WRXBOB

Was in Tesco a while back and noticed on the end of an isle a big display of energy saving bulbs. they were 97pence each or any 5 for 20p!!!!
Shoved a load in my trolley, but at the checkout I was half expecting it to come up as a mistake. But no such problem, it was genuine offer!

boomer

Ali-B,

Do you have any further info on LEDs causing migraines? By that i mean household lighting LEDs and not a set of flashing Christmas lights tied around someones head

mb

sparkykev

Poundland are doing Philips ones, 10 for a quid, with the money you save you can stock up on paracetamol.

Poundland - Pound shop online UK

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I have no real info I can link to I'm afraid. Mainly just theory and observation; Just to note Its only ones that work on A/C via the mains or non-rectified/smoothed transformer. LEDs working on DC will not flicker (unless its switched via a PWM signal like on some cars, but I'll ignore that for now ).

The theory goes is LED lights can turn on and off in an instant. Mains a/c is constantly switching polarity 50 times a second, this switching will cause an LED to turn on and off very very briefly.

So they can flicker on and off in time with the mains frequency. Obviously this depends on their internal power supply circuitry. Where, good ones will contain smoothing capacitors and biasing circuity to stop this.

I have a number of mains LED bulbs; most are expensive ones that use CREE single chip LEDs of which have their own voltage regulating power supplies built into the bulb base (essential for reliability with high power single chip LEDs) . These do not have any apparent flicker.

However, I also have some cheap GU10 LED bulbs compromised of 21 standard white LEDs; these have no apparent voltage regulation or smoothing; the only thing they have is some protective resistors (no capacitors). Hence, these do have a slight flicker. Nothing really noticable, but I am aware of a stroboscophic effect, like when waving your hand infront of a CRT TV.

Its that stroboscopic effect that I belive to be the main scientific link with headaches.

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

I remember when i was at school we would get the mercury out of the thermometers and play with it, trying to make it into one complete blob

It was impossible to pick it up

Carl2

I disagree. Thsoe enegry saving light bulbs are supposed to last forever (give or take abit) but they're blowing alot more often that the old style bulbs ever did and given the cost of the initial bulb, they're working out bloody expensive.

When you take them back to try and change them (as they're supposed to last umpty thousand hours) they look at you as if you've broken them deliberately.

We've gone back to the old spot reflectors in the bathroom as the energy saving ones still hadn't warmed up by the time you'd been in, done a pee, washed your hands and left again.

Dedrater

Ok, could someone confirm either, I should *** off my Saving Bulbs or keep them.

Main reason for having them was for ££ saving, but the is irrelevant to everyone's safety and the actual point to them etc I could happily bin them.

jods

Me too Got 100w,75w and 60w stored in the spare bedroom (approx 100 of each at the mo both bayonet and screw types)

I like to dim me bread