Energy Saving Lightbulbs

[MargaretW.]

So we are not going to be able to get 'proper' lightbulds, only the stupid underpowered things. In order to read comfortably we have to use a 20W=100W bulb + another of equivalent size in the table lamp to get something fairly reasonable. As we don't have TV we either read or use the computors.

Have been trying to find a normal 150w bulb for the main room, but when the existing bulb blows, then what? Have to get the electricians in to put in more lamp holders to put in more bulbs to get the equivalent amount of light.

Where is the cost saving and efficiency then? No where have we seen a claim that they save more than 50% of power, but you need to use more of the bloo.y things. Where is the economy in that?

Margaret W.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

All our main lights apart from dining room, kitchen, bathroom and hallway have dimmer switches for the main lights. When ordinary bulbs are no longer available all the switches will have to be changed. Low energy bulbs will not work with them.

We'll have 12 room switches to change and just throw the good switches away. What waste is that!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

...... and you have the problem of disposal. They contain mercury.

What danger is there if a CFL breaks?

'No amount of mercury is good for you, but the very small amount contained in a single modern CFL is unlikely to cause any harm, even if the lamp should be broken,' says the UK Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra).

Their advice for cleaning up a broken bulb:

Vacate the room and ventilate it for at least 15 minutes. Do not use a vacuum cleaner, but clean up using rubber gloves and aim to avoid creating and inhaling airborne dust. Sweep up all particles and glass fragments and place in a plastic bag. Wipe the area with a damp cloth, then add that to the bag and seal it. Mercury is hazardous waste and the bag should not be disposed of in the bin. All local councils have an obligation to make arrangements for the disposal of hazardous household waste.

 

[davedee]

We've been stocking up on the old ones for weeks now.

Soon have enough to last us until OUR lights go out.

Jason, how much will you take for your dimmer switches....heheheh

Dave

 

[emmerson2]

About two years ago, in my capacity as chair of our residents association, I was given sixty of these bl**dy things to distribute among the elderly in our village. I've still got them!! Nobody would take them, for free!! When our new hall opens soon, I'm going to give them to the first sixty people through the door, whether they want them or not!.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Dave & Dee if we decide to go and live in NZ you can have them for free.

A special offer when you buy the house

A daft estate agent mentioned that we did not have energy saving bulbs when he came to measure up and value the place. No doubt that would put off some buyers

 

[davedee]

Jason, believe it or not, the wrong light bulbs probably would put some folk off.

We went through the whole sell and move farce last year. Some of the viewers were incredible:

"Don't like ponds..." There were pictures of the pond in the brochure.

"We'd have to take up that laminate floor and have a carpet fitted..." What did the brochure say about the floor? You guessed it.

"Oooh, we don't know anything about gardenning.It'd be too much work for us..." Picture on the front cover of the brochure of.........a large landscaped garden!

Good luck if you do go ahead with the move, but why not move first and let an agent have all the ball-ache.

Dave

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Hehe we have a pond approximate size 1/4 acre, if some bozo turned up who didn't like ponds I might say the wrong thing.

We'd leave it to agents I think.

 

[JandP]

My elderly cosins traditional bulbs used to blow regularly and would often trip the breaker and plunge her bungalow into darkness. To avoid an eighty year old standing on a wobbly chair in semi darkness I would have to rush round there, often late at night to change the bulb but since I changed them all to CFLs we have had no more problems. Jim.

 

[JandP]

My elderly cosins traditional bulbs used to blow regularly and would often trip the breaker and plunge her bungalow into darkness. To avoid an eighty year old standing on a wobbly chair in semi darkness I would have to rush round there, often late at night to change the bulb but since I changed them all to CFLs we have had no more problems. Jim.

My cosin is now my cousin!

 

[Oldfogey]

Perhaps I can correct a few misleading ideas;

30W bulbs, equivalent to 150W incandescent, are available. Personally I prefer to use more light fittings, as it spreads the light more easily.

Versions are available for use with dimmer switches.

Warm-up time is as near instantaneous as makes no difference, though they do take a few seconds to reach maximum brightness. Actually, I like that, as it is gentler on the eyes than a sudden blast from incandescents.

Most of the ones given away free are low wattage - equivalent of 40 or 60 watts. No wonder nobody wants them.

The mercury thing is old hat - modern bulbs have only microscopic amounts.

Face it folks, whether you care about green or not, the cost of electricity is just going to keep going up, so it makes sense to save money.

Actually, I think that they are going to be only an interimn stage. LED's are a lot more efficient still, and last even longer.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

So what do I look for to work with my dimmers, what are they called and where do I buy them. Please Please.

So far even the larger wattage bulbs seem gloomy and take an age to fully light up.

 

[BrianStAlbans]

http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/browse_category.asp?Mode=prods&PGID=109

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Thanks Brian. But what a price and for a pretty dim output!

That would be about

 

[BrianStAlbans]

I have worked in several offices where the tube lights have given me tunnel vision after a short period. Also I used to get the same in our local Sainsburys until they refitted and changed the lighting.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Well that would be the most likely reason Brian.

Warm white tubes are the scourge of the work place!

They make it very unpleasant for many and still many people do not know of the problem.

I always had the tubes checked and changed wherever I worked, I suffered from a kind of swimming effect and blurred vision and headaches after a few hours in a wrongly lit office.

An Architect told me of the problem in the late 70's, he had designed a large building in London and when occupied many of the workers complained of headaches, vision problems, migraine attacks and even nausea. They changed hundreds of tubes from warm white to daylight/cool white and the problem was solved.

He came in to our office and I was having a bad long day, he climbed on a desk and took a tube out and explained the problem. We changed all our tubes and every one felt far less tired at the end of the day, and headaches and time off was reduced.

 

[smiley]

I've got energy bulbs, had them for years, not the original.

I use dimmer switches with mine!!!

Why can't you have dimmers switches them?

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Normal flourescent tube style lights and enegey style bulbs do not work with dimmers.

Something to do with the way they use energised gas for the light rather than a filament wire.

We have some energy saving bulbs, my wife hates the lack of light from them. We tried them a while back in our lounge and would need extra lighs put in. Not anoption. Any way we hope to be moving on for good so will not have to worry about it.

 

[JeremyClarksson]

I believe you can not use dimmer switches on flourescent tubes and the tube like low energy bulbs because there is an upper voltage where they strike and a lower voltage where they will simply turn off.

You can use most halogens on dimmers and I am sure they will come out with LEDs that will work with dimmers - LEDs have this sort of on/off state but they should be able to come out with a bulb where the LEDs phase in one by one.

I picked up some colour changing LEDs very cheaply (

 

[MargaretW.]

I believe you can not use dimmer switches on flourescent tubes and the tube like low energy bulbs because there is an upper voltage where they strike and a lower voltage where they will simply turn off.

You can use most halogens on dimmers and I am sure they will come out with LEDs that will work with dimmers - LEDs have this sort of on/off state but they should be able to come out with a bulb where the LEDs phase in one by one.

I picked up some colour changing LEDs very cheaply (