Why eco-light bulbs aren't what they seem

IME, none. There are dimmable ones, some which run on a dimmer and others which can use just a regular switch, but none which actually dim like a normal bulb. The other problem is that most dimmers have a minimum load below which they don't work, and with that typically being 40W and the CFL being less than that, the dimmer won't work anyway.

If you want dimming, forget about retrofit CFLs and go with either dimming fluorescents on electronic ballasts, or dimming 12V halogens (although they may also be banned at some point in the future). LEDs may eventually be the way to go here, but they aren't there yet (unless you have lots of money, or you want to make the whole thing yourself from individual LED parts, and you don't need lots of light).

I'm planning on converting some mains lights (3 lamp pendant and two single lamp wall lights) which are on a dimmer to use 12V halogen capsules instead. I'm making up a set of halogen capsule (G5.3) to bayonet cap (B22d) adaptors. Currently made two, and just got a 3rd bayonet cap base from a dead lamp (I'm limited by rate at which I find dead bayonet cap lamps from which I can reuse the lamp caps).

That's subjective. You would need to more accurately define which properies of a normal bulb you want to match.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel
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Is there a direct replacement for candle shaped bulbs? Dimmable if possible.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

Ha, I just had a wonderful idea for an electromechanical dimmer, with a motorised shield that lowers down over the CFL by an amount proportional to a dimmer switch setting...

wibble. ;)

Reply to
Jules

des:

Nothing new or impressive there. Slow cookers have been around for years.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

3:1 is the advice in the US, according to Radio 4s "More or Less" last week, to allow for age related dimming.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

Note that US filament lamps are more efficient than UK ones, because their 120V mains is nearer the ideal voltage for a filament lamp (55V for a 100W lamp) than our 230/240V mains. Also, their lamps are overrun (750hrs) compared with ours (1000hrs), which also makes theirs more efficient. So 3:1 is probably about right for them.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Any chance of a photo of these adaptors please?

And if you are in a rush for the other two dead lamps let me know. There two in my van from work today.

Adam

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Thus spake Man at B&Q ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) unto the assembled multitudes:

Yeah, but have you ever made one from scratch?

I just thought it was rather neat to make an oven powered by a light bulb, that's all. As I recall, it didn't take too much longer to cook the chicken than in a conventional oven, so it wasn't that slow a "slow cooker".

Reply to
A.Clews

Not very good picture, but...

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was going to pot them with something (thought about cement/mortar). In the end, the short length of wire and tight ptfe insulation is just about robust enough to push a lamp capsule in without it collapsing.

When searching around, I did find an ES version of this, but not BC.

Probably not worth the postage! It will be after Christmas when I complete the job, and I'll probably have enough by then, thanks.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Very interesting. Thank you.

Did you just solder the two leads up together and then wrap them in insulation?

Adam

Reply to
ARWadsworth

I've been cooking like that for a long time, just not chicken. Sheep, cow, pig, fish. all kinds of game ... far better than in a conventional oven.

Mary

Reply to
oldhenwife

des:

I have. Not for cooking originally but for melting beeswax and warming honey in bulk. It's very easy.

A haybox works too. and our new wood burning stove is superb for cooking.

Mary

Reply to
oldhenwife

How much of that was due to having better insulation than a conventional oven?

Reply to
Clive George

Megaman do a small candle bulb that is quite a close match to a pearl miniature 40W candle. Quite pricey at about £5 - £7 each. But probably one of the better CFLs I have seen in terms of being a reasonable replacement. Not dimmable though.

Reply to
John Rumm

The leads are part of the G5.3 lampholder, and come with PTFE insulation on them in expectation they may get very hot. I just cut them to the right length (so filament position is about the same as in candle bulb which these are replacing), and soldered to the lamp cap connections. The cables are stranded but much stiffer than they look. They might be silver plated to protect against copper oxidising, although the ptfe is quite stiff.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Thus spake Clive George ( snipped-for-privacy@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:

Yes, it has to be said that the scratch-built oven was heavily insulated and sealed so as to trap as much heat in as possible. It rather brought home to me how wasteful of energy household appliances can be.

Reply to
A.Clews

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