Low Energy Lamps and new EU laws.

[Quillan]

I see from today (1st September) that within the EU it is now (so the BBC claims) illegal to import or manufacture 'normal' lamp bulbs. There is according to one guy interviewed around 3 to 4 months worth of the old type lamp bulbs left in the UK.

Does anyone know what the situation is here in France? Will they be obeying this new law? Should I go out today and buy as many 'candle' bulbs as I can find for future use.

I ask the latter question because I have what can best be described as a theamed lighting system in my house that requires candle bulbs. Each bulb also has a glass cover and previous attempts to install the new bulbs has failed because they are simply too big. In many rooms I have dimmers, what do I do about them and in particular the chandelier I have with loads of candle bulbs (with covers) and runs from a dimmer switch?

I'm not panicking (yet) but I am getting a bit concerned that I am about to have to spend some serious cash changing all my light fittings. I don't suppose you can get any financial help from the French government for this sort of expense?

[AnOther]

Who knows if France will comply but if you have concerns and special need then yes, definitely get out there and stockpile, I have.

You can get dimmer compatible low energy bulbs but I have no experience of them so can't comment on how successful they are.

The fallacy of the claim for these bulbs eco friendliness is that they contain mercury and technically need special handling and precautions for disposal when spent or damaged.

In UK, or more specifically Scotland which is where waste from offshore is landed, there is nowhere licenced to dispose of them because of their hazardous nature so along with spent traditional fluorescent tubes they have be collected and transported by road to a site in Northumbria, generating pollution in the process of course. The same undoubtedly applies throughout the UK as suitable disposal sites are few and far between.

[Chancer]

I thought that this was being implemented gradually over several years starting with the 100 watt ones.

I use low energy bulbs in my plafoniers but the light output is appalling for reading, working cooking etc, in other rooms I have appliques with dimmer switches so will be in the same situation if what you say is correct, I have seen lots of stands at rederies recently selling standard ampoules.

What will happen regarding oven/fridge/microwave lights I wonder?

[AnOther]

You're right, it is 100w but most types of frosted bulbs are out too.

"The Irish government was the first EU member state to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs. It was later announced that the member states agreed to a phasing out of incandescent light bulbs by 2012.

The initial Europe wide ban only applies to 'non-directional' light

bulbs, so does not affect any bulbs with reflective surfaces (eg.

spotlights or halogen down lighters). Bulbs will be banned in a phased

approach. The first types of bulbs to be banned are non-clear (frosted)

bulbs, these will be phased out completely by September 2009. Also from

September 2009 clear bulbs over 100W must be made of more efficient

types. This limit will be moved down to lower wattages, and the

efficiency levels raised by the end of 2012. Also, the EU has given the target of 2016 to phase out Halogen bulbs and any bulb for available for purchase after the 2016 date must of at least a 'B' energy rating.

The UK government announced in 2007 that incandescent bulbs would be phased out by 2011."

[Clair]

L'adieu aux ampoules 100 watts     (translation)

[Dog]

I's read about this ban 5 or so years ago and thought it would be a good investment to buy shares in companies that manufactured low energy bulbs.

What I cannot understand is why light fitting manufacturers have not yet bothered to make multi bulb designs with enough LEDs to actually light a reasonable area. Even with the silly shaped bulbs they have too few bulbs per fitting.

I would like other peoples experiences but these low energy bulbs that have a supposed life of 8 years last in my experience for about 6 months.

[Théière]

Quillan, I saw for the first time the other day some lamps, conventional shapes and candle that have been adapted with halogen filaments fitted. These us around 40% less than the old traditional tungsten and are fully dimmable.

I will keep a look out.

New high power LED 5 watt versions are coming through (not dimmable) but actually producing some light [I]

[Quillan]

While cleaning I toted up just the candle type bulbs I need and it comes to 32 plus a couple as backup, say 34. Now that to me is a lot and they all have these glass fitting over them which the bulbs I tried in the past were too big for the glass to go over. About half of them are on dimmers. Thought I would add before somebody mentions it the house came with the lamp fittings.

I did find THIS website which has these "Halo Saver Candles" which according to them can be dimmed and it does leave one to assume that you use a normal dimmer but then it only says "Dimmable - Yes". They do ship to France and are charging £3.48 per bulb and they are only equivilent to 35 watts and I have 60 watt bulbs. If I bought the normal Energy Saver bulbs they want £14.49 each which seems very expensive to me.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Dog"]

I would like other peoples experiences but these low energy bulbs that have a supposed life of 8 years last in my experience for about 6 months.

[/quote]

We have a couple of these bulbs in a kitchen area as general lighting and I think the last one lasted about 6 years. They are not the nice looking type ones they are the type where the tube goes up and down a few times and give out the equivalent of 100W plus so they say.

I did have one in the loo but by the time it had come on enough to see what you were doing it was a little bit too late.

[Théière]

[quote user="Quillan"]

"Halo Saver Candles" which according to them can be dimmed and it does leave one to assume that you use a normal dimmer but then it only says "Dimmable - Yes". They do ship to France and are charging £3.48 per bulb and they are only equivilent to 35 watts and I have 60 watt bulbs. [/quote]

Well you wont need to dim them then [:D]

[AnOther]

[quote user="Quillan"]I did have one in the loo but by the time it had come on enough to see what you were doing it was a little bit too late.[/quote]

Bright enough to clean up afterwards though I hope [:D][:D][:D]

[Théière]

Quillan, just checked my trade magazines, can get candle bulbs with halogen 42 watt filaments for about £1.50 each.  Maybe cheaper still for a bulk order.

[Théière]

[quote user="Dog"]

I's read about this ban 5 or so years ago and thought it would be a good investment to buy shares in companies that manufactured low energy bulbs.

What I cannot understand is why light fitting manufacturers have not yet bothered to make multi bulb designs with enough LEDs to actually light a reasonable area. Even with the silly shaped bulbs they have too few bulbs per fitting.

I would like other peoples experiences but these low energy bulbs that have a supposed life of 8 years last in my experience for about 6 months.

[/quote]

I have to fit these lamps to the large blocks of flats I look after 50+ lamps a time. Fitted the phillips 10year versions and the following couple of week replaced 3 or 4 then a few more.

There are great LED lamps available if you buy them from the far east, instant start up and they do not mind being switched on and off a lot which the fluorescent do not like.

[BIG MAC]

I have a about twenty sets of halogen lamps which are new in the box, now apparently they are to be phased out...what will people who already have such lamps installed do? I dont fancy havoing lots of holes in my ceilings so something needs to be done. Is it possible to get an LED equivalent to fit in the same fittings?

[Théière]

They won't be phased out for a while I belive. Because they work [:D] and use less than the old style.

What fitting/shape are the halogens you are thinking of BigMac?

[BIG MAC]

Hi Teapot to my eternal shame a certain Germanic Store which rhymes with Tiddles were selling boxes of 6 recessed lamps with the 12v 20watt bulbs if memory serves and at £6 a set if I remember. Thinking Ah they will be right handy for the France house I bought a ....ahem 'Few sets' in white, brushed steel, chrome and brass.

If they are going to be more trouble than they are worth I may e-bay them but can't help thinking surely there will be an LED equivalent Lamp introduced.

[Théière]

Ah em, never put me in your pub quiz team [:$] took me ages to figure out Aldi [Www]

There are some recessed LED spots using 5 watt cree Led and these are very powerful. I have a 3 watt version but no where near the light ouput or quality.

As a little project I am going to form up a string of led's into a spiral and replace one of the lamps in the lounge to try that out, roughly 10 watts for 150 leds.

I have seen a cree led floodlamp for outdoor use and that was very good, expensive but good. Don't believe the hype that led's don't produce heat though, that floodlight had a massive ali heat sink on the back and it did get v hot

[dave21478]

I find that it makes for an interesting race... open the door, flick the light on, lift the seat, unleash Percy, do the business, hit the flush, then see if you can flick the light off again before the bulb has warmed up enough to produce a reasonable amount of light. So much for technological advances - although "quick start" versions of these stupid bulbs are seemingly available, the light is definately poorer than the filament equivelant. As for lifespan, I dont find any large difference between them and old style bulbs - I have certainly replaced several that are well within their supposed 6-10  year lifespan, sometimes after as little as a few months.

Its all for the benefit of the environment though isnt it?

"think of the energy savings", they say, well given that I have to have more lamps to give the same amount of light, and have them switched on for longer, Im not sure if there are any savings to be had.

"green" they say - yes, mercury vapour is very green. I read an elf `n safety paper about these lamps some time ago. If you break one, you are supposed to leave the room for an hour to allow the nasties contained within it to dissipate. Very green. Then there is the disposal problems as mentioned above.

But hey, every little counts, right? Well, While the EU tell me to change what type of bulbs I use, how many hundreds of thousands of new cars went on the road in China and India this month? I cant help but suspect that its all just a farce, and I also wouldnt be in the least bit surprised if some people higher up the decision-making chain than us mere mortals are perhaps making very large profits from this legislation through deals with, or shares owned in, the manufacuring of these silly bulbs.

[Théière]

I use one of these in the outside lamp, instant start, 5 watts (less than the low energy fuorescent, no mercury)