Stupid question about lightbulbs...

Ravenlost · #1 05/27/10, 03:53 PM

Am I supposed to buy a floodlight bulb to replace a burned out recessed lightbulb? I can't find recessed lightbulbs anywhere, but the floodlight bulbs look the same. Are they?

Heritagefarm · #2 05/27/10, 04:10 PM

I don't even know what that lgithbulb is.

Otter · #3 05/27/10, 04:12 PM

I learned to my sorrow that sometimes even if the bulb looks the same, the little metal part is not. (lol, don't you love my use of exact technical terms)

Take the whole bulb to the nearest hardware store and ASK. That's the only way I know. And once you've found the right bulb, keep the box for next time.

Otter; who's well meaning DH bought her the nicest lamp for Christmas...

Little Quacker in OR · #4 05/27/10, 06:52 PM

This is not a stupid question at all and I've had a bad time of it trying to find various light bulbs(both incandescent and fluorescent) that have burned out since losing my dh. Its not easy! I do try and take the old bulb with me if I can as already suggested by Otter but sometimes that does not even work. Trying to replace the light over my stove was quite a day long adventure and having the light with me did not help, but that was an exception I'm sure.

good luck with this. LQ

Ravenlost · #5 05/27/10, 08:53 PM

Thanks. We only have one recessed light in the house (over my shower) so hubby isn't to concerned about it!

Wildwood Flower · #6 05/27/10, 09:24 PM

I replaced all of the lightbulbs in the house with those new spirally bulbs that last a long long time, and use very little electricity.

The recessed ones in the kitchen were the best idea, since it's so high up there I was having to wait for one of the grandkids to come around to replace them.

I don't think it matters what you use, it just depends on what kind of light you want to create.

Ravenlost · #7 05/28/10, 12:16 AM

LOL...color me red!!! I went to unscrew the bulb only to discover it was actually just a cover! The actual light was a normal lightbulb. It has now been replaced with a CFL bulb and I can see in the shower again!

cfabe · #8 05/28/10, 08:31 AM

FYI ravenlost most CFL bulbs are not intended to be used in enclosed fixtures, they will overheat and fail sooner than normal. Check the package/instructions that came with the bulb.

ronbre · #9 05/28/10, 09:15 AM

they are the same, if it is ambient you might want to try the led ones, they use less elec, walmart carries them

Ravenlost · #10 05/28/10, 01:54 PM

Well shucks...do you think it will overheat while I'm in the shower? The only time the light is on is for the 10 minutes I'm showering.

Harry Chickpea · #11 05/28/10, 02:48 PM

Ten minutes shouldn't kill it, but twenty would be pushing it. This is actually one of those situations where a regular lightbulb will save money, because you are degrading the lifespan of the CF lamp so severely. When you take into consideration the amount of materials in a CF lamp vs. a standard lightbulb it actually is better environment-wise as well. Over a year, showering every day and using a 60 watt lightbulb, you would use 3.6 kwh, or about 43 cents worth of electricity vs. 8 cents for the CF. The CF might cost $3 and last a year, the regular lamp 75 cents and last about 3 years. Over a three year period total CF costs = $9.24 total 60 watt lamp cost $2.04.

Ravenlost · #12 05/28/10, 03:25 PM

Guess I'll change it then, though I can't imagine ever staying in the shower for 20 minutes! I have some standard lightbulbs.

plowjockey · #13 05/28/10, 06:08 PM

We use CFL bulbs in enclosed fixtures all of the time.

They last about as long as bulbs, in non-enclosed fixtures, which is never nearly as long as the mfg. states they should last. Less than 2 years.

plowjockey · #14 05/28/10, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildwood Flower

I replaced all of the lightbulbs in the house with those new spirally bulbs that last a long long time, and use very little electricity.

The recessed ones in the kitchen were the best idea, since it's so high up there I was having to wait for one of the grandkids to come around to replace them.

I don't think it matters what you use, it just depends on what kind of light you want to create.

we considered using recessed lights in the basement, with either CFL, or regular incandesents. I found that if I did not use the $pecial bulbs, designed for recessed light fixtures, it was the equivilent of hanging flashlights from the ceiling. Most of the light was absorbed in the fixture. The recessed fixtures went back to the store.

Harry Chickpea · #15 05/28/10, 06:26 PM

Some of the recessed fixtures are better than others. Look for high hats with mirror reflectors. Philips used to make a CFL designed as a reflector that was about the best CFL I've ever run across. Some of the early ones ran upside down for ten years and still stayed bright. They cost about $20 in the 1970s, but paid for themselves within a few months in business use.