Incandescent
Posted: Tue 1 September, 2009 Filed under: Domestic, Green, Thoughts 8 Comments »From today, traditional 100W incandescent light-bulbs are no longer being sold. Under new EU rules the manufacture and import of 100 watt bulbs and all frosted bulbs will be banned in favour of the energy-saving variety.
I’m still in two minds about this, although we don’t actually use 100W bulbs around the house at all and we’re not prone to the health-issues that are being laid at the door of CFL (Compact Fluourescent Light) bulbs. But in certain cases, I’m still to be convinced about CFL bulbs as a replacement for incandescent ‘traditional’ light bulbs.
One of the things we made a slight mistake with when we moved in here was that we had spotlight downlighters fitted in most of the rooms, which use GU10 halogen bulbs. The light fittings are fine, and help with making the rooms feel like they’re a decent height (Which hanging light-fittings didn’t) But they do result in a significant use of energy, which is what we didn’t think about at the time.
We’ve looked at replacing the bulbs with CFL-replacements, but they most certainly do have a “warm-up” time. The ones we’ve used in the kitchen take a noticeable time to come on properly. In addition, they’re longer than the standard GU10s, so if/when we put them in to replace the ceiling lights, we’re going to have little humps of protruding light bulbs in all the positions.
As time goes on, and the current GU10s burn out, I’m sure we will replace them with CFL equivalents – but we’ll also keep on looking for better developments in those bulbs, rather than buying them all at once – particularly when they’re still at £8 or £9 per bulb – that’s a noticeable amount of money to be spending on lighting…
If you’re replacing halogen lamps, you should look into LED replacements rather than CFLs. Should fit your existing fittings better.
OK, cheers, I’ll have a look.
I’m yet to be convinced by LED equivalents – yes, they’re nice to use, but the other LED-driven stuff I’ve seen never seems to be as bright as a “proper” bulb. But I’ll give them a go if you recommend them.
Yeah I’m definitely going to replace most of the bulbs in my house with LEDs when I can’t get incandescent bulbs anymore. There’s newer ones out at the moment that are “warm” coloured, and you’d be hard-pushed to tell the difference between the light from them and the light from an incandescent bulb.
Also, they’re instantly bright (no “warm-up” time), they last 5-10 times as long as CFL’s, and they’re a million times better for the environment. The light from CFL’s, remember, comes from glowing mercury vapour.
Downside: They are fucking expensive.
From what I’ve seen so far, the LED GU10s are about the same price as the CFL ones. But I agree, fucking expensive at roughly a tenner a bulb, rather than the quid-or-two for ‘proper’ ones…
But, you make your money back on the longer life and lower elec costs.
There are some good LED ones about now that are less than a fiver. Any good independent electrical trade supplier will show you the differences. We’ve just put a couple into the new summerhouse and you really can’t tell the difference.
yes lyle,
I think what you say beautifuly illustrates how different lights have different advantages
RE Leds
still some usage problems
http://www.ceolas.net/#li8x
good job you’re really after spotlight downlighters 🙂
you can’t get them both omni-directional (like ordinary bulbs) and bright
have been searching with suppliers and online…
currently there are some 40 Watt equivalent (reasonably omnidirectional) lights at 50 US dollars from different suppliers, and a 60 Watt equivalent light for 120 dollars
btw
the ban makes no sense, even for environmental reasons
A cheap simple popular safe product forcibly replaced with an expensive complex unpopular mercury-releasing product as the main usable replacement…
– the only logic being that of course if people did want to buy the new lights, you wouldn’t “have to” ban ordinary light bulbs
(European Commission’s own research 2007-8 showed ordinary light bulbs to be bought around 9 times out of 10)
The eventual savings, once all is considered, hardly justify this exercise anyway:
http://www.ceolas.net/#li13x onwards, with official research references.
light bulbs don’t give out gases…power stations do…
even if you want to get at bulbs why not tax them (like cars – which do give out emissions!)
The real motive can be seen by the unpublicised EU and industrial politics behind the ban:
http://www.ceolas.net/#li1ax