Chandelier bulbs

[Pford75]

Did anyone else see an article on the news today about lightbulbs?

It claimed that lots of stores are running low on stocks as people are bulk purchasing in advance of the ban on incandescent bulbs. Specifically mentioned were hoteliers & trades with chandeliers (low energy bulbs just don't look right in chandeliers - both the light they give off and the fact that the bulb isnt clear).

Has anyone else here done the same? I note that there is no legislation to take action against someone selling them until 2012...but most stores will be stopping sales before then.

Wondering how many bulbs i'll have to buy to last the remainder of my time in this house

 

[MdB]

I'm sure that I remember reading that there will be an exception for chandelier bulbs. Could be wrong though.

In the long term I expect LED based lighting to replace chandelier bulbs rather than CFLs which will look a lot better.

 

[Cloudscape]

This was announced over a year ago. There was a thread on PPUK:

http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8463

I love old light fittings. I have quite a collection of lamps. Some of them rely on the look of the bulb... and they look very pants with most low-energy bulb designs. You also can't get the high/bright sparkle with LE bulbs that you can with clear lightbulbs (for chandeliers etc). Maybe LE bulb technology and design will carry on improving. This is all apart from that fact that some LE bulbs seem to take several minutes to achieve full brightness. I go into a room, switch on the light, fumble around in the dark trying to find whatever it is I want, and then switch off the light and leave the room. I'd be better off with a torch. :lol:

LED replacements for GU10s are improving, but are expensive (if powerful enough to do the same job as GU10s).

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

I agree that exposed CFL bulbs look crap, and the colour temp is horrible. The manufacturers seem to be on the case though. The latest Screwfix catalogue has a good range of Osram halogen bulbs in candle and GLS shapes, which are claimed to use 30% less power than incandescents. Plus the light they give off is nice and sparkly, and they are dimmable. So I guess we can all rest easy for a bit.

 

[middi]

The reality is that all this "early" scaremongering is going to push the price up for the bog standard light bulb which in turn will nudge people in the direction of the even more expensive energy savers. Not a bad thing really .

( I can see an increase of spectacles sales at the opticians though!!!)

 

[Pford75]

I was referring to this story http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090107/tuk-stock-up-on-bulbs-before-ban-45dbed5.html which appeared on Sky News today.

John Lewis, Asda and Homebase have completely sold out of 100W bulbs, while Sainsbury's says only "a few" remain in their stores

 

[Penners]

Wondering how many bulbs i'll have to buy to last the remainder of my time in this house

At your tender age, young man, more than your largest cupboard can store! :wink:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Apparently two of these are still looking for a new home (apart form the ones going to museums):
http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/chandeliers

 

[Penners]

Damn! If I hadn't just bought a new bedside lamp....

 

[DaveBrigg]

WE have a problem that the energy saving bulbs are too big to be hidden by the glass shades of wall mounted lamps. Even those the shape of a conventional bulb look odd poking out the top. However, I stocked up on energy saving bulbs when I saw them on offer in a local DIY shed at 15p each. Someone has a '5 for a pound' deal at the moment, which is less than I used to pay for the old style.

 

[Pford75]

Re: Chandelier bulbs
by Gareth Hughes on Fri 9th Jan, 2009 4:24

Apparently two of these are still looking for a new home (apart form the ones going to museums):

They would fit perfectly in my hallway....if I were prepared to crawl everywhere.

Can't imagine the size of the screw required to fix that to the ceiling :wink:

 

[Penners]

Someone has a '5 for a pound' deal at the moment

Homebase had this offer, the last time I was in there.

 

[Craig]

I agree that exposed CFL bulbs look crap, and the colour temp is horrible. The manufacturers seem to be on the case though. The latest Screwfix catalogue has a good range of Osram halogen bulbs in candle and GLS shapes, which are claimed to use 30% less power than incandescents. Plus the light they give off is nice and sparkly, and they are dimmable. So I guess we can all rest easy for a bit.

Aren't these halogens? I am using these and they are OK - get v hot and the white is very white but very bright for the rating - but not as efficient as CFL.

 

[Penners]

Can't imagine the size of the screw required to fix that to the ceiling

 

[Pford75]

It's worth noting the heat generated by Halogens....does anyone know if there is any comparion with CFL?

For example, if an old light fitting could take a max 60w CFL.....what is the max halogen replacement, without risk of fire?

 

[Craig]

It's worth noting the heat generated by Halogens....does anyone know if there is any comparion with CFL?

For example, if an old light fitting could take a max 60w CFL.....what is the max halogen replacement, without risk of fire?

Where I have fitted them, I have contacted the light fitting's manufacturer to check. Its not obvious that the equivalent light rating is the same for the heat - they get v hot!

 

[ljn]

For light fittings that use the bulb shape and qualities as an integral part of the design, the only answer is to stockpile bulbs.

Older chandeliers were designed for candles and converted to gas and then electric. Although the first bulbs were quite dim compared to what we are used to, the impact on the aesthetic must have been dramatic.

I find those fake plastic candle sticks unappealing. and the "flickering effect" bulbs don't turn me on.
Chandeliers with more than 6 bulbs, even the 15 WAT bulbs are too bright, so a dimmer comes in useful, but the dimmer makes a buzzing sound I'd prefer not to hear and apparently wastes electricity.

So maybe some yet unavailable LED bulbs could be an improvement and give a more "authentic look" than today's bulbs.

For the moment I have a stock of 15 watt bulbs. Then maybe it'll be back to candles.

 

[MdB]

It's worth noting the heat generated by Halogens....does anyone know if there is any comparion with CFL?

For example, if an old light fitting could take a max 60w CFL.....what is the max halogen replacement, without risk of fire?

In round figures, in all types of bulb, the majority of energy goes into heat. So with a 60W light fitting, the maximum you can put in is 60W no matter what type of bulb. So a 60W CFL, a 60W halogen or a normal 60W filament bulb would all be OK. However, 25W is the maximum I've ever seen for CFL so I think you may have made a mistake in your post.

 

[Pford75]

Yes - What I meant to say was that 60w incandescent bulbs give off less heat than a 60w halogen (I think)......therefore, replacing a 60w incandescent with a halogen may not be safe. Is this true?

 

[Lime]

It's worth noting the heat generated by Halogens....does anyone know if there is any comparion with CFL?

For example, if an old light fitting could take a max 60w CFL.....what is the max halogen replacement, without risk of fire?

In round figures, in all types of bulb, the majority of energy goes into heat. So with a 60W light fitting, the maximum you can put in is 60W no matter what type of bulb. So a 60W CFL, a 60W halogen or a normal 60W filament bulb would all be OK. However, 25W is the maximum I've ever seen for CFL so I think you may have made a mistake in your post.

Not quite, although they are rare.

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=8306&cat=48&nm=An+Energy+Saving+Spiral+85+watt+ES

added to make the link clear.
That is an 85 watt CFL that produces the equivalent light output of a 425 watt incandescent lamp!