Candle bulb alternatives ?

[Vipersan]

Ok ..
I have 4 light fittings in my house that use BN22 filament style candle bulbs ...
I stockpiled a good few ..but the failure rate on these in latter years was timed to perfection ..often a single bulb would fail after 3 months ..
I never replaced the single fail ..preferring to wait until all in the fitting had failed ...
This was not so much a miserly action ..as it was an experiment ..
Sure enough on a five bulb fitting ...once the first failed ..you could be sure the other 4 would fail within 2 days..
IE built in obsolescence ...
Anyway ...
that aside as I've aired my views often on this subject..
I have 2 x 5 candle fittings ...each fitted with 25Watt bulbs (125W per fitting).....and 2 x 3 candle fittings ...each fitted with 40Watt bulbs (120Watt per fitting)
One of the 5 candle fittings is on a dimmer ..
The other 3 are simply switched..
Another issue with recent filament candles (usually imports even though they say ever ready) is that when they blow ...they blow violently ...often showering hot glass and tripping the mains...
Sadly I'm now coming to the end of my candle filament stockpile.
I prefer the clear not opaque bulbs as these are more esthetic ..
I hate those curly energy saving spiral or looped jobbies ..
Slow to start ..blacken after a while ...and look bloody ridiculous ...
plus dont dim easily ...
In short a joke...and not fit for purpose..
They aint cheap either ..and I need 16 at a time for a full complement ..
So ..
We are very much backed into a corner these days ...
But maybe there is an alternative now ?
I have recently discovered a clear bn22 filament style LED bulb ?
These ARE expensive ...but look to be the closest approximation to a clear filament candle ...
?
They retail in the UK for a ridiculous 4 to 5 pounds each ...and I need 16 at least to get started ..
LEDs or course are energy efficient ...but at over £70 is taking the piss somewhat.
So as usual I went directlt to source ..Ebay >>> China /HK
Where I can import a pack of 10 for about £30 ...
..half the price..
I have ordered a pack of 10 to see if I like 'em ..
..but not a cheap alternative..
I have a few questions tho'
A ...has anyone used em ..and are they a good substitute ?
B ... Are they dimmable by conventional wall dimmer switches ?
C ... Are they availabe in a warmer white ...like the filament bulbs
D ... what sort of lifespan can I expect ...(2 years minimum I hope to justify the expense)
E ... What sort of energy savings can I expect..
D ... What is the comparable wattage equivalent of say a 25 watt and a 40 watt filament bulb to get the same lumens ..(Am I right that 4W LED is roughly the same as 40W flament ?)

I realise we are being shafted by being forced to dump filament bulbs ...which have a much shorter life than before ...and getting scarce.. but why so expensive ..IF they want us to make that transition ?
The Powers That Be ...should be encouraging this move not pricing domestic consumers out of the light and into the dark..
rgds
VS
New 3.2W Filament Candle2700K, Ra80, 250 Lm 143919 UK

 

[Topper]

Not the filament types no, as you say they look good and are energy efficient, but the price also put me off. I have begun replacing all my GU 10 halogens for led replacement GU10, again expensive however saving 80% energy on the 20 in the house they will soon pay for themselves. Direct electrical supplies will do deals on 10+ quantities, well my branch will and they sell good quality stuff, mainly from Europe. I have just put a new ceiling in the kitchen and fitted 10 flush daylight LED spots and am not disappointed at all. electricity bills have been going down monthly since starting this process.

 

[scopus]

LED's are the way to go, they are quite a bit cheaper in the likes of wilko Home bargains etc..

 

[Vipersan]

View attachment 90043 Not the filament types no, as you say they look good and are energy efficient, but the price also put me off. I have begun replacing all my GU 10 halogens for led replacement GU10, again expensive however saving 80% energy on the 20 in the house they will soon pay for themselves. Direct electrical supplies will do deals on 10+ quantities, well my branch will and they sell good quality stuff, mainly from Europe. I have just put a new ceiling in the kitchen and fitted 10 flush daylight LED spots and am not disappointed at all. electricity bills have been going down monthly since starting this process.

Like you I have a drop ceiling in my playroom ...and intend to fit one in the kitchen ..eventually ..
LED equivalent of the G10 Ideal for bathrooms kitchens or offices etc ..
But not for me in a dining room or lounge ..
hall or stairway ..
which is where my candle bulbs are used ..
A personal preference ..and can't really see an alternative ...so I bite the bullet and pay through the nose for the LED filament bulbs I guess..
rgds

 

[Topper]

Ermm, and yes (before you ask) we are currently waiting for the new kitchen units to be delivered but it has turned into yet another saga, as does everything I seem to order from big suppliers, who should know better

 

[Archive4]

Ermm, and yes (before you ask) we are currently waiting for the new kitchen units to be delivered but it has turned into yet another saga, as does everything I seem to order from big suppliers, who should know better

Well, look on the bright side ( every pun intended ) , gives you a chance to finish the plastering and re-connect the main earth for the house!

 

[Terryl]

Are these bulbs that keep failing mounted in a wall fixture, or in a hanging chandelier, if in a wall mounted fixture it could be excessive vibration that is shortening the life span, I had a customer that had a similar problem, they were mounted to a wall that was on a stair well, the vibration of the kids running up and down the stairs caused the filaments to break down too soon, I replaced then with an LED fixture and had no problems after that.

If they are in a chandelier are they pointing up or hanging down?

Some chandelier bulbs are only designed for a down position as the filaments may not be supported correctly for an up or sideways position, could be the cause of the early failure due to the filaments sagging.

And the prices on LED bulbs is dropping fast (at least on this side of the big pond) I found some standard 60 watt bulbs at Lowes for $4.99 a two pack, or $6.99 a three pack, bought some for the high usage areas and did some replacing, my electric bill went down about $30, I'm going to try for the whole house as soon as I see another sale.

 

[battenfan]

I've bought flashlights from dx and was pretty happy with them so I ordered a dimable e27 led hoping it would last a lifetime. It died within a year, probably the dimming circuit. Gonna dissect it eventually.

But not for me in a dining room or lounge ..
hall or stairway ..
which is where my candle bulbs are used ..
A personal preference ..and can't really see an alternative ...so I bite the bullet and pay through the nose for the LED filament bulbs I guess..
rgds

Led strips?

 

[Archive4]

I've bought flashlights from dx and was pretty happy with them so I ordered a dimable e27 led hoping it would last a lifetime. It died within a year, probably the dimming circuit. Gonna dissect it eventually.

Led strips?

Isn´t it a bit early in the evening for that kind of conversation?

 

[Vipersan]

Are these bulbs that keep failing mounted in a wall fixture, or in a hanging chandelier, if in a wall mounted fixture it could be excessive vibration that is shortening the life span, I had a customer that had a similar problem, they were mounted to a wall that was on a stair well, the vibration of the kids running up and down the stairs caused the filaments to break down too soon, I replaced then with an LED fixture and had no problems after that.

If they are in a chandelier are they pointing up or hanging down?

Some chandelier bulbs are only designed for a down position as the filaments may not be supported correctly for an up or sideways position, could be the cause of the early failure due to the filaments sagging.

And the prices on LED bulbs is dropping fast (at least on this side of the big pond) I found some standard 60 watt bulbs at Lowes for $4.99 a two pack, or $6.99 a three pack, bought some for the high usage areas and did some replacing, my electric bill went down about $30, I'm going to try for the whole house as soon as I see another sale.

pointing upwards in all fittings ...
They are after all supposed to simulate candles ...
rgds
VS

 

[2cvbloke]

LED filament bulbs are awesome, you can buy them cheaply from china but they run the risk of not being made very well, I've bought a number of them, some are amazing, and a few are just awful (bad power supplies usually), but ultimately they're a nice alternative to tungsten filament bulbs...

As for bayonet candle bulbs, Banggood has some here:

http://www.banggood.com/B22-C35-4W-COB-Filament-Bulb-Eison-Vintage-Candle-Clear-Glass-Lamp-Non-Dimmable-AC-220V-p-1024623.html

 

[Terryl]

Hey those look kool, I wounder how they are made???

maybe time to buy one and tear it apart and take a look, the problem is that I can never remember how to put them back together.

 

[Archive4]

As for bayonet candle bulbs, Banggood has some here:

http://www.banggood.com/B22-C35-4W-COB-Filament-Bulb-Eison-Vintage-Candle-Clear-Glass-Lamp-Non-Dimmable-AC-220V-p-1024623.html

Not good enough, note, non - dimmable

 

[Archive4]

Hey those look kool, I wounder how they are made???

maybe time to buy one and tear it apart and take a look, the problem is that I can never remember how to put them back together.

Please change your signature to below 50%

 

[Vipersan]

No need Terry ..
here is a teardown for ya..

 

[Archive4]

No need Terry ..
here is a teardown for ya..

Very informative, and ten times better than Strictly Come Dancing, imo!

 

[pgh13]

LEDs seem to be improving and getting cheaper. I've bought quite a few GU10 spots and have been pleased with them. I've got 1 fitting with GU10 dimmable LEDs which are OK-ish but are prone to flickering when dimmed. For basic lights is worth checking in the Pound shops. I got one candle bulb which compares quite well along side 40W candle bulbs but by the time you've tried one and found it ok there are none left in the shop, so be warned. Anyone passing through France could do worse than checking out Noz shops where they often have loads of LED and cfl bulbs at around €3.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[PaulR]

I sent off for some of these 15W 18W 21W E14 E27 G9 GU10 B22 72/81/89 SMD 5730 LED Corn Energy Saving Bulb before Christmas. I wanted bayonet B22 bases and these were only available in 81 and 89 LED brightnesses. I had heard somewhere that if you keep the value of a package down to around £15 then it'll probably not be intercepted by the customs and escape import duty so ordered 5 x 89LED and 6 x 82 LED bulbs in two separate orders.

They took several weeks to arrive and two bulbs were DOA. Fair do's to the suppliers, they sent two replacements out without quibble. Took another three weeks for them to arrive but for the price you can't grumble.

One thing though. They are not dimmable. You need to get different ones for that and they're more expensive.

 

[Topper]

Well, look on the bright side ( every pun intended ) , gives you a chance to finish the plastering and re-connect the main earth for the house!

the main earth strapping is located on the water pipes nearest the consumer unit where the 3 phase cable and original lead piping come in to the property and next door's 2 phase cable goes back out, the earth being derived from the original lead piping that is still in place but no longer used, but still buried 6 foot down in the alluvial clay that the house is built on.