External lighting opinions wanted

And you lot aren't normally too shy with opinions :wink:

As on another thread, I've bought this old outside corner light from fleabay, which is very nice but rather large! Cordless drill in the shot for an idea of scale:-





The thought was it could go on the front of Feltwell Towers, on the corner up near the alarm box - where an old GPO bracket already sits - and replace a rather horrible modern floodlight that is lower down:-



Thoughts are to leave it as is, or to turn the bracket into a swan neck shape and remove the scroll brace (it's not needed for strength), similar to:-



Or is it just simply too large and will look out of place? (and FF - I've asked the seller if he has any more, alas they are all gone - he bought 4 originally)

I I'm being brutally honest, I love the lamp but I think it may be too big for the location. I imagine it will cast plenty of light, but will end up looking a bit like a street light, but maybe that's why you are after? Having said that, as street lamps go its a pretty fine looking one. I'd also stick with the original bracket, I think it's quite understatedly elegant. Sorry!

That's allright Jellyfire, honest opinions was what I wanted. Just noticed that you can only see half the pictures if I view this post on an IPad rather than the PC - weird.

Here's some pictures of the bracket propped up against the corner lower down, to give a bit more idea of the comparative scale. I daren't put the glass on it just in case I dropped it! Probably also helps to show the whole building rather than just my side (it's a semi).

For what it's worth I think the higher it's mounted the better it will look. Go for it..

Doug from Tipp

Ah ok so now it doesn't look as big as I imagined it would in situ. Changed my mind, go for it!

Wise move on the glass by the way, broke mine last week changing the bulb.

Seeing it by the building I don't think it looks too big, and I would keep the original bracket, but I wouldn't mount it high up, to me that would just make it look more like a wandering street light. I would go for a little higher than the modern light just underneath the string course.

Yep.Agree with you again your Ladyship.

Your humble servant

Doug

Me too. It's amazing how lights shrink when they go up - in my view a too small light is much worse than too big on a big house. I think the light could have been fancier, if you want my honest opinion Feltwell - that's a very fancy looking house you've got there and the original owners would not have shied away from displays of wealth and taste. But it's a nice light and I would swan neck it!

I agree with others - leave the bracket as original, and mount it below the string course.

I think it looks dreadful and you should get rid of it as soon as possible.

I could take it away for you. :wink:

Flyfisher said:

I think it looks dreadful and you should get rid of it as soon as possible.

I could take it away for you. :wink:

Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: :lol: so nice that there are always people to offer helpful criticism and easy solutions here.

FF, you're so saintly - always thinking of others, never yourself :lol:

Thank you for the opinions - I shall give it some thought - there seems to a general preference for mounting it below the string course, which wasn't what I was thinking of, but I shall reflect & consider......... aside from the aesthetics it would make the wiring easier, less wall to chase out to take the cable!

I try my best :wink: . However, if you're intent on keeping it then I grudgingly agree that it will look OK (oh, alright then, great) mounted below the string course, perhaps with the bracket close to the string course so that the actual lamp is about level with the top of the bay window.

I too prefer the bracket it has now, and think it will look great on your house. What kind of bulb does it take, out of interest? And are you going to have it on a sensor, or switched from inside?

Leave as is, well cleaned and painted, and below string course, just beware of the wattage of bulb, so you aren't blinded when in the front sitting room

It takes some kind of old fashioned bulb Zebra - like a normal bayonet cap bulb but with 3 prongs to engage in the holder rather than 2. The chap I bought it from supplied a replacement bulb holder that takes a normal bayonet bulb.

I was going to put one of these halogen bulbs in it - it needs to be something that lights up instantly rather than taking time to warm up - If anyone has any ideas for a physically larger but not extreme wattage bulb to go in it though......

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lig...nergy+Saver+105w+BC+1900lm/d220/sd3277/p18551

It will be on a pair of linked PIR sensors to activate it - one triggers if you walk up / reverse the car into the driveway, the other if you step out of the side door (we don't have a "front" door). There is a spotlight high up on the side of the house that is linked to the same pair of sensors, to illuminate the bit in front of the door.

I was debating about the cleaning up of it Graham, as to if to paint it or leave it in it's current "distressed" condition. I think I will paint the bracket, it is looking quite scruffy and it will soon weather in again.

105 watts is quite a lot. I'd check the max loading on the converter thingy that the chap has given you. But then I'm sure you know that!
Why would a bayonet have three prongs? Live, neutral and.......? Earth? On a bulb? Odd.

No, not 3 electrical contacts - the little prongs on the sides of the bayonet cap that hold it into the bulbholder when you insert & twist it. 3 of those rather than the normal 2.

The new bulbholder is just your usual ceramic thingumajig with springloaded copper contacts to go against the bulb contacts - surely 105w is OK for one of those? Less than half an amp, and it's certainly more substantial than a normal interior hanging pendant bulbholder, which take a 100w bulb OK.

Very similar to this:-

http://www.ukelectricalsupplies.com/Ceramic-Bayonet-Cap-Light-Bulb-Holder.htm

I see. Yes, a ceramic lampholder would be fine with that bulb. Not all plastic pendants can take 100amp bulbs though, some are max 60A, and melt or at least get a bit smelly with a 100W bulb!

I've always said that planning is key. Yes, it definitely is. Plenty of time to plan. Aided by tea, and Kit Kats of course. Don't rush, that's what's important.

Well, a mere 3 years after first posting this up, I've finally got around to getting this light fitted. I can't help but feel that I might have rushed things a bit :wink: . Of course I had to wait for the right weather conditions - yes, a mixture of sleet, snow, rain and wind made the last few days the perfect time to tackle this job. Ahem.

Anyway - for scale - I think it looks just fine. Spot the light, on the right!



Ignore the paintwork, or lack thereof, on the windows - a job for summer.....



Period motorhome fits under it with about 18" to spare, that would have been a great schoolboy error! :wink: I must have checked that about 5 times when putting it up.....







I'm pleased with it, it suits the house I think. I cannot over-estimate how paranoid I was about breaking that glass bowl when fitting it! The whole thing is very heavy, not a job I would have tackled without my scaffold tower, I couldn't have done it from a ladder. The light is controlled by the PIR sensor below it - but I've also got another sensor that covers our "front" door, which is on the side of the house, and a set of modern spotlights discreetly tucked away up high on the side of the house to light the drive further down. Either sensor triggers both lights, so if you walk out of our door or walk up the drive, the lights are triggered.

Lighting technology has come on since I first posted this so the lamp has a 6W LED exposed-filament style bulb in, which is equivalent to about a 60W incandescent bulb, which is plenty bright enough. The spotlights are only 9W LED, so not much power used at all really.

I was curious about how old the light was, as ever the internet came to the rescue - someone who collects streetlights helpfully told me that the bracket is made by REVO and dates from 1930's - 1950's, but the lantern is made by GEC and is newer, 1960's most likely - and is also quite rare now due to the glass bowl, later ones having a plastic bowl.