Energy Saving bulbs / Stylish light fittings

Ian Cornish wrote on 14/08/2005 :

There are no energy saving versions of halogen lamps, however they are reputed to provide slightly more light out per watt than ordinary tungston lamps.

To use energy saver lamps you would need to buy fittings intended for ordinary tungston lamps and use energy savers instead.

GU10 halogen energy saver bulbs:

HTH

Chris

CPC do a 9W version as well, and cheaper. I bought a load of 9W replacement ones, and if anything I would say they *appear* brighter than the standard GU10. Of course the colour temp is not the same and they take about a minute to reach full brightness.

Completely sympathise here. Many of the light fittings I buy, I subsequently modify to take energy efficiency lamps (although I tend to avoid fittings with visibly exposed lamps anyway).

The quality of light fittings available today is very disappointing. I know cost is key nowadays, but in many cases, it wouldn't actually cost any extra to have made them without some of the more obvious common design mistakes. I sometimes build light fittings from scratch as I can't find what I want, often using parts such as the glassware from other light fittings.

Independent lighting shops usually only display the 'ordinary' versions, but if you ask to look at their manufacturers' catalogues you will find that quite a lot (about a third, last time I looked) are either suitable for BC or ES energy saving bulbs, or can be obtained with control gear for small fluorescents. They're used in pubs and hotels.

They will tend to be the bigger fittings with diffusers as there's no equivalent of the small point source halogen in fluoro.

Owain

"Stylish" doesn't necessarily imply halogen or energy saving.

As tasklights, halogens are excellent and may even save energy - I read in bed with a 20W bare capsule halogen, whereas years ago this would have been a 60W bog-incandescent. Although the light output is less than a compact fluo of maybe 11W, it's so much brighter (intensity in a given area) that it's a more efficient use of power. To read with a CF I'd be using at least 11W and probably wanting more.

As to room lighting, then halogens are by and large a disappointment. Plenty of them for retail sale, but how many people are _really_ happy with the end result?

If you go along to TLC or somewhere you'll find a large range of fittings that are perfectly at home with CFs.

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 19:23:42 +0100,it is alleged that Ian Cornish spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

Maplin seem to do them too, and cheaper than CPC.

Not tried them(yet)

Slurp wrote:

You mean

The CPC version is 9W and £7.55 in quantities of 5 or more.(£8.18 one off)

But Maplins include VAT, so the Farnell prices become £8.87 & £9.61, or £9.13 & £8.42 for the 7W.