The death of tungsten lightbulbs
The death of tungsten lightbulbs
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Discussion

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

92,707 posts

294 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
So 'proper' lightbulbs are to be phased out of many shops by the spring, and we will have to buy hideously dim, flickering trendy things full of mercury that give a cold light. Apparently this is going to save the world. 100% bks of course, but it keeps the beaurocrats in jobs.

So I'm planning to work out how many proper lightbulbs I need to last the rest of my life (say 40 years), then load up at a cash & carry in a binge of global destruction.

Anyone else doing this, or content to be shepherded by the nanny state?

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

32,000 posts

264 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
It's actually just a rumour being propogated by bulb manufacturers.....

jbudgie

10,032 posts

241 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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Didn't know that these long lasting things had Mercury in them --that doesn't seem a good idea !!

Carreauchompeur

18,318 posts

233 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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Sadly not. All of my lightfittings are lentilist energy saving ones fitted as standard, with a lentilist energy saving special fitment. TBH though the newer ES lightbulbs are far, far better than the older units- Quicker and brighter. And saving all those carbons has to be a good thing wink

tomTVR

6,909 posts

270 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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They aren't being banned are they? Just the big retailers taking them off the shelves to show how green they are.

HundredthIdiot

4,477 posts

313 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.

I have an LED flashlight with a P7 emitter, and with the reflector removed it lights a small room splendidly.

Carreauchompeur

18,318 posts

233 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.

I have an LED flashlight with a P7 emitter, and with the reflector removed it lights a small room splendidly.
They look brilliant!

Puggit

49,790 posts

277 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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Have they invented dimmer-friendly modern bulbs yet? Otherwise it's a backward step!

nelly1

5,665 posts

260 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.
The prices on that site are a joke right?

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

92,707 posts

294 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
Carreauchompeur said:
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.
They look brilliant!
The bad news is that they cost $119.95 each.

The good news is that they're out of stock.

That's £100 I've just saved to spend on tungsten planet-killers biggrin


stormin

1,304 posts

240 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.

I have an LED flashlight with a P7 emitter, and with the reflector removed it lights a small room splendidly.
$119 yikes

HundredthIdiot

4,477 posts

313 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
nelly1 said:
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.
The prices on that site are a joke right?
The actual emitter is less than $20 retail, so I can't really see that pricing being sustained very long.

nelly1

5,665 posts

260 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
HundredthIdiot said:
nelly1 said:
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.
The prices on that site are a joke right?
The actual emitter is less than $20 retail, so I can't really see that pricing being sustained very long.
I can't really see them selling too many if it is!

Jonny_

4,704 posts

236 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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I'm far from enamoured with all this eco-BS but I really don't have any problem with the CFL bulbs. Far as I'm concerned they're bright enough if you take the equivalency ratings with a pinch of salt (i.e. use a "100w equivalent" in place of a normal 60), the modern ones don't seem to flicker and they last far longer than the tungsten jobs. Plus Netto knock the Philips ones out for about 50p a throw biggrin

Now those GU10 halogen things, they actually deserve to be banned, either that or reclassified as heating devices as 200 watts' worth produce sod-all light (and last about 5 minutes).

For those who simply can't bear to do without incandescent light, I have a small stash of tungstens which I'm prepared to sell for £1000 a piece... make a note of this and contact me in 20 years wink

AlfaFoxtrot

407 posts

227 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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Whether you think they are a good or bad thing, it's now only a stopgap until LEDs lamps mature a bit and become affordable.

rfn

4,607 posts

236 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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Puggit said:
Have they invented dimmer-friendly modern bulbs yet? Otherwise it's a backward step!
Yes.

Edited by rfn on Tuesday 6th January 20:40

Puggit

49,790 posts

277 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
rfn said:
Puggit said:
Have they invented dimmer-friendly modern bulbs yet? Otherwise it's a backward step!
Yes.
How much?! eek

Time to stock up on tungsten!

branflakes

2,039 posts

267 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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nelly1 said:
HundredthIdiot said:
Hopefully something like this will be on the market soon.
The prices on that site are a joke right?
Those have a life expectancy of 30,000 hours - tungstens have a life expectancy of 1000 hours and cost 7.5 times as much to run.

[AJ]

3,079 posts

227 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
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I put lentilist bulbs in the lamp in my living room because it's on all evening and most mornings. It was always enough to read by if I was sat in the chair by the lamp using standard bulbs. Now if I want to read or see anything other than the TV I have to put the main lights on because the crappy eco bulbs are so dim. That's 10 extra 'proper' bulbs! False economy if you ask me!

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

92,707 posts

294 months

Tuesday 6th January 2009
quotequote all
branflakes said:
tungstens have a life expectancy of 1000 hours and cost 7.5 times as much to run.
Yes but how much of your leccy bill is lighting? Not much in the scheme of things I suspect. Why aren't they making us use low energy cookers and kettles?

So much of this eco-BS takes a product that works perfectly well and replaces it with one that costs more and doesn't do the job so well. Call my first witness: Solvent Free Tipp-Ex. It's transparent FFS!