Throwing some light on that bulb switch
THE simple light bulb has become a source of great controversy and emotion over the last few years.
There are direct replacement lamps for the 60w and 100w lamps, and they are more energy efficient, and they last longer, and some can actually give a better quality of light than the old tungsten bulbs.
At Beacon Electrical we are constantly speaking to customers who are unhappy that they cannot get the old 60w or 100w light bulb any more. They blame the European Parliament for forcing them to have the compact fluorescent (CFL) energy-saving lamps.
This has been re-inforced in people's minds by the Government-funded distribution of free CFL lamps to every household via the energy companies.
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The reality is that there are now three main options for people to light their homes and businesses:
1. CFL: compact fluorescent lamps
These are the energy-saving lamps that a lot of people object to! They are descibed as "dim" and "slow to get bright".
We believe they do have a place in the home, especially in areas where the light bulb is left on for longer periods, such as the hall. They use around 20% of the old tungsten bulbs and last about eight times longer. They do, however, take a minute or two to get to full brightness (which is a problem when you walk into a room and need light), and they do not give the full spectrum of light quality.
2. LED: light-emitting diode lamps
These are the newest and currently the most expensive types of light bulb, and are a bit more complicated because they generally are measured in lumens of light rather than wattage. (However, basically an old 60w light would be about 600 lumens). These LED lamps are undoubtedly the future of lighting. They offer the cheapest form of light and the longest lasting. They typically would be expected to last 30,000-50,000 hours, which is a good 20 years' life in anyone's home. They also use about a tenth of the energy of the old bulbs. Potentially, each LED bulb can save several hundreds of pounds over the costs of traditional light bulbs over their lifespan.
3. Halogen replacement lamps or halosavers These are the real answer to all your lighting problems at the moment and are realistically the obvious direct replacement for the traditional 60w and 100w bulbs.
At Beacon Electrical we keep a full range of halogen replacement lamps. We keep candle lamps, golf ball lamps, spotlights, and GLS lamps in all the original bayonet and screw-type connections.
These lamps are not so energy efficient as the CFL and LED lamps as they only save about 30% against the old light bulbs, but they are expected to last twice as long, and they do give immediate full light levels, and they can be used with any dimmer switches.
In 2009 the government estimated that up to 15% of household electricity consumption was from lighting. With these new energy-saving light bulbs this could be reduced by up to 90%.
Beacon Electrical is firmly in favour of reducing energy and saving money, but we are concerned that many people are suffering from using the wrong types of bulbs.
We have trained staff in all our branches who can help anyone who needs help and advice on any aspect of their lighting needs.
We honestly believe we can offer people a better quality of life from using better quality and more energy efficient light bulbs in their homes.
Comments
by HermesThelema
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 7:06PM
“Many cult and occult systems would detail in fear that they are able to switch a person off like a light bulb. Having had this done to myself several times under torture conditions I cannot deny its authenticity completely, yet having countered successfully it is proven that it is possible to both cure and inoculate against such psychological 'magic'.”
by sufc_blues
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 6:23PM
“got my bulbs from big pine and oak cracking selection of lighting to now faraday lighting a gone, well worth a look and great advice in there too”
by CharlieDodd
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 1:43PM
“I've been happily using CFL 20 watt bulbs throughout my house for 2 years and none have burned out yet, they give a good steady bright light with no headaches or eyestrain and need almost no "warmup time" to deliver full intensity..:)
Correct me if I'm wrong but I understand 20 watt CFLs are about the equivalent of the old 100 watt tungstens? (I think confusion about wattage might put people off buying CFL's)
I've seen 15 watt CFL's in action at friends houses and I'm not impressed, far too dim for my taste,beats me why anybody should want to buy dim bulbs, so I'd certainly recommend everybody buys 20 watt CFL's..:)”
by DoOneChimpo
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 1:17PM
“I just bought 20 incandescent 40w light bulbs so I don't have to fork out the extortionate sums of money they want for the low energy, oversized replacements. Besides that, most LE lamps don't work with existing dimmers,you have to pay even more for dimmable ones!
The problem now is that the price of these things will rocket now that the manufacture and sale of incandescent lamps has been stopped.
You don't actually save much in the cost of energy at the current prices so the actual savings when the prices go up will be negligible at best.
At least I will be OK for a while.”
by 10thattempt
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 1:02PM
“CFLs are getting better, but the claim of lasting longer is just downright lies.
Because of the mercury content, I save them and take them to the tip. I also decided to save my others.
I have 3 "energy saving" fittings in the house, plus 2 lamps, and another 12 normal lamps. In my recyclyng box I have 3 normal lamps and 10 CFLs - they seem to last a matter of months, whereas the old Tungsten ones from Woolies are still going strong.”
by blogtodi
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 12:45PM
“@karenroth - Me too. Got a cupboard's worth. At least I'll have some decent lighting for a year or too more.”
by stratobuddy
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 12:38PM
“About 10 years ago the owner of BREWSTERS told me that LED torches would NEVER catch on as they would NEVER be as good as tungsten torches, and that he would NEVER sell any in his shop!!!!!”
by karenroth
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 12:14PM
“I am so glad I bought hundreds of old style bulbs while I still could, I've not yet been able to do close work by any alternative bulb, and I do keep trying them to check if improvements have been made.”
by blogtodi
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 9:44AM
“Not sure about your comment on ordinary bulbs containing 10 times as much as the CFL lamps...What part of the old bulb contains mercury? The glass? The tungsten filament? The inert gas? The brass base? the solder connections? Which one?
Compared to ordinary bulbs, the CFL lamps are costly to produce involving processes that are definitely not environmentally friendly involving more toxic substances than the production of conventional bulbs. Discard a conventional bulb in the bin and its environmental impact is minimal. Sadly, the tungsten filament is not worth reclaiming but is a natural element which is now going to be mined at Hemerdon.
The coating on the CFL lamps are toxic, the electronics contain toxic substances and the light emitted is unnatural and prone to subliminal flickering at 100 hertz which can make eyes tire very quickly. Because of the thermal inertia of tungsten bulbs there is no flicker.
Let's really get this into perspective here. The government want us to reduce our energy use to save building more power stations and, of course, boost industry, their profits and taxes.
I know we will have to go with horrible new lamps eventually but please don't make them out be better than the conventional bulb. They're not. They are just a means to an end and not a very good one at that.”
by fancyabrew
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 9:38AM
“whilst we're in the mood for blatant adverts! £50 for a 50W equivalent LED????? Ermmmmm I don't think so https://http://tinyurl.com/8oojb3c £17 and you can get cheaper. Got 9 LED GU10 downlights in our kitchen drawing less than 50W compared to nearly 500W if they were halogen GU10's”