Revelation

[Heinz]

Fed up with the dim glow that is the CF energy saver bulb in the utility room, tossed it and fitted a nice B&Q 60 watt incandescent. The difference is incredible ! Flick the switch and it's suddenly possible to find my boots without fumbling around in the gloom....
I have got CF bulbs and some LED bulbs round the place. Tried various makes and types. They're all carp. I've come to realise that I struggle to see properly wherever there is not an incandescent bulb. My desk has two LED lights, 18 LEDS each and they do provide light, but if I need to do a little electronics or fix a sonic screwdriver for the sprogs, the only way to really be able to see is to whip one of the LED bulbs out and fit the 60w incandescent bulb which lives on the shelf above the desk.
I'm off to buy a lifetimes stock of real bulbs with Mr Mastercard

Heinz

[Philip R]

I was very lucky to be given some 150 Watt GLS lamps. Use them for a quick burst of light in the garage. Otherwise use the flourescent strips.

I cannot fathom the vanity for dirty brown light from recessed halogen downlighters and similar dark glimmer from 2700K colour temperature CFLs. Give us  3000K or 3500K lamps.

PhilipR

[ecogeorge]

Fed up with the dim glow that is the CF energy saver bulb in the utility room, tossed it and fitted a nice B&Q 60 watt incandescent. The difference is incredible ! Flick the switch and it's suddenly possible to find my boots without fumbling around in the gloom....
I have got CF bulbs and some LED bulbs round the place. Tried various makes and types. They're all carp. I've come to realise that I struggle to see properly wherever there is not an incandescent bulb. My desk has two LED lights, 18 LEDS each and they do provide light, but if I need to do a little electronics or fix a sonic screwdriver for the sprogs, the only way to really be able to see is to whip one of the LED bulbs out and fit the 60w incandescent bulb which lives on the shelf above the desk.
I'm off to buy a lifetimes stock of real bulbs with Mr Mastercard

Heinz

If that's what you think you're delusional  
Spend a few quid more on each bulb. I have some 7w led GU10 bulbs and they are brighter than halogens-you cannot look at them!  plus they have a 30,000 hr life.
rgds George.

[Heinz]

I was very lucky to be given some 150 Watt GLS lamps. Use them for a quick burst of light in the garage. Otherwise use the flourescent strips.

I cannot fathom the vanity for dirty brown light from recessed halogen downlighters and similar dark glimmer from 2700K colour temperature CFLs. Give us  3000K or 3500K lamps.

PhilipR

When I was rebuilding the bathroom I happened upon a 150w GLS which was most useful in illuminating the darkest corners of the shell which was to become the bathroom. Marvellous to be able to see everything properly instead of having to point a work light at a small area at a time and the room is far from large.... Only trouble was the heat plus my grafting plus the small room made for a sauna.
Seems to me that there are two types of lighting. 1/ enough light to find the TV remote 2/ light to actually be able to see to do something useful e.g. make or fix something. As 99.9% of the population fit into lighting type 1, CF glimmers will do for them.

Heinz

[Heinz]

If that's what you think you're delusional  
Spend a few quid more on each bulb. I have some 7w led GU10 bulbs and they are brighter than halogens-you cannot look at them!  plus they have a 30,000 hr life.
rgds George.

I may be delusional, but I can see that clearly now....
So, these 7w LEDs. What make and type are they? Like I said, I have tried some LED bulbs with different colour temps in the hope of finding something usable but all have been found wanting so far. I do think that LEDs are the way forward, they just aren't there yet, but feel free to point me in the direction of something which REALLY works and I'll buy a bunch of them 

Heinz

[M]

Fed up with the dim glow that is the CF energy saver bulb in the utility room, tossed it and fitted a nice B&Q 60 watt incandescent. The difference is incredible ! Flick the switch and it's suddenly possible to find my boots without fumbling around in the gloom....
I have got CF bulbs and some LED bulbs round the place. Tried various makes and types. They're all carp. I've come to realise that I struggle to see properly wherever there is not an incandescent bulb. My desk has two LED lights, 18 LEDS each and they do provide light, but if I need to do a little electronics or fix a sonic screwdriver for the sprogs, the only way to really be able to see is to whip one of the LED bulbs out and fit the 60w incandescent bulb which lives on the shelf above the desk.
I'm off to buy a lifetimes stock of real bulbs with Mr Mastercard

Heinz

If you were just after more light, couldn't you have installed a 20w cf bulb, this would come on instantly at about 60w (old money) and reach 100 in about 30 secs?

Cost 10 to 25p at a supermarket, last longer, and use 1/3 of the energy. Whilst light colour may vary, stated output in lumens can't really lie.

I've loved my energy bulbs for 15 years now, top tip, put your oldest and saddest in the bathroom. When you feel ill, or need the loo in the middle of the night you can switch the light on without your eyes tearing up, and you can see fine as your pupils are already wide open.

Cf's are also great in inspection lamps as so much less heat.

Lecture over, sorry.

Martyn.

[StationHouse]

Most rooms in our current house had CFLs as the main roof lighting.

As each room has been renovated/decorated the CFLs have been displaced to the bin to be replaced with halogens 

It's dark enough in the country without haveing to wait ages for these ugly lights to warm up after a min or so...

We do still use the odd CFL in table lamps where brightness is not a big issue...

I'm not sure they make a big enough difference on the leccy bill to warrant such a backward step. It's also hard to get CFLs that give out the same colour of light regardless of what the box says 

[clockmanFR]

True about the blasted colour problems, took me ages to find 2 matching 18w Job for matching pair outside porch lights.

Did the original poster mention buying an old type filament bulb? surely that is illegal and B&Q should be prosecuted?

To me the filament bulb was the most environmentally friendly manufactured product, simple minimal materials etc,  than these fl..nasties with all the horrible Oh, how I wish it was better inside .

[martin]

What a load old nonsense! - I don't know where people have been buying their CFLs, but I haven't experienced any of these "problems". The early ones were utterly ghastly, had a "bluey green" colour cast and made everyone look ill, but the newest generation have a very acceptable colour rendition and come on quite swiftly (what is this nonsense about demanding "instant brightness"? - if you wake in the night and switch the light on, it's very civilised to have the light relatively slowly "come to" - it's far less "jangling")

As for "brightness", we can light a very large kitchen with 2 x20w cfls, and have no problems whatsoever with seeing what we're doing - and aged parent who has severe macular degeneration is also happy with a light fitting with 3x23w cfls (instead of 300w or more of "conventional" light bulbs)

I'm "fussy" over lighting, and am very conscious of the quality of light, but can honestly say that I have no problems whatsoever with cfls - about the only observation is that an 18w cfl equates roughly with a 60w "conventional bulb", and a 23w with a 100-watter.

I haven't yet invested in LEDs to any extent, but one that I bought for a desk lamp (a Lidl special) gives a good bright light of excellent colour.....

I suspect yet another "Torygraph" campaign to follow their anti-AGW, ant-wind, pro-nuke stance
  

[StationHouse]

I agree CFLs have their uses but unfortunately do not suit us except as backbround lighting where the bulb is hidden.

On another note, these new outdoor LED floods are great 

[martin]

I'm still baffled - I'm very fussy about light, but perceive no problems whatsoever, being "a bit of a greenie" I'd be prepared to put up with some slight drawback in return for saving a great deal of energy, but I'm stuffed if I can find any "downside" at all..........(I see the slightly slower "on" to be a positive advantage)..

[daftlad]

You can get fast start up CFL'S 
CFL'S take time to warm up, especially in a cold environment like a garage. 
You need to spend decent money to get good LED lamps.
Try cleaning old lamps to get more light out of them. 

peas

[dhaslam]

There is a big difference between CFL warm up times.   The ones I bought recently from Aldi take a full five minutes to warm up and only produce something like 10% of their capacity when turned on first.  The ones I bought from CPC when the house was built come on instantly.  It is probably to use halogens or tungsten bulbs in areas that only need light for minute or two but need maximum brightness.

[martin]

Perhaps it's carrot intake, perhaps it's having got used to wandering about in countryside in "the dark" without a torch (it's seldom totally dark), but I'm still baffled - should I wake in the middle of the night and need to visit the loo, I don't bother to put any lights on at all - I know the way, I can see well enough not to trip over anything, where's the need for "instant searchlight" jobs?  - I'm really totally nonplussed at the "need" for them, a little patience is good for the soul..........

[Heinz]

I'm still baffled - I'm very fussy about light, but perceive no problems whatsoever, being "a bit of a greenie" I'd be prepared to put up with some slight drawback in return for saving a great deal of energy, but I'm stuffed if I can find any "downside" at all..........(I see the slightly slower "on" to be a positive advantage)..

I'm a bit of a greenie too which is why I've struggled with CF bulbs and LED bulbs in the hope of saving a bit of energy but it just ain't working for me. A CF is perfect for a table lamp or bedside lamp, but useless for anything beyond the 'finding the TV remote' I mentioned earlier. It's weird, the LEDs at my desk look bright, yet when I try and work on anything small, I can't see what I'm doing in detail. Stick in the good old 60 watt and the problem is gone.
Part of the problem is knowing what to buy. One Cf bulb might be great, but the next one is carp, same with LEDs, you need to buy loads to find the one make/type which really works. It's a bit like the woman and make-up, endless expensive tubs of creams, bought, tried once, abandoned only to be replaced by the next hopeful purchase. Finally find just the right shade of lippy only to have the maker replace it with a new improved one which ain't quite right, back to the start..... An incandescent 60watt is an incandescent 60watt, few choices, few problems.

Maybe what's needed is a review of what CFs LEDs we all use and what makes to avoid?

Heinz