PIR & Modern lightbulbs.

[Gromley]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help with this.

Outside my front door a have PIR "Courtesy light" (ie one with a bulb not a spot light). After about 15 years of steady service, the bulb went.

So I tried to replace with an LED bulb, but it stays on all the time (presumably there is residual voltage even at the off position that is sufficient to light the LED but not a filament bulb.) Ok, I thought I can try a halogen bulb instead - doesn't light up at all!

Is there likely to be something fixable with the light fitting itself, that will let it work with one or other of the modern bulbs?
Failing that is it actually possible to still buy traditional light bulbs? My local store has something they call a "vintage" bulb, (for £6 a pop!) but it seems to be an LED dressed up to look like a filament - so I'm wondering if the others I have seen online are similar.

Grateful for any wisdom on this.

[Alaric]

Failing that is it actually possible to still buy traditional light bulbs?

Look for "rough service" light bulbs. These are traditional filament bulbs with perhaps a more robust construction. The EU is trying to phase them out, so it may be a case of buy now while stocks last.

[csearle]

Is there likely to be something fixable with the light fitting itself, that will let it work with one or other of the modern bulbs?

I don't think so but you may find that these style halogen lamps will work in your lamp. They are readily avaiable with bayonette and screw bases.

Regards,
Chris

[rockdoctor]

I fitted one of these
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/rc-contact-suppressor-rg22y
to stop my LED lights glowing when switched off. It allows the tiny residual current to bleed away rather than make the light glow.

[Slarti]

So I tried to replace with an LED bulb, but it stays on all the time

Was it a dimable LED?

I'm sure I read on the old site that someone had used a dimable one to solve that problem.

[quelquod]

Some fittings pass a small current even when off, and in some cases there's enough capacitive coupling in the wiring to cause a LED to illuminate albeit dimly. Generally a halogen bulb will replace a ordinary filament bulb so maybe you have a poor connection. (It's even possible though not so likely that the filament bulb blowing has damaged the unit through a momentary short). eBay and 'pound shops' have lots of so-called 'rough service' bulbs from eastern factories which are generally nothing of the kind but are ordinary cheap filament bulbs so labelled to escape the authorities.

[Biggles]

I fitted one of these
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/rc-contact-suppressor-rg22y
to stop my LED lights glowing when switched off. It allows the tiny residual current to bleed away rather than make the light glow.

Timeguard sell something similar so that their electronic timer switches will operate CFLs and LEDs.

[Gromley]

Thanks for the responses so far.

From a couple of the answers that I perhaps should have clarified is that when the LED bulb (not actually sure now whether it is a dimmable or not and I destroyed the packaging) is in the unit, if glows with a normal, not dimmed light.

So that is the puzzler - the LED is always "fully" on, whereas the Halogen is not on at all.

(I have another similar unit at the back of the house and both bulbs work as they should there!)

It seems that the sale of "rough service" bulbs has been outlawed also now. Although I will take a look at the pound shops next time I'm in. I did see one on Amazon, but it was a bayonet and I need a screw.

I'm reluctant to try buy another halogen or led - these are the only two units I have that take screw fitting so I now have at least a 30 years supply! Although as the one csearle mentions are only just over a quid I might try.

Maybe first though, I'll take the unit off the wall and see if I can find any contact problem that might (somehow?) allow the LED to work but not the halogen.

Otherwise Biggles's contact suppresorr might be my next port of call.

It's all very puzzling and I'm starting to wonder if in fact yee can defy the laws of physics captain!

[csearle]

It seems that the sale of "rough service" bulbs has been outlawed also now.

Coincidentally I bought one yesterday! Not sure if my local shop was contravening any law.

Regards,
Chris

[Philanthropissed]

Cannot comment on light remaining on

But re "Rough Service" bulbs

Is it that 100 W are now banned, but 40 or 60W still allowed ?

[IsleofWightPete]

Is it that 100 W are now banned, but 40 or 60W still allowed ?

I am going to guess the answer is no.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/L ... GwodEHwJ6g

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/100w-rough-se ... 0wodlcMJiw

http://www.lamps-on-line.com/gls-light- ... 0wodc7AOzA

etc etc

[Gromley]

TY I oWP (and others) i'll be on these. Maybe some vendors advance-applying brexit

[goldstore]

I suspect it is not the bulb that is the problem, although I've seen some of the alternate ideas raised. We have also recently had a courtesy light fail which I'm guessing would be a similar vintage from the look of it (pre-dates us being here) and it failed always on too - without the bulb being touched or changed in any way. It seemed to have gone into some weird state where it was mostly on during the day and off at night, so I played with the light level to trigger it and that seemed to be the last straw and it stuck on.

Then I saw the wiring the guy had used to attach it - surely no sparky with any sense of pride could have done that? But that's another story... maybe for after I have it untangled and vaguely safe.

Gold