Light bulb advice - cannot find correct 4 pin bulb anywhere!

Spenno_2

Hi all. First post
Last year I moved into a new Larkfleet home, and only this week have got round to decorating . After buying a new shade for my living room light, I went out to get a slightly brighter bulb. However ... can I find one that fits? Even of idential wattage? No!
It is of the flourescent tube variety with 4-pins. It's exact code is Osram Dulux D/E 13w/840. I've bought two that look the same, but are 18w (one also by Osram). Neither fitted - they both fall out without clicking into place, despite everything looking the same - apart from a tiny white plastic part just beneath the pins - that probably serves to prevent it fitting - as on the two I've purchased, this plastic bit has been off to the side, whereas on the 'correct' bulb it is in the centre.
My whole house is made up solely of this 4 pin connection type, as is the whole street, I assume!
Why can't I find a suitable bulb in any shop I've looked in - or even online? What should I be looking for? Help!

chunkychocky

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Osram-Dulux-13W-840-G24q-1/dp/B000ONJGJO ?

Ben84

There is frankly a far better and easier to buy selection of light bulbs (including energy savers if you want to use them) with standard bayonet fittings, so why not just install a new bayonet pendant? Decent quality ones can be bought for less than £5.

CaptainKidd

As Ben says above it might be less hassle in the long run to just change to a standard lampholder so you can use normal bulbs.

moonrakerz

chunkychocky wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Osram-Dulux-13W-840-G24q-1/dp/B000ONJGJO ?

Gosh, you are clever, I would never have thought of that ............only got 47,200 hits when I tried it too !!! :D:D

Spenno_2

Thanks Chunky, that 'looks' right (although I think I'd opt for 18w if I can find one) ... but so did the other two I purchased last week that didn't fit! It's that spacer part that has a small white plastic block in. It's in the middle on mine, but to the side in others I've seen, which prevents the bulb staying in.
The bayonette-4pin connector sounds a good idea, but even then the 4pin side might still not fit in the way the bulbs I've purchased so far haven't. Ideally I'd like to find the correct bulb as this will affect the whole house (and entire development of about 200 houses!).
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

ic

The suggestion for a bayonet fitting is to replace the whole existing pendant. They're very cheap - just £1.08 each. Replacement should be straight forward for a competant DIYer. Once fitted you'll be able to use the standard two pin bayonet bulbs that are available everywhere - from time to time the energy saving bulbs are on offer for as little as 10p each in the supermarkets and DIY sheds (they're subsidised by the energy companies - the offers usually come around in winter when its darker). Still less than half the price of that bulb above!

The fittings you have are because of the current building regs on new build homes - they must have at least 25% of fittings which only support low energy bulbs. To make life easy and cheaper for themselves the builder just installs only those fittings. There is however nothing stopping you changing them now you've moved in.

Owain_Moneysaver

ic wrote: »

The fittings you have are because of the current building regs on new build homes - they must have at least 25% of fittings which only support low energy bulbs. To make life easy and cheaper for themselves the builder just installs only those fittings. There is however nothing stopping you changing them now you've moved in.

Most electricians have a loan set of such fittings which they put in houses when the inspector calls. Then they get moved to the next house ...

Ben84

ic wrote: »

The suggestion for a bayonet fitting is to replace the whole existing pendant. They're very cheap - just £1.08 each. Replacement should be straight forward for a competant DIYer. Once fitted you'll be able to use the standard two pin bayonet bulbs that are available everywhere - from time to time the energy saving bulbs are on offer for as little as 10p each in the supermarkets and DIY sheds (they're subsidised by the energy companies - the offers usually come around in winter when its darker). Still less than half the price of that bulb above!

The fittings you have are because of the current building regs on new build homes - they must have at least 25% of fittings which only support low energy bulbs. To make life easy and cheaper for themselves the builder just installs only those fittings. There is however nothing stopping you changing them now you've moved in.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. It's what I would do as I find the new part L light fixtures terribly people unfriendly. It makes things much harder for people to find bulbs they like and it might result in people paying much higher prices for bulbs too, particularly if mail order is the only option. The worst ones I saw had a huge diameter bulb holder too, so regular lamp shades wouldn't fit either!

I think unfortunately this is a bad energy saving idea. Who would honestly choose these over a regular bayonet fixture that gives you so much more bulb choice? People are going to realise you can just change the pendant to a standard bayonet and with replacements as cheap as £1 per fixture these energy saving pendants are just going to go in the bin.

MX5huggy

Ben84 wrote: »

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. It's what I would do as I find the new part L light fixtures terribly people unfriendly. It makes things much harder for people to find bulbs they like and it might result in people paying much higher prices for bulbs too, particularly if mail order is the only option. The worst ones I saw had a huge diameter bulb holder too, so regular lamp shades wouldn't fit either!

I think unfortunately this is a bad energy saving idea. Who would honestly choose these over a regular bayonet fixture that gives you so much more bulb choice? People are going to realise you can just change the pendant to a standard bayonet and with replacements as cheap as £1 per fixture these energy saving pendants are just going to go in the bin.

For once sence has prevailed the 2010 Dosmestic services compliance guide allows the install of these stupid lamps with the pins or the install of standard fittings if supplied with a CFL. See page 122
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/domestic_building_compliance_guide_2010.pdf

kassi

My house also has those bulbs and I have now found them in Wilkinson!!
They are a little smaller in size but the fitting is the same they also do the light shades for these light fittings. They are the ones where you can push out the centre hole to make it bigger so you can fit them over the light fitting.
Hope that helps and makes sense