cflelectricalledlighting
CFL and LED lightbulbs are sold as being "40/60/100 watt equivalent". They're designed and sold as replacements for a certain wattage of incandescent lamp.
I have some fixtures where I want a very bright bulb. Since CFLs and LEDs can get more light out of less wattage it seems to me that an actual 40W draw CFL or LED that would be significantly brighter than a 40W incandescent.
Does such a super-CFL or super-LED lamp exist?
Do you have the space for an adapter like this one?
Lighting EVER Candelabra Screw (E12) to Medium Screw (E26) Enlarger Light Bulb Socket Adapter
Q: I'm going to overload it by using a larger bulb ?
A:
Electrically you are limited to the maximum amperage that the wiring will support, if it is rated for a 75W 125V then that's 0.6 Amps each (Wattage = Voltage * Amperage). You're not changing the voltage or number of lamp so it doesn't quite matter (doing the numbers that is). You can do up to the same amount of actual Wattage used, which for LEDs would be significantly less.
Heatwise, the LEDs should produce significantly less heat than incandescent, just make sure you have at least 1/8" between the LED's bulb and the shade/globe/etc and you should be alright; incandescent should be more like >1/2".
Q: The bulbs will be put in sideways; I hear many LED bulbs are unidirectional; what degree/angle should I be looking for?
A: For unidirectional light, you probably need to find one with a diffuser or multiple LEDs pointing in different directions. If you can see the individual LED(s), it will shine light in the opposite direction(s) it/they are mounted only so if they all point in the same direction it's unidirectional. If you can't see the individual LED(s) then it is probably diffused (though it may not be diffused well)
First of all, when you read about a "50W LED", it is certainly saying that it outputs the equivalent light of a 50W incandescent light (although that is often a exaggeration). That "50W" LED actually draws less than 10 watts. This means that it draws much less current and emits much less heat, both of which are the factors that typically limit the allowable light in a fixture.
You'd be able to replace a 50/100/150W 3-way with a lower wattage, even if staying with incandescent.
Second, unless the LED light is marked "dimmable", don't try to use it on a dimmer. You may damage the dimmer, light, or both. Even if the light is dimmable, some dimmers will not work well with a low load: a dimmer that works on a 100W light bulb may not work on an equivalent-light-output 13W LED. They make LED/CFL specific dimmers that may work better.
As for the 130V R40, that is probably a "long life" bulb. Running an incandescent at lower than rated voltage extends its life. Therefore, they make 130V bulbs to run longer on 120V. Just use LEDs rated for 120V.
As for your existing florescent lighting, I assume you're talking about the straight tube type. For a fixture that old, it's probably less efficient that newer florescent fixtures or LEDs but still much more efficient than incandescent. This is harder to replace with LEDs, just due to the area covered. There are LED tubes made to replace florescent tubes but they are still expensive and generally require re-wiring the fixture. These are most often used in commercial applications.
Best Answer
Yes, you're looking for lights with a high lumen output. Since LED/CFL bulbs don't convert heat to light, the wattage isn't directly proportional to the light output. As an extreme example, consider that a 2 watt laser is powerful enough to burn some materials, or blind you!
What you'll likely find is that more expensive LED bulbs from lighting specialty stores are brighter than the cheap bulbs you find at your local home improvement store.
There are other characteristics of the bulb other than power which impact the perceived brightness - reflectors are a good example. A bulb with a wide spread will seem less bright (in a room) than a bulb with a narrow spread since the light is being diffused more.