"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
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On Wed, 21 May 2014 21:51:54 +0100, Ian Field
wrote:



"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
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On Wed, 21 May 2014 20:25:54 +0100, Ian Field
wrote:



"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
news On Wed, 21 May 2014 16:25:19 +0100, Ian Field
wrote:



"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
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The ****wit electrician that installed the luminare fitted the wrong
ballast, from day one the florescent tube did a fair bit of buzzing
and
flickering before it started - it got so much worse that I had a
problem
waiting for the light to come on so I could ****!

I tried an electronic starter, there was still a long wait but at
least
the
light came on eventually without a major drama.

When the tube refused to strike at all, I bought a new tube and an
electronic ballast on Ebay. The old tube worked OK with the
electronic
ballast and I got more or less its life expectancy from there.

When the fire alarm contractors did the corridor lights, I won a
couple
of
spare electronic ballasts and tubes, as well as the photo-sensor I
mentioned
on chatter.

When one of my fluorescent fittings dies, I remove the fitting and fit
something that takes LEDs.

The housing association insisted on a splashproof luminare in the bog -
I
only just managed to persuade the electrician not to put one in the
kitchen
too.

Who gives a **** what they insist on? When he leaves, remove it.

A few years ago Morrisons did a special offer of CFLs for 99p - then
extended the offer to buy one get one free, at that price I filled a
couple
of carrier bags.

While LED bulbs are still at least £9.99 and I'd need 3 to give the
same
light as a CFL, there isn't much incentive to make the change.

£15 gives you 150W equivalent. £10 gives you 100W equivalent. £3 gives
you 50W equivalent. And that's including postage.

There's not much point figuring out a conversion for the enclosed unit
that
I have 2 spare ballasts and 2 spare tubes for - way back when I bought
replacement parts, there weren't the options that are available now.

Might start visiting the dump again - if I can salvage a few GU10
fittings,
Home Bargains sometimes have 5W bulbs that are allegedly equal to 40W -
3
of
those in the bog fitting should be plenty.

LEDs that fit in GU10s run very hot and don't last long. I've gone off
CREE LEDs and go for the corn on the cob ones. Hundreds of tiny SMD
LEDs.

HB have had 2 types - a 4W with 4 SMD LEDs and a very tiny switcher PCB
inside the body, and a 5W one with 24 simpler SMD LEDs and a wattless
dropper.

Several in an enclosure could be a heat problem, so I'd prefer the
watless
dropper type when they have any in.

Look on Ebay, there are much cheaper better ones. But buy them from a UK
seller who is registered in the UK (not just posting from a port in the
UK). Otherwise the distance selling regulations won't help you if they
fail.

Most of what I've seen on Ebay that I'd want to order, is from China etc.

Royal Mail extorts a racketeering 'handling charge' for collecting any duty.

Its pretty much put me off bothering.