Incandescent light bulb BAN goes into effect next week

[daveamkrayoguy]

Stifle Lano: yes I’m sure a number of us grew up with those in that enormous size in our childhood homes which I believe held three way bulbs and our introduction to and again, I put my own dimmer switch in my bedroom lamp which got replaced with a regular toggle switch when that room among others got a light with a ceiling fan and don’t recall any other dimmers elsewhere just ne needing and fascinated with such…

Had no idea a stifling lamp could be used as a battering ram in self defense and notice how the harp is a little bent as I don’t know how it got that way, the lamp was from the late-in-jaws and nothrr-in-law once threatened to take it back when she saw it that floor of that basement not using because we had another table lamp in the living room which is still there…

Incidentally that three way bulb has also been reduced to only one setting still working…

— Dave

 

[davetranter]

Reply #76

That looks like a so-called 'mushroom' incandescent lamp. There is a series of PAR reflector lamps which use the same (or very similar) envelope shape.

All best

Dave T

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Yes those are LED’s up there, and I’m determined to get every bit of light out of the burned out one all I can while it still lights up every time I turn the fixture it’s in, OFF!!!!

-/ Dave

 

[henene4]

So, there is actually a pretty interesting reason for those LEDs that still light faintly when off.

Depending on what kind of power supply is used in it, there is a small chance a tiny amount of current could leak through it, even if it isn't the full supply voltage.
Most higher quality bulbs have components specifically used to prevent this - but cheaper once often don't.

Now, depending on installation, cables running close together in a bunch can induce small amounts of current into each other.
Normally, that amount of voltage and current is so low that no other lighting technology can do anything with it.
However, because LEDs are THAT efficient, supplying even a few volts and milli amps can cause a faint glow.

I was installing a light fixture in my last flat up north that still had much of the early 50s wiring.
Had my multimeter out and checked that there was no voltage before commencing installation.
Always measured 6 volts, unless I turned all the breakers to the kitchen off. Couldn't measure any current as it would just collapse as soon as I tried to measure it.
Sure enough, the bulbs in there sometimes glowed ever so slightly.
Looks really quite spooky IRL.

I think due to the EUs higher voltage that issue is somewhat more common.

 

[me]

Never had the problem with LEDS, but we had a CFL lamp in the landing light at the top of the stair for some time that would flash on every couple of seconds, or so for a while after it was turned off until the lamp cooled.

The reason for that is our lighting circuits are looped in at the ceiling rose, with a live and switched live wire running in the cable going to the light switches, which act as the two plates of a capacitor, allowing a small amount of AC current to flow when the switch is off, and the cable for the two-way switch circuit is particularly long, so allows more current.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Uh, oh! It finally happened… Yes guess what?

That flood spotlight under my chandelier burned out… I swore it turned on with the rest of the light when I turned it on, then it looked dark under there so it looks like I didn’t see it actually burn out…

Might just put a regular light bulb in its place!

— Dave

 

[mattl]

I have 4 down lights in one room on an older Smart dimmer.  They are a mix of brands and one of them will glow slightly when off.

 

In my kitchen I have 2 recessed Low voltage mini spots aimed at my cooktop.  These are quite old, on a Smart dimmer too, and they glowed quite brightly when off. Only option was to wire in a C7 christmas light into the circuit, then they would go out.  problem is with the smart dimmers  not being a good match to the LEDs in use.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well I decided to replace that burned out flood light with an ordinary clear incandescent bulb:

It works fairly well…

— Dave

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well that clear bulb I think made the switch on that light feel hot, so an LED in there is its replacement until I ever find another suitable flood for that light…

— Dave

 

[combo52]

New LED lightbulb

Yay Dave, there may be hope for the planet yet.

John

 

[combo52]

I found another box of incandescent lightbulbs

At the warehouse wall doing some cleaning and rearranging.

I’ve already thrown away hundreds of incandescent lightbulbs but these got tossed as well.

I think the government should offer a bounty of $.50 apiece for people to turn in this junk.

 

[mattl]

Yup, I've tossed dozens, but no where near hundreds.  Kind of hurt, a lot where specialty bulbs, but the cost of use outweighed  the cost to replace as electric rates went up..

 

[wayupnorth]

I just installed a new LED 20 watt kithen ceiling fixture yesterday that replaced a '60s fluorescent fixture. Wow, that LED gives off way more light than the old one. Since both fluorescent and incandescent bulbs are now outlawed we now have no choice but more expensive LED's.

 

[good-shepherd]

LED gives off way more light than the old one.

One the things I hate about LED's, obnoxiously brighter than necessary unless you're performing surgery on the kitchen counter.

 

[tolivac]

Sometimes with the LED lamps-the DRIVER-ballast fails before the LED panels-and with smoke,sparks and BANG!!!ncandescent lamps didn't have that problem.They just go FLICKER and go out.I have some from yard sales and still use them.Pointless to throw out lamps that still work.Use them up then toss.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

There is someone like me who would love those incandescent bulbs you're choosing to garbage up into metal and broken glass--I would have taken those off your hands!

COMBO52: That looks exactly like my collection of some I have yet to use, seldom anything I have to light up with still ever burns out...

-- Dave

 

[gusherb]

I've been slowly converting fixtures to LED at home for 10 years now. I was in no rush because I want to maintain the same light quality as the prior incandescent/halogen bulbs, plus dimmers need to be changed out to LED compatible ones.

My bathroom vanity light was the latest conversion. I was previously using 6 40 watt G25 bulbs on a motion sensor which draws to the tune of 240 watts. It was enough to make the bathroom a degree or two warmer when it was on (which was a nice feature during the cold months).
I replaced them with 6 40 watt equivalent Sylvania TruWave G25 soft white bulbs which use 4.5 watts a piece so a total of 27 watts. I put them in and holy cow my bathroom was lit like the surface of the sun and I could see every pore in my face. So to counter what I would save in electricity expense, I spent $40 on a Lutron motion sensor/dimmer combo and programmed it to come on at about the same brightness as the old incandescent bulbs.

The new bulbs look great though, the color temperature is a little bit colder than the old incandescent bulbs but still a soft white, nobody would ever know the difference besides me. The dimmer ramps up and down instead of just on/off which is a nice touch.