Comments on: Save the environment by making your bathroom look like the toilets in Doom 3

By: Ace Lamps

Ace Lamps — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:52:31 +0000

The general rule is you get what you pay for, buy a cheap energy saver and the light will not be as good and will take a while to get to its brightest output, but spend a bit of money and the new CFL’s are instant on with a full range of colour and brightness

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:32:56 +0000

It’s not the power, it’s the color. Only go for yellow ones and it’ll be ok. Its actually gotten to the point where the color is better then the incandescent bulbs, but you still have to read the package. Don’t worry, we all learned the same way.

By: clmac

clmac — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:15:23 +0000

“Do you still need to replace the transformer to use them, or are they straight replacements? I looked into it last year and the only ones I could see (Led ones) required a new transformer, which cost silly money”

Direct Replacement for GU10 fittings, from MEAGMAN @ B&Q, they do take a while to warm up, about 5 min, and are expensive £6.95 each when I bougth them 6 months ago, but the have payed for themselves allready. you can also get a dimmable version but they are pricey.

URL : http://www.megaman.cc/global/products/esl.php?s=4

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:10:04 +0000

@stephen:
Maybe Philips make the bulbs for Ikea too?

Maybe, yeah.

I’ve definitely found big differences in the colour cast by different energy saving bulbs. Best way I can describe it is by comparing it to the white point setting on a monitor – the ones with a warm, yellowish light are great, but the bog standard ones I’ve bought in the past tend to have the bluer, starker light. Which sucks.

@clmac:
You can also get Halogen Bulb replacements form B&Q, they are a bit pricey but do save cash in the long term.

Do you still need to replace the transformer to use them, or are they straight replacements? I looked into it last year and the only ones I could see (Led ones) required a new transformer, which cost silly money.

By: mupwangle

mupwangle — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:14:07 +0000

My bedroom CFL is the most expensive one in the house. It starts at about 10% and warms up in about 5 minutes. It was a Philips one, if I remember correctly. All the other CFLs are fine and most are very cheap IKEA ones. Mind you, I’ve got a little IKEA spotlighty one that occasionally makes a buzzing noise, which is annoying.

I broke one the other day. Not nice.

By: clmac

clmac — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:10:22 +0000

I like them, The only room in my house that doesn’t use them is the living room, The other half had to buy some over the top light fitting that was a pain in the arse to install. Anyway, you can sometimes get them for free by contacting your energy supplier and ask about how to reduce your electricity consumption, I’ve had about 5 sets of bulbs from Scottish Power over the years. You can also get Halogen Bulb replacements form B&Q, they are a bit pricey but do save cash in the long term.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:05:59 +0000

Decent low-energy bulbs are currently 69p at Robert Dyas (and presumably other stores). They start out at about 75% capacity and ‘warm up’ to full brightness in about ten seconds. Get a 40w one and it’ll have a nice ambient glow. I use one in my bedside lamp.

By which I mean: shop around.

By: Ms Mac

Ms Mac — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:37:14 +0000

Did you ever see the episode of Still Game when Jack and Victor were fixing the light outside their flat? This post has reminded me of that.

I nearly wet myself laughing at that.

By: McGazz

McGazz — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:52:02 +0000

I’m with David – most energy savers I’ve experienced leave rooms looking well murky, although that might be my high ceilings’ fault. I’ve stopped buying the 12W “60W replacements” and starting using the 20W bulbs for everything.

I’m off down Tescos for some pathologist specials.

By: mupwangle

mupwangle — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:40:04 +0000

I’ve got a CFL in my bedroom that is so bright when you turn it on that you can see precisely bugger all. It switches on with less brightness than a birthday candle. It takes about 10 minutes to warm up.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:29:03 +0000

Hmmm. Light fitting in bathroom takes those little round bulbs that burn out in 10 seconds. Replaced them with energy savers from Ikea, the only place I’ve seen energy savers in that configuration. Seem to do a reasonable job of impersonating the warm glow of a hot filament. Maybe Philips make the bulbs for Ikea too?