Fluorescent bulbs in living areas.

Not the CFLs, but the 'proper' tubes...

Does anyone have any experience of using these in living rooms, bedrooms, etc? I like the light they give out but they do seem a bit clinical as just tubes, from an aesthetic point. So, I was thinking of hiding the (daylight) tubes on top of shelves or something similar so the light would effectively illuminate the room by reflecting off the (white) ceiling. I am fed up with having these pissy CFLs dimming my living areas.

Any thoughts?

TIA, David Paste.

Reply to
David Paste
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You can get circular ones with shades that aren't too bad aesthetically and are more appropriately shaped for a square room that the linear ones. One day I'll get around to installing some myself instead of the expensive, short-lived, slow warm-up, high power CFLs.

Chris

Reply to
chrisj.doran%proemail.co.uk

I have some 2D tubes and other models that are over 25 years old.

Jonathan

Reply to
Jonathan

Well get electoronic ones, as eventually the choke based ones buzz and start getting really irritating

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

I would not say the newer white compacts are that short lived or dim though, it has to be said the freebies and cheapies are crap. Do the chinese prefer weird light or something. I cannot see much but even I hat the misty light they give out, kind of yellow green yuck colour.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

I don't agree the quuality is the same. It very much depends on the phosphor used.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Any chance of you using a newsreader that quotes properly, so I don't start buzzing and getting really irritating?

Reply to
Tim Streater

Brian is blind.

Don't worry, I made the same comment for the same reason. I was embarrassed, too.

Reply to
Huge

Still really irritating though.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Downie

Except for the ones that are different, of course.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

Brian Gaff has his own entry in the CSS FAQ:

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would not be needed if *everybody* actually trimmed and quoted correctly, instead of spewing irrelevent extreneous bits of previous posts in replies. Unfortunately, newsgroup readers that are usable by blind people are very fiddly to use to correctly trim and quote responses correctly when the post being responded to is already mangled.

JGH

Reply to
jgharston

Not as irritating as some of the badly spelt, ungrammatical and downright wrong posts I read here. At least Brian has a reason for posting the way he does.

Reply to
John Williamson

Its a good way to get good quality, adjustable, long lived reliable high efficiency lighting, but there are potential gotchas.

  1. The tubes must be made invisible, either shelf or preferably trough fittings solve that.
  2. Dont make the common mistake of installing huge uberpowerful 65w tubes. As a starting point I'd suggest max 4' for large rooms, 2' for others.
  3. Fl tubes vary hugely in quality. For this approach to work, you do need to pick your tubes with a little knowledge. Its simple, but essential.
  4. Finding a place to put the huge tubes can be an issue in some rooms.
  5. Fittings also vary in quality. The popular cheap glowstart ones flash horribly on startup, and are best avoided for domestic use.
  6. Finally I like to put them on a switchbank, or where there's only one light needed, fit 2 of different output. That way you've got different brightnesses to choose from, makes it rather nicer to live with.

More:

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Reply to
NT

Thanks for pointing that out and my apologies to Brian.

Reply to
Tim Streater

If brian is blind what is he doing commenting on the quality of lighting?

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Is anyone compiling a 'book of harry' to put in te biog to keep yourself amused?

I do not understand how he can be wrong more often than random chance would dictate.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

He was commenting on the noise it makes...

Neil

Reply to
Neil Williams

Ah. In which case I apologise. Someone who lives by sound and touch..

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I have used the technique in a kitchen with a chain of connected link lights concealed above and below the top kitchen units. The effect was very good, no harsh light, and good colour rendition (that's with tri-phosphor tubes and electronic ballasts):

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that those are the compact slim tubes - they life from these does not seem to be as good as larger ones. So if you have the space, then these using 1" tubes are a better bet:

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are often supplied with "white" rather than "warm white" tubes - so may appear slightly cooler than incandescents - although are probably a good match for LV halogens)

Reply to
John Rumm

Used that for many years, two 60W fittings simply rested on top of two small spacers to keep them a few mm off the top of a long bookcase. By choosing the right tubes you can have either a warmish or cool light as you prefer. No light source is visible so there is no glare at all. Works very well.

Reply to
Peter Parry

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