Energy Saving Lightbulbs for dimmer

Teterow

Hi everyone,

after receing 2 FREE Energy saving lightbulb with last weeks Sun Newspaper, I would like to replace all our bulbs over the coming months.
Where can I get bulbs for a dimmer light? Also we have a halogen lightning rack in the kitchen....can you get energy saving bulbs for that?

Lastly, on a tight budget, would you recommend investing in the bulbs now or wait until the normal one die?

Thanks

going2die_rich

My understanding is you can't get energy bulbs for dimmer switches due to that energy bulbs can't have their volatages varied. So it either goes on or off when on a dimmer switch like a normal light switch.

starving_artist

Try this website: http://www.varilight.co.uk/

harryhound

I have "Megaman" made in Germany bulbs in my living room.
They came with a technical leaflet, but I plugged them in and they worked, and have worked all winter. Not cheap though.

If you search the forum you will find other people who have used them and links to suppliers.

If you are buying cheap (bulb < 1GBP) then change them as fast as you can.

If the bulb being replaced is say 3 GBP and the replacement is say 15 GBP, I would wait for the tungsten one to blow - probably only 6 months to go anyway. If you only use the bulb infrequently (eg light in the under-stairs cupboard), I would not bother to replace it. Just use it to eventually use up the spare tungsten filament bulbs.

One of the advantages of the low heat mercury energy saving bulbs is they don't over heat the sockets and make them and their wires go brittle.

maninthestreet

Try www.ebulbshop.co.uk for Megaman dimmerable bulbs.

ecfcsi

Try http://www.theinternetelectricalstore.com/ to buy the varilight products directly

soulville

I'm just back from B&Q and they told me the don't stock energy saving bulbs that work with dimmer switches! When the kids were younger a dimmer was great, now it sounds like we have to buy online from the links above (thanks) or replace the dimmer switches with on/off ones. This has got to be the craziest legislation ever passed. I will have to get an electrician in to replace perfectly good switches, pay for new switches I don't need. this will end up costing a tidy sum, not to mention hassle and time to get an electrician in. Meanwhile my youngest will have a dark bed room or we will have to move lamps about. I think I will invoice the government. madness

fluffpot

The dimmable low energy bulbs will often not work with existing dimmer switches unless you have more than one on the same switch. This is because most dimmers have a minimum load of 60W (fine for a normal light bulb) but most energy saving bulbs are less than 10W. Varilight do make a dimmer which is 'low load' ie suitable for low energy bulbs

HTH

grizzly1911

You can dimmable CFLs but they cost.

It also depends on the type of dimmer switch too. I believe taht some simply chop/interrupt the power with standard bulbs, others are more electronically driven.

Yes you can get halogen (GU10) replacement in bot CFL and LED. CFLS from about £3.50 if you go for LEDs you need to go upmarket, to get effective ones, the cheap fleabay ones don't really do the business as room lights. Lastly look for warm white unless you want clinical hard white levels of light. I have tried bot and went down the CFL route as I needed new fittings and B&Q had fittings with bulbs less than the price of bulbs alone:)