The most ridiculous light fittings, ever?

[Dave2002]

We have a number of downlighters and spotlight fittings. Many take a GU10 bulb. These wondrous fittings actually work quite well with some of the new LED bulbs such as the dimmable warm white (about £12 from Sainsbury's), or the somewhat cheaper white (3000K colour temperature, non dimmable) LEDs, but get so hot with halogen bulbs or even CFL bulbs that it becomes almost impossible to remove those in order to replace these hot bulbs with newer cooler running equivalents, as the contacts become welded or corroded into the fittings.

What genius ever thought these up? Not somebody who cared about the environment surely, but someone hoping for repeat purchases as each fitting fails.

The other great thing about the GU10s is that re-centring any replacement bulbs in fittings is hard, and it gets harder still standing on top of a ladder. There is no guidance mechanism.

I am still trying to work out a technique for extracting older halogens or CFLs from these GU10 fittings. Even trying to smash them with a hammer doesn't work, though sometimes about 10 minutes of hard violence dislodges them enough that they can then be pulled and/or rotated to get them out.

Those rubber suction pads supposedly for removing the bulbs are also often useless, as the bulb surface is so close to the mount edge, so there is no bulb edge to get hold of.

[Barbirollians]

Well said - I have just had mine replaced with LED after the old halogen fittings all failed bar one . If you think GU10 are bad mine were GU5.3 and they are even worse.

[An_Inspector_Calls]

You can buy GU10s with lugs on the front lens which makes them easy to remove.

[Flosshilde]

& frequently the rubber suction pads end up just taking the 'glass' off, leaving the rest of the bulb in the fitting.

"The other great thing about the GU10s is that re-centring any replacement bulbs in fittings is hard, and it gets harder still standing on top of a ladder."

Just imagin whet it's like if you wear bifocal/varifocal glasses, looking up through the 'distance' section at something that's close, but not close enough to see without glasses!

[Resurrection Man]

Sadly, Dave, Joe Public gets what they pay for. When faced with lamp A costing £20 but of poor quality or lamp B costing £30 but of significantly better quality, then Joe Public will buy lamp A. That is if you can still actually buy lamp B.

[Dave2002]

AIC and RM

I take your points, but many people, myself included, often have the fittings installed by workmen who don't care diddley squat about ease of use or bulb replacement as it probably won't be their problem in a few year's time. They also don't care about energy consumption - not their problem! This seems a fairly entrenched attitude.

I'm still bashing away at one in the hope that it'll eventually fall out, but I suspect it's going to be easier to take all the downlighters out, and then attempt to remove the bulbs "on the bench". May in fact be easiest to leave things for the present. These problems could have been avoided or much reduced by the lighting manufacturers and the electrical industry.

[teamsaint]

I worked in Lighting for quite a long time. It always seemed to me that the industry was driven by the light bulb manufacturers , who gave us the bulbs they wanted to make, and the fittings were designed to accept whatever the bulb guys were wanting to sell.

I recently had some GU10 fittings installed...couldn't believe the consumption and lack of ease of use. The first LED bulb I put in exploded. !

Incidentally, bulbs corroding/welding themselves into the fittings seems no worse than GLS. Screw fitting seem to have been worse.

Anyway, here is a thought....ever noticed how your upstairs lamps(bulbs to you and me) last longer than downstairs?
Its because what causes bulbs to fail is heat and vibration...so walk gently, and occasionally gently dust the front of your downstairs bulbs to move any dust.

[Serial_Apologist]

I worked in Lighting for quite a long time. It always seemed to me that the industry was driven by the light bulb manufacturers , who gave us the bulbs they wanted to make, and the fittings were designed to accept whatever the bulb guys were wanting to sell.

I recently had some GU10 fittings installed...couldn't believe the consumption and lack of ease of use. The first LED bulb I put in exploded. !

Incidentally, bulbs corroding/welding themselves into the fittings seems no worse than GLS. Screw fitting seem to have been worse.

Anyway, here is a thought....ever noticed how your upstairs lamps(bulbs to you and me) last longer than downstairs?
Its because what causes bulbs to fail is heat and vibration...so walk gently, and occasionally gently dust the front of your downstairs bulbs to move any dust.

Less heat & vibration in your upstairs then, ts?

[teamsaint]

Less heat & vibration in your upstairs then, ts?

no, just any excuse to get the feather duster out, S_A.

Bloody hell you can't say anything on this forum....and if its an opportunity for cheap innuendo you want you will find richer pickings in the "poetry " thread........!!

Anyway i am "working from home" (why is it "from" not "At?), so stop interrupting my work, please !!

[Nick Armstrong]

Less heat & vibration in your upstairs then, ts?

He shoots... he scores! Back o'the net!

[teamsaint]

He shoots... he scores! Back o'the net!

If thats what listening to jazz does to you, I am staying clear. Perhaps the LJF has got him over excited.....

Edit......and what's more I post , in all good faith, quality professional advice, which will save you money and which the "trade " would rather you didn't know, and I just get cheap jibes and innuendo.

Do other board members, (musicians, teachers, lawyers, etc) get this sort of shoddy treatment when offering their professional expertise?

I also know a bit about tax and saving money in that area, but I shall keep that for people who might appreciate it !!So there.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Anyway i am "working from home" (why is it "from" not "At?), so stop interrupting my work, please !!

If you are working in your home for a full day you are "working at home".

"Working from home" means that you are travelling from home to temporary places of work such as clients' premises/homes then returning home, but not going to the premises of your employer (office/ shop/ factory or whatever).

The taxman can get interested in working from home as it affects taxation of mileage allowances, curse him

[teamsaint]

Ah, I see. good information. Should have known all that being an ex Revenue man. Perhaps the rules were different then.

Isn't going to affect me tax wise,as I am not based at an office.
Tomorrow, I shall be working at the seaside...but won't be on holiday !

Seaside places are always excellent for selling lighting. All those B and B's, hotels etc.

[Flosshilde]

no, just any excuse to get the feather duster out, S_A.

Bloody hell you can't say anything on this forum....and if its an opportunity for cheap innuendo you want you will find richer pickings in the "poetry " thread........!!

Anyway i am "working from home" (why is it "from" not "At?), so stop interrupting my work, please !!

No need to get so hot under the collar.

[Flosshilde]

My partner's mother has (had?) an ordinary (incandesant) bul in her hall since she moved into the house some 30 years or more ago. And yes, she does switch it on.

She doesn't have dust in her house (it wouldn't dare), but plenty of heat.