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Energy Saving Bulbs

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Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Joanbunting » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:07 pm

Thinking ourselves reasonable-fair in the energy saving scale of things we have, over the years replaced all light bulbs with enrgy saving ones.

It is dawning on us that we have almost as many blown bulbs now as we did in the "old days".

We have particular problems with candle style bulbs which cost three times as much as the filament sort but seem to go almost as regularly. We have tried marking each bulb with date of instalation and the receipt with the same mark but when we attempted to take one that lasted just a year back to the shop they just laughed and said we didn't have sufficient proof.

Has anyone else had similar problems? Have they been sorted to your satisfaction?

Would be very interested to have your experiences/thoughts.

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Sakkarin » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:17 pm

I had noticed in the past that the energysaver type bulbs have blown more often than you would expect.

However at the moment, it seems like ages and ages since I've had to replace a bulb, so maybe they've got it right at last.

In fact a couple of days ago in Tesco, I passed the bulbs section and thought for a fleeting moment "Do I need any bulbs?", but then immediately cancelled that thought with "No, they never blow these days anyway".

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby jeral » Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:56 pm

I seem to think as Sakkarin does, that they last longer these days. However, I did find some blowing very quickly and asked in the shop since very frustrating given the extra cost. Apparently energy-saving bulbs are sensitive to bumps/drops in shipping; another shop said to buy known branded ones for better reliability. which I do now, so perhaps that's why fewer blowouts. I also find the spirals better than the tuning-fork-shaped ones, but dunno what candles are.

On lightbulbs generally, you're not supposed to touch them as sweaty fingers can cause hotspots (this might only apply to filament ones) so I use a tissue when holding/inserting them.

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Recently I have bought online from BLT Direct with satisfaction: http://www.bltdirect.com/search.php?sea ... ulbs&GO=GO Note P&P will be added "Europe from £6.80". I've got a friends and contacts discount code of Z23-6UQ-QQN, although it doesn't say what the % discount is. I also got a 5% code for my own next order. Might be worth a look for pricing comparisons.

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:29 pm

I had low energy fitting put in three rooms when they were rewired nearly 3 years ago

None have needed new bulbs since

Some of the fittings that use low energy versions of old bulb shapes do seem to eat bulbs a bit

I have those bars mounted with spotlights in the kitchen & hall, they were originally fitted with GU10 type halogen bulbs, they are now fitted with the energy saving fluorescent GU 10 bulbs and those are the ones that don't last wonderfully well, though they are a lot better than the halogens which burnt out very often

I am thinking of trying some LED GU10s, I think part of the problem is that the fluorescent bulbs are really too heavy, and don't in fact "seat" in the fittign as they should, bu the LED bulbs are smaller, more liek the original halgoen bulbs to look at

I am so glad I got rid of the halogen bulbs though - they were cooking the top of my head, and I am not specially tall (1 m 67, five foot five and an 'arf), must have been really unpleasant for most male visitors, burnt bald spots I suspect!

I think the not touching bulbs with bare fingers applies mostly to halogen bulbs, but also to filament ones, though I do wear rubber gloves usually to be sure (also saves fingers if the old bulb breaks when you remove it)

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Joanbunting » Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:48 pm

Update!

Yet another of the candle bulbs in our rustic chandlier went yesterday. No spares so in town today we went to 4 different outlets trying to find a replacement.

We were told the same in each - don't stock them anymore because they don't last and there have been too many complaints.

As we speak m is on-line trying to solve the problem because sure as heck I am not buying new light fittings for lack of bulbs. We have wall lights too that need the same bulbs.

Sue the halogen spots in my hotte (don't know the word in English - but the thing that goes over the stove) go with monotonous regularity and changing them is akin to being in a sterile lab.

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:55 pm

Hotte - cooker hood?

Fortunately mine takes alamost any smallish bulb with an SES fitting, so by moving to low energy I have been able to get more light for less electricity than theorignal tungsten filament bulb

But halogen bulbs self0destruct - especially I suspect over the stove, as it is running so hot that kills them (they die of heat stroke)

If they are spots they proably have either GU4 or GU10 fittings, and can be replaced with LEDs if so (this is a recent advance - the LED lights wer rubbish as recently as 2 years ago)

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Joanbunting » Thu Jan 31, 2013 5:40 pm

Further update,

Tried on-line for low energy candle bulbs on both computers on both French and UK sites for a couple of hours this morning. Virtually none avaialble in France or if they are, at an eye-watering price.

Quite a lot in the UK but they either won't ship or their delivery charges are ridiculous.

As for the cooker hood (thanks for that Sue I didn't have one in England), I think it is going to work out cheaper to change it rather than halogen bulbs!!

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Wokman » Thu Jan 31, 2013 5:43 pm

Hi Joan,

Is there somebody in the UK who might be able to buy them for you and then post them ?

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby Joanbunting » Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:04 pm

I have today made an interesting discovery.

We have lots of power surges here - it was especially bad at the weekend due, apparently to a fierce Mistral (although our lines are all underground!!). It seems that, while we have anti-surge blocks on everything that plugs into a socket, light bulbs can't be protected and are especially vunerable.

Now then, if that is so, surely electricity companies, in our case EDF, should be offering reasonably priced bulbs when they can't be sure that their supply is consistent ?

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Re: Energy Saving Bulbs

Postby jeral » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:02 pm

Worth a try, but I don't *think* that such a thing as a surge-resistant bulb exists. If something is vulnerable to surges, that can mean eventual, early failure due to ongoing small spikes (like when a fridge kicks in) as well as massive lightning surges. And EDF aren't bulb manufacturers.

As I understand it, general surge protection, i.e. covering everything, can be hugely expensive being a system rather than a specific gadget but I ain't no electrician. Could ask if they, EDF, recommend a general surge protector that covers lighting as well as socket-specific individual items - I probably wouldn't hold my breath. Asking the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (UK) might be an idea, but they are industry rather than domestic so would probably just tell you to refer to a competent electrician.

I recall that if power went off unexpectedly, you were meant to immediately turn all things off to avoid a possible massive surge-through(?) when power was restored.

Dunno if this helps.

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