/10 "2021-02-11T18:09:20Z")
Put tape on the sides of the shades before painting so the light comes out the sides yet in case you get the paint too thick. Or tape thin fabric to the inside the shades. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fluorescent-tubes-is-there-a-20-watt-incandescent-equivalent/932407/11 "2021-02-14T02:47:20Z")
Thank you for the paper idea! I was unpacking some boxes of paintings and other framed things (finally, we moved in over a year ago!) and realized there was a ton of lightweight beige-y packing paper. I used that and the hallway is so much more inviting now! If you look closely at the lights it looks a little odd, but the ceiling is high enough that the wrinkles and edges really don’t catch the eye. I left them with just one bulb each, and now the hall has a nice glow and not a squint-inducing glare. Thanks!