Outside Lights - HELP!

Aces_High

Aces_High

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I am getting some bulkhead lights fitted into the overhang of my stables in the hope that it will provide better lighting than the lights on the walls. I do not want security lights as I think they will shadow too much.

My question is I am looking at these but I cannot work out how bright they will be. I know what a 100W bulb is like and I know how bright a 400W bulb is as I have these in my security lights. Please advise as I am desperate to get them fitted this week!

http://www.screwfix.com/p/halolite-16w-white-bulkhead/69588

If you have a better suggestion then please do put it forth.

Many Thanks
 
Aces_High said:
I am getting some bulkhead lights fitted into the overhang of my stables in the hope that it will provide better lighting than the lights on the walls. I do not want security lights as I think they will shadow too much.

My question is I am looking at these but I cannot work out how bright they will be. I know what a 100W bulb is like and I know how bright a 400W bulb is as I have these in my security lights. Please advise as I am desperate to get them fitted this week!

http://www.screwfix.com/p/halolite-16w-white-bulkhead/69588

If you have a better suggestion then please do put it forth.

Many Thanks
Click to expand...
They look ideal to me I guess they will be about the same as a 100w bulb but cheaper to run, maybe you could ask your sparky to wire them so you could add another later on if you need more light ....
 
perfect11s said:
They look ideal to me I guess they will be about the same as a 100w bulb but cheaper to run, maybe you could ask your sparky to wire them so you could add another later on if you need more light ....
Click to expand...

Only just seen this!! Thank you :)

I am having several put in and I will run them off separate switches and separate again to the internal light switches - I didn't realise how expensive outside switches were :eek: :eek:.

Ideally I wanted fluroscent bulbs as they apparently give out a stack of light but everything I was looking for has been sold out. I honestly do not have any love for lights at the moment!
 
Those bulkheads have a fluorescent lamp known as a 2D. Each fitting has 2 qty 16w 2D lamps, which does not mean you will get twice the light of a 16w lamp, I'm afraid light does not work like that, but they will be brighter than a 100w bulb and they will last something like 10 times longer.

One thing to know; fluorescent lamps don't always light up well when it's very cold, as they take time to warm up, so if you leave them on when you are just tootling around the yard, it is better than switching them on and off, and they use very little electrickery.
 
NeilM said:
Those bulkheads have a fluorescent lamp known as a 2D. Each fitting has 2 qty 16w 2D lamps, which does not mean you will get twice the light of a 16w lamp, I'm afraid light does not work like that, but they will be brighter than a 100w bulb and they will last something like 10 times longer.

One thing to know; fluorescent lamps don't always light up well when it's very cold, as they take time to warm up, so if you leave them on when you are just tootling around the yard, it is better than switching them on and off, and they use very little electrickery.
Click to expand...

Thank you NeilM.

Would you recommend them or would you suggest something else? Would they refuse to work if it gets very cold?

I honestly openly admit to understanding nothing about bulbs or electric! I think it's good that they are brighter than a 100W bulb and obviously good that they last 10 times longer. Can you replace these fluorescent bulbs or do you replace the whole light when the bulbs go?

My other option was to just get the standard bulkhead light coverings which a lot of people have in their stables and screw these into the overhang and pop 100W bulbs into them. I actually am yet to find 100W bayonet bulbs at the moment - I use them in the tack room so it's nice and bright and I think the brightest I could find was 91W or something random like that!
 
Those fittings look fine and in reality a bulkhead is a bulkhead is a... Just make sure that whatever you get is for external use, so will have some degree of water resistance (IP65 is good, but not vital).

If I'm not mistaken, you can no longer buy 100w bulbs, so your choice is limited.

The 2D's are really easy to replace, as they just push straight into a socket, you can't even put them in upside down.

The cold can effect the lamps when it's very cold. That said I used to work for a manufacturer who supplied road lights with fluorescent lamps in. They were on a photocell, so always lit up before it got REALLY cold. Given a few minutes to get going and warm up, they will be fine, and much much cheaper to run.

If you are having trouble finding bulkheads in stock, just find a local electrical wholesaler, someone like Edmundson, Newey & Eyre, Wilts Wholesale..there are hundreds of them, and a sale is a sale, you don't need to be in the trade, and you never never never pay RTP, always ask for the best price, and if it's too high, walk out :D
 
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