Lights out for incandescent bulbs

[StanleyB]

After more than a century lighting up the world, the switch will be flicked off across the EU for the final time on incandescent bulbs on Saturday as the phased ban on their sale is completed.

From 1 September, an EU directive aimed at reducing the energy use of lighting means that retailers will no longer be allowed to sell 40W and 25W incandescent bulbs. Similar bans came into effect for 60W and 100W incandescent bulbs over the past three years.

I switched to CFL and then to mainly LED in the last 5 years. It was an expensive operation but I have not had to climb up any ladder to replace a single bulb in the last three years. Long may that continue.

[Beobloke]

I am still using proper light bulbs and intend to continue doing so for as long as I can. Our new house that we moved into in April has quite a few of these energy saving abominations fitted, but I'm gradually replacing them!

[prestonchipfryer]

The ''energy saving'' bulbs don't give a very good light in my experience. Bring back PROPER bulbs!

[Martinh]

We're fitting mostly LED lights in our new bathroom installations now. If you buy the decent ones, they give very good light output and are very reliable.

Not so good for lounges, but perfect for bathrooms and kitchens.

[tannoy man]

The ''energy saving'' bulbs don't give a very good light in my experience. Bring back PROPER bulbs!

+1

[prestonchipfryer]

We're fitting mostly LED lights in our new bathroom installations now. If you buy the decent ones, they give very good light output and are very reliable.

Not so good for lounges, but perfect for bathrooms and kitchens.


Are LED lights brighter than the equivalent ''energy saver'' bulbs? And how much are they for, say, a 60 watt bulb.

:)

[Covenant]

I am with Stan on this one. Tungsten lamps are grossly inefficient and should have gone years ago. I use a mixture of compact fluorescent and LED bulbs. Pick the correct temperature rating and think about the fitting. For example, in my living room I don't have a ceiling pendant but have six wall lights plus table lamps.

[sq225917]

Yeh, but incandescent bulbs spit virtually nothing back into the mains, the same cannot be said of CF.

[Mike]

Just use thoriated tungsten valves... sorted! :D

[Reid Malenfant]

Rough service bulbs will still be available, those have not been banned :D

Personally I still use incandescents at a few critical points in the house where full illumination is needed immediately. Such as on the stairs ;)

[Spectral Morn]

The ''energy saving'' bulbs don't give a very good light in my experience. Bring back PROPER bulbs!

+ 2

Even good ones are crap imho and experience :(

[Mike]

+ 2

Even good ones are crap imho and experience :(

I've never noticed it and my house is full of them.... mind you, I'm so tight I hardly ever turn them on. Even the energy saving ones! :lol:

[StanleyB]

I have been using the Philips range of LED bulbs and they seem quite good. The best ones are the Philips 9W LEDs peer shaped bulbs. The 12W refuses to work properly on any of my electronic dimmers. I haven't tried the 17W version yet due to cost.
The main problem is the 2700 degree Kelvin colour range. 3200 degrees would have been better I reckon.

[awkwardbydesign]

This was an interesting read-http://sound.westhost.com/articles/incandescent.htm#led
I won't have CFLs in the house. Apart from the usual complaints, they give me a headache, always have. I use "low energy" halogens, the light suits me.
I read an article recently, maybe in New Scientist, with evidence to suggest that blue (morning) light, such as CFLs and current LEDs, stops us getting to sleep at night, TV watching the same. Evening light is redder, and we are programmed to get sleepy with red, and awake with blue light. Dimmers can help here, especially if the light reddens as it dims.

[walpurgis]

Incandescent bulbs of wattages that are supposedly banned for retail, are I believe available for commercial purposes and it would not surprise me if this type of bulb continues to be sold as industrial items.

[StanleyB]

I read an article recently, maybe in New Scientist, with evidence to suggest that blue (morning) light, such as CFLs and current LEDs, stops us getting to sleep at night, TV watching the same. Evening light is redder, and we are programmed to get sleepy with red, and awake with blue light.
I only got CFLs in the loft. The rest of the house have LEDs and no problems falling asleep here. Not even with my LED TV on. Just as well the TV had a standby timer.

[awkwardbydesign]

I only got CFLs in the loft. The rest of the house have LEDs and no problems falling asleep here. Not even with my LED TV on. Just as well the TV had a standby timer.
That's probably 'cos you're old! (That's my excuse)

[Thing Fish]

I have enough 100w bulbs stockpiled to see me through this life...:D

Those energy abominations things are shite...!!! and I refuse to use them.

[prestonchipfryer]

I have enough 100w bulbs stockpiled to see me through this life...:D

Well done, I've got enough too!


Those energy abominations things are shite...!!!


Absolutely!! Forced on us by cretinous authority.

[bobbasrah]

Not sure whether the policy is meant to reduce power demand, cut off the suppliers outside the EU to boost home production, or simply some bureaucratic sop to the green parties in europe.
I recall from some time ago that the startup power for tubes was huge by comparison with running power, not sure whether that applies to the compact form.
Having used CFs for many years in specific areas where light is required almost 24 hours, I got used to the peculiar and underpowered light, but was never happy with them in a domestic setting.
Will continue to get halogens for that purpose until they are inevitably outlawed, and will look into these LED thingys....

[goraman]

I have enough 100w bulbs stockpiled to see me through this life...:D

Those energy abominations things are shite...!!! and I refuse to use them.

The light bulb Nazi's are watching and know who you are!

[walpurgis]

Well done, I've got enough too!



Absolutely!! Forced on us by cretinous authority.

You are surely not suggesting that our glorious leaders would exercise questionable judgement?

[synsei]

But guys, the use of energy saving lightbulbs will help save the planet and make you feel all warm and fluffy inside...http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/050/2/6/scarface_smiley_by_12MCR_BABE12.gif

[goraman]

I'm going with arch lighting myself{[ ("screw the planet")]}!!!!

[walpurgis]

I'm going with arch lighting myself{[ ("screw the planet")]}!!!!

You could always light your home up with a pair of the old Magnat plasma arc speakers with the lurid glowing globe tweeters and all that ozone generated must be as bracing as sea air!

[prestonchipfryer]

Light up the sky with one of these little beauties. And also decimate the light police. :)

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-06/28/lightning-bolt-laser

[Macca]

Light up the sky with one of these little beauties. And also decimate the light police. :)

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-06/28/lightning-bolt-laser

We never got tired of the lightning bolts zapping our simulated targets," admitted George Fischer, a physicist leading the project at the Picatinny Arsenal research lab in New Jersey.

I'll bet they didn't. :lol:

[AlexM]

I have a lot of gu10 type downright in the kitchen, and have installed 4w multi led replacements in brilliant white. They dim ok if you have enough on the circuit, brilliant white gives a good light, and the energy savings are massive. If you take into account the service life of 20 000 hours or more, you works save a three figure sum per bulb when you factor in purchase costs of the bulbs.

I have a thing about blown lightbulb and the tungsten bulbs needed replacing all the time... Never lasted for more than a couple of hundred hours (supposedly 2000hrs lifetime). I felt like I was always up a ladder replacing them.

It's a no-brainer on financial grounds, and hassle free service.

I hate the light output and slow startup of CFLs, and need something to use in table lamps that is dimmable , so maybe halogen bulbs will do although there aren't any high wattage globe types as far as I know.

Luckily I have a good of 60-100w tungsten bulbs, but would like to find an acceptable low energy alternative.

Alex

[bobbasrah]

I hate the light output and slow startup of CFLs, and need something to use in table lamps that is dimmable , so maybe halogen bulbs will do although there aren't any high wattage globe types as far as I know.

Alex

Not sure on the UK (bayonet) market Alex, but I get 70w halogen screw fitting (ES?) bulbs here made by Philips. They are superb.
They are slightly shorter in height than the original 75w Osram tungsten which are now defunct, and last time I checked were not included in the EU "green" campaign.
May be worth checking if a bayonet version is on the UK market...

[StanleyB]

The 9W Philips LEDs come in dimmable version and are the ones that I use in most places around the house. I also use on a desk lamp and the light output is quite good. It replaced a 40W incandescent bulb.

[AlexM]

Bob,

You can get a converter between Bayonet and large edison (threaded) bulbs - I'll check them out.

Stan, thanks - I'll have a look at the Philips LEDs... 9w is quite a lot of light from an LED lamp, given that my GU10 4W LEDs are about as bright as the 50w halogen types.

Cheers,
A.

[bobbasrah]

Bob,

You can get a converter between Bayonet and large edison (threaded) bulbs - I'll check them out.
A.

Having moved around Alex, I would in my own case be finally dropping the peculiarly british thing to be honest and change out the entire socket.....;) God knows complete light fittings are on the market in the UK using ES bulbs.... Why oh why do UK PLC have to be so bloody minded as to believe the rest of Europe are so wrong? The irish use european telephone sockets yet bayonet bulbs and 13A plugs. Madness....:mental:

[awkwardbydesign]

I use lava lamps with a dimmer. Don't know why I said that! True though.

[Reid Malenfant]

I use lava lamps with a dimmer. Don't know why I said that! True though.
I guess it'd be the end of the Lava lamp as the low energy CFLs don't kick out enough heat & are too big :rolleyes: Halogens are more efficient, so you'd need a higher wattage :scratch:

Good job I stocked up on 40W golfball bulbs :eyebrows:

You really have to plan ahead if you want to keep these old things working :D

[northwest]

I have some G4 base LED replacement bulbs if someone wants to try a couple PM me.
I think they are great but you simply MUST get the colour temp right or it looks like hell.

[StanleyB]

I have no idea why 2700K was picked as the colour temperature standard for the majority of LED bulbs. 3000K or even 3200K would have made them appear far brighter.

[IanL1962]

I'd just like a bulb that doesn't fuse the mains when it blows! We have GU10 downlighters in the kitchen (on an 'island' of 4) and when one blows (usually on switch-on first thing in the morning) it blows a circuit of some sort which necessitates standing by to cancel and reset the house alarm (which also trips) when the circuit is reset.

[Reid Malenfant]

The problem with any & every incandescent is the huge amount of current they draw when they are cold, this is why they blow when switching them on ;) They draw about 10 times the rated current until the resistance increases due to heating up...

All that's needed is a soft start circuit & I doubt you'd ever blow one again :eyebrows:

[Rare Bird]

They seem to be replacing all the 1960's street lamps up our way for modern ones :steam: I must get some photos of them before they all go..

[Reid Malenfant]

They seem to be replacing all the 1960's street lamps up our way for modern ones :steam: I must get some photos of them before they all go..
I had a nice edwardian one at the side of the house on the other side of the road, admittedly it was fitted with a SOX light though - low pressure sodium, much more modern (60s as you say).

Now there is an LED light, a burglars dream come true I tell you :rolleyes: It casts all the light down, so in between the lights you can't make a damn thing out :doh:

The road I'm on will be converted shortly to :mental:

[synsei]

I'd plump for any street lights at all. Around my way the local council have been busy removing street lights from all roads except those which see a lot of traffic or are on a bus route. It's like a medieval town around here and many decent folk don't walk out at night anymore.

[Macca]

They did my street back in 2005 - it used to be almost completely dark. Now there is a lamp every 20 feet. I don't need a light on to read in the front bedroom even with the curtains shut. And hardly any traffic or pedestrians after six at night, so no-one to benefit. The alley out back is lit up all night too. Huge waste of money.

[AlexM]

All of the street lights where I live were replaced last year with the new LED types.

That would be fine, apart from it being unnecessary and a waste of money, except the idiots doing manged to erect them so that the lamp head is in the middle of the tree canopy for the three street lights nearest my house.

Net effect is that I now have no street lighting :doh:

[bobbasrah]

Green energy ?

[StanleyB]

I'd just like a bulb that doesn't fuse the mains when it blows! We have GU10 downlighters in the kitchen (on an 'island' of 4) and when one blows (usually on switch-on first thing in the morning) it blows a circuit of some sort which necessitates standing by to cancel and reset the house alarm (which also trips) when the circuit is reset.
I have some GU10 LEDs from Philips fitted in my front room and in the bathroom. I don't expect to have to change them for the next decade at least.

[AlexM]

Lol at Bob!