sally_in_wales
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LightbulbsWhen we moved in, virtually every lightbulb we installed was the energy saving type, now only the ones in the hall are. The reason is that I found there is something about the light from them that makes me either unable to see what I'm working on (especially fine sewing and craftwork), or that they seemed to make us feel vaguely depressed. I'd really like to swap back to eco bulbs, but I'm wondering whether the experience we had was at all common, and whether there are any 'tricks' to help offset the feeling we got that we weren't getting a decent working light from them.
Its daft, because I have been known to function perfectly well by candle-light on many occasions, but for some reason the eco bulbs drove me potty. Are there different specifications of them (apart from the brightness, I know you can get several different brightnesses of them).
Hoping they have evolved a bit over the last 5 years, it annoys me having to choose the 'bad' sort of bulbs, especially if I can find eco ones that actually fit in the light fittings we have and don't make me feel yuk.
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tahir
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I'll let you know, I'm waiting delivery of 3 different types of low energy bulbs, the LED ones that Jema and I tried were crap
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Jonnyboy
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Our house has nothing but eco bulbs, whilst they are a bit dim starting up the 20w GE models give a nice, bright light.
I wouldn't recommend an 11w for anything other than a very small room.
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Gervase
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I'm glad I'm not alone in hating the light from low-energy bulbs - the colour temperature is a horrible sickly green and makes me thoroughly depressed.
When they come up with some that have a warmer temperature (or even daylight equivalence), I'll happily convert.
Oops, maybe this should have been said in the confessional! 
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puffedpride
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There are some rather expensive new ones that have a spiral tube, producing a bright 'natural light'. Has anyone tried these?
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jema
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| tahir wrote: | | I'll let you know, I'm waiting delivery of 3 different types of low energy bulbs, the LED ones that Jema and I tried were crap |
I was certainly going to leap in and say they were awful. Can't recall what problems you had?
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Goxhill
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I really struggle with them too. I thought it was just me as the other family members don't seem affected & I'm a SAD sufferer.
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Bugs
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| puffedpride wrote: | | There are some rather expensive new ones that have a spiral tube, producing a bright 'natural light'. Has anyone tried these? |
I think these are among those we've tried - the light is interesting, it's definitely clearer and brighter than your typical ecobulb , which I think are what we have in the kitchen and living room, supposed to be better for crafts/reading etc than "normal" ones but it's still odd compared to them. However we've been through two and both popped far too quickly - weeks, rather than months or the alleged years. That could be our dodgy house with dodgy 1930s electrics though, I'll get the man of the house to comment properly while I go back to hanging out the washing and brushing my silken locks 
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jema
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Our LEDS died in weeks making them a complete lie from an eco point of view 
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Jonnyboy
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| jema wrote: | | Our LEDS died in weeks making them a complete lie from an eco point of view |
No recourse to the supplier?
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ele
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I do like the normal non flickery warm light from ordinary lightbulbs so in our lounge we do have a mix of those and a couple of side lamps with energy efficient bulbs. In summer I switch them all to energy efficient as I don't want waste heat (where as in winter at least they help to heat the house a little!), and I'm not under them so much with the long days so I'm not so bothered.
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jema
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| Jonnyboy wrote: | | jema wrote: | | Our LEDS died in weeks making them a complete lie from an eco point of view |
No recourse to the supplier? |
I am terrible on that sort of thing. I should have made an issue of it as a matter of principle. But I am up to my ears in work and could do without the aggravation.
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tawny owl
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| Goxhill wrote: | | I really struggle with them too. I thought it was just me as the other family members don't seem affected & I'm a SAD sufferer. |
Me too. The light is awful and they make me feel really depressed. I've switched to halogens, which at least use less 'leccy, but like someone (TD?), I've made a resolution to just make sure they're switched off now.
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tahir
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| puffedpride wrote: | | There are some rather expensive new ones that have a spiral tube, producing a bright 'natural light'. Has anyone tried these? |
Bought some for £2.60, 8000hr life apparently, the lights OK but they take ages to get up to a decent level of brightness
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tahir
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| jema wrote: | | tahir wrote: | | I'll let you know, I'm waiting delivery of 3 different types of low energy bulbs, the LED ones that Jema and I tried were crap |
I was certainly going to leap in and say they were awful. Can't recall what problems you had? |
The light output is pathetic and the light is very cold, blueish
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bernie-woman
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| tahir wrote: | | puffedpride wrote: | | There are some rather expensive new ones that have a spiral tube, producing a bright 'natural light'. Has anyone tried these? |
Bought some for £2.60, 8000hr life apparently, the lights OK but they take ages to get up to a decent level of brightness |
That is one of the problems that we have with them i.e the time they take to get bright enough. We have them in the garage and unfortunately by the time the light is bright enought for me to see properly I ahve already tripped over the recycling boxes, stubbed my toes on the piano (don't ask), tripped over the copper sculpture being stored in the garage for the nature reserve etc... 
We only have them in the house on the stairs and landing where there are two lights that come on at the same time so no danger of falling down the stairs - I also hate the light from them - so use others elsewhere in the house, although I haven't had to change any of the energy saving ones for the last 4 years
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Jonnyboy
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Am I the only person here that thinks the light level is fine, colour is OK and they get up to correct luminescence quickly?
Perhaps it's because we don't have any normal bulbs so i'm not always comparing.
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gingerwelly
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I dont mind them all our lights are the eco ones ..... I use a desk lamp for reading and work, (they are the low energy ones aswell) > The only probs we had was with the low energy bulbs from that great store ikea ... every few mins when the light was on the tv channel would change !! ... talked to the electric guy about it, he said that loads of people had the same probs !
local council's at one point were selling them for £1 each (well thats what we got them for).. you just pop into the local office,show them your council tax form and they will let you have some ... they were realy good lasted for years
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Mat S
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I've got CFLs throughout the house now and think they're great. Some of them start up a bit slowly bit it's bearable, especially for their life and energy consumption.
I've seen ones that claim to be closer to daylight colour temp on la web which I fancy trying but they're about £13 a piece which is more than I want to pay right now.
Mat
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marigold
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I don't like low-energy bulbs either. Though I think they are less ghastly in a white-painted room, than one with darkish decor. I've now got them in the hall and on the landing as a token gesture, but don't use them in rooms I spend any time in.
Like Mat I'd like to try the "full spectrum" long-life, low-energy type bulb, but they are very expensive. I sometimes buy a "daylight" bulb for my study which gives a lovely light. Costs about £5 and does last longer than an ordinary supermarket bulb, but not as long as the low-energy kind.
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