Lighting solution for lounge

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Morgenmuffel

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#195405 19-Apr-2016 13:23

Our Lounge is about 9m by 4.5m (I think) and it has two of those 5 light fittings in it

sort of like this

https://www.bidbud.co.nz/1071141954

problem is they keeps destroying bulbs in certain sockets, no matter what style of bulb we use.

I would like to replace them with some thing that is a bit better, but also don't want to spend to much, any suggestions would be welcomed, and a rough idea of cost

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

Dynamic

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#1535607 19-Apr-2016 13:33

Dumb question. Have you tried LED bulbs?

It could be the heat in the small space killing the bulbs, and LEDs generate a lot less heat than compact fluorescents and of course a LOT less than plain old incandescent.

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richms

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#1535647 19-Apr-2016 14:52

That is a really large room for so few lights.

Is there an upstairs with people that walk like elephants? That kills incandescent lamps quickly.

Richard rich.ms

Morgenmuffel

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#1535656 19-Apr-2016 15:01

No upstairs, they just tacked a big room on at the end of the house

Yes i have tried LEDs (for the very reason you mentioned) and they seem to die just as often as the others

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

richms

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#1535658 19-Apr-2016 15:02

Did you buy proper led's or the cheapest crap you could find? If it is a lamp holder problem you will normally see signs of arcing on the base of the lamp when you take it out.

Richard rich.ms

Morgenmuffel

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#1537877 22-Apr-2016 08:26

LEDs its been a mix of cheap and some dearer ones, I didn't notice any arcing, but to be honest I wasn't looking

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

andrewNZ

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#1537924 22-Apr-2016 09:25

I'll bet the lamps last longer without the glass shade.
Those types of fittings just trap heat in and cook lamps.

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Location: Dunedin

networkn

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#1537941 22-Apr-2016 10:04

I have the same lighting solution and yes, I agree we went through a LOT of bulbs for a while, but actually it's been about 8 months since we replaced a bulb. We bought our last lot from lighting direct in st lukes.

Prior to that, it was every month it felt like, one or more of the bulbs got replaced. It's also worth noting they are for some reason, stupidly sensitive to finger oil. We now insert them into the sockets using the included packing material.

I am, however, also surprised at how little light you have in such a large room.

Willuknight

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#1538189 22-Apr-2016 15:12

I would reccomend Philips LEDs. You can get them pretty cheap if you get Mitre10 to price match with Paknsave or Bunnings. Got some for $12.50 down from $19 the other day.

Fred99

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#1538242 22-Apr-2016 16:43

I've now had two Philips LEDs fail - both in semi-enclosed shades as mentioned by andrewNZ - probably overheating.

As for replacing lampshades etc, our lounge is about the same dimensions - perhaps a little larger - and had two ugly brass chandeliers that needed to go.
I went with SWMBO to lighting shops - somehow I always gravitated to shades with price tags that made me almost weep - so I'd be looking at inexpensive options, then really get it from SWMBO about "cheaping out" and "how could I spend xyz on some damned thing I'd bought - but want to save $$$ on things we need to look at every day etc". The answer was "you choose them". She did - they were about 5x more expensive than I wanted to pay, but only about half as expensive as they could have been. We're still married a year later.

Morgenmuffel

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#1538554 23-Apr-2016 09:16

I am, however, also surprised at how little light you have in such a large room.

It is actually quite dim in the center and corners, I just cant thing of an economic way of getting light everywhere

and on that note are there any sites where you can plugin the dimensions of a room in and it gives you suggested lighting solutions or some thing, as i want to improve the light situation

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON