Lamp Limiters

[John10b]

Just wondering what lamps (bulbs) will be used,in the above, when the incandescent bulbs are no longer available ?
Cheers
John

[ValvoStef]

Halogen lamps should work as a lamp limiter.

[paulsherwin]

Rough service bulbs will also be OK if you can find some of decent quality.

A lamp should last a very long time in a limiter as it is only energised very occasionally and almost never at full voltage.

[bikerhifinut]

I think we need not worry too much just yet as there are still industrial applications where only an incandescent filament lamp will work and there will be a supply for those, albeit at a price. As paul mentioned the rough service jobs.
I also wondered if it would be practical to string some vehicle lamps in series, say 5 x 24V double filament commercial vehicle headlamp bulbs to get a 240V rating? Again thats a potential source of filament lamps for the forseeable.

A.

[paulsherwin]

You could also use red Fireglow bulbs. These are classed as decorative lamps so not covered by the ban. It's more difficult to see the filament though, and they're only available as 60W(?). Some sort of series/parallel arrangement with two bulbs would be possible.

[John10b]

Thanks for your comments, I did take a good look around B&Q last weekend and all their bulbs were LED’s, i didn’t notice any “fire glow” or rough service ones on display, I’ll take a look in ScrewFix.
Cheers
John

[broadgage]

Incandescent lamps are less common than formerly, but can still be found in some stores and on line.
As well as the fireglow lamps suggested above, daylight lamps with a blue tinted bulb can be used.

The loophole of calling GLS lamps "rough service" has been closed, "traffic signal" lamp is the latest.

It would be well to get a stock of mains voltage incandescent lamps, availability is declining.

Vehicle lamps would be most awkward, most twin filament vehicle lamps have two filaments of different wattages thus preventing use of both filaments in series.

[paulsherwin]

A trade outlet is likely to be a better bet for proper rough service bulbs.

Fireglows are quite widely available (they are used in electric fires of course) though I've noticed a few LED Fireglows are starting to appear. At first this seems completely pointless for an electric heater, but apparently some people don't use the heating elements but just leave the red glow on to make the room feel cosy. Some coal effect fires rely on the heat from the bulb to create the 'flickering flames' effect though, and these will always need an incandescent to work properly.

[John10b]

Just taken a look at the new edition screwfix catalogue, cannot find suitable bulb, only oven version.
What would be most suitable alternative method if and when bulbs, as we know them, are no longer available?
Cheers
John

[David G4EBT]

Last time I was in Poundland and B&M a couple of weeks ago, they both had lots of filament bulbs in various wattages.
Suppliers often get around it by describing bulbs as 'rough service' (for inspection lamps and the like) which are exempt, at least for now.

[John10b]

Hi David, see post 7, apparently that loop hole has been closed!
Cheers
John

[paulsherwin]

There are still lots of halogen GLS bulbs in the supermarkets at present, though they will not be restocking.

Builders' skips often contain GLS bulbs and fittings, and you find them at car boots and flea markets.

Tungsten and halogen bulbs will never become completely unavailable, as they are needed for specialist applications. They just won't be available through consumer retail outlets and will cost more, e.g: https://www.thelightbulb.co.uk/light...craftlight-gls

[dseymo1]

Fear not - I have a large boxful of NOS 40W and 60W lamps (with SBC base) which I shall be offering here FOC in due course. They will have to go as one lot and be distributed, but there are plenty to go round!

[broadgage]

For the reasons already given it seems unlikely that GLS lamps will ever completely disappear.

If they did become hard to get then one option would be high temperature oven lamps, I see no viable alternative for internal lighting of hot ovens.
They are often only 15 or 25 watts, but could be used in parallel.

[dave walsh]

I've kept a supply in reserve. My hardware shop in Rammy stocks the red bulbs and a £ shop in Bexhill has them but it's closing down at the end of the month.

As an aside : £5 is now the new pound according to yesterday's Guardian2. "Christmas comes early in the £5 shop" ie Only5Pounds Northampton Branch. Larger items eg Sandwich Toasters but only a fiver!

Dave

[stitch1]

Originally Posted by John10b

Hi David, see post 7, apparently that loop hole has been closed!

Not on eBay (yet), there's a shop selling new 10x Clear Standard GLS Light Bulb lamp BC B22 Bayonet cap, in 40, 60 and 100W (200W too but a bit more pricey) etc. for around £10 with free p&p, should last you a lifetime in a lamp limiter.

John

[broadgage]

AFAIK the loophole whereby GLS lamps were marked as "rough service" has now been closed as regards manufacture within the EU or imports into the EU, existing stocks may be sold without concern.

[emeritus]

I tried to get a true rough service bulb for my inspection lamp at the weekend, but my local electrical shops had none left.

[Philips210]

I was lucky to pick up a small quantity of NOS GLS filament lamps at our local car boot sale. There was a few of the less common 25W and 75W types amongst them as well.
Occasionally, charity shops have various filament lamps from time to time.

Regards
Symon

[buggies]

I bought some halogens in Aldi a week or so ago - some special offer and some just with all the LEDs. Also went into B&M and found two shelves full (pic).
I tested a 100W tungsten and three different halogens on a variac and measured current and volts. Put results into Excel and plotted resistance graphs. No real difference in shape. Have now misplaced the xls file so cannot attach.