Saturday 28 November 2015

Rottweiler Light

I changed the light on the front of the house this week. I wanted to do it before I got the tiles on the porch roof as it'l be hard to get to afterwards (but not impossible).
Halogen lights are notoriously unreliable, with bulbs popping if you so much as look at them. They're also pretty aggressive to look at, hence why my friend calls them "Rottweiler lights".

 I though it was time to splash out on a LED one, not only will it be more reliable it will also use far less energy. The old halogen one was 500W and the new LED is only 30W and nearly as bright, it should also, fingers crossed, never need a bulb changing. The one I bought was £35 from Screwfix so it remains to be seen if this is very good quality or not.
A simple and low cost bit of security for the front of the house and it helps us find the way to the front door when we get home in the dark. 
Anyone else using this type of security light outside their house? Any brands you recommend? I need to fit a few more of these around the house and buildings to make the winter nights a bit easier.

19 comments:

  1. I got a couple of pretty lantern style lamps and replaced the old ones that were here, they run off low energy bulbs, I am still thinking about automatic sensors for them I just usually switch them on before going out in the evening so there is some light for when I get back :-)

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    1. I like sensors as a warning light but hey get set off too easily. Maybe security cameras or at least a sensor strip for the drive.

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  2. Funnily enough we have just invested in 2 LED ones also. We have no street lights and I tend to keep clicking the button on my car key fob to do anything like slowly drag the wheelie bin to the road. Wheelie bins and gravel are fierce enemies did you know that. we havent put them up yet. That is the Royal we. We are just trying to fix where I have made a mistake in the bathroom. How far does it illuminate? is it a good light or harsh?

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    1. I prefer the light on the LED to the halogen but hen it's a slightly weaker light, just a 30W. I think 10w of LEd is the same as 100W of halogen.

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  3. Been switching up interior lights to LED : HDepot has good selection and prices. Have a large mercury vapor lamp outside the garage (sensor) and perhaps next year I'll switch to LED there. I look for the warm white bulbs for rooms, cool white for work spaces. A tad pricey but should last a looooong time if you believe the adverts. Much safer too than CFLs I switched to 6-7 years ago.

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    1. Kris... read my comment below... about "micro-switching"!

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    2. I still think Halogen are temperamental. the slightest bit of grease off your fingers and the bulb will blow shortly after you install it.

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  4. I have two of those 300 watt "Gestapo" lights on the front of the garage and one 500 watt one on the back set up on a motion detector. I get about a year out of the bulbs. Mostly GE brand. I will have to look in to the LED bulbs see if they last any longer. Unfortunately the motion sensors also tend to fail over time and as the sensor cover degrades and becomes opaque the lite comes on even during the day.

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    1. Yeah teh sonsor sall seem to go. I do like being able to have them on full time for when I'm working out there as well so that option is handy.

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  5. I thought you got a good dog, Kev.

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    1. It's on the list. Next child first though!

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  6. Mine never seem to last... I've given up.

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  7. Kev... the square LED bulbs in these lights is not replaceable...
    when it goes it goes!
    Get a new unit!
    That said, if your electricity supply is reliable it should last well...
    ours isn't...
    and the "micro-switching" destroys LED lights in quick time...
    we don't notice this, it is so fast... not even a brown out speed!
    But the lights do.... and so their life is shortened considerably.

    However, I discovered an on-line source...
    Mini in the Box... Chinese....
    where the LED bulbs are very cheap...
    and the same quality as the expensive ones!
    And all the "branded" ones are Chinese anyway!!
    You pay the VAT on delivery...
    they have their warehouses inside the port boundaries...
    last time it was 4€ on eighteen 2.50€ GU10 bulbs...
    so still way below even IKEA!!

    They also do LED versions of the normal security light "torpedo" bulbs... haven't tried these yet... haven't got any fitted!

    But everyone, be warned, the site is very dangerous to the wallet...
    there's all these other things there...
    that you suddenly realise have...
    until now....
    been missing from your life!!

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    1. the supply is pretty good here and doesn't go off much - yet! I'll check out that warehouse, sounds good! Thanks for the heads up. I must turn the switching to be on longer with my light so they're not on and off so much.

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  8. We have sensor lights along the side and down the back of our property, so useful, our neighbour loves them, even though we keep most of the light away from her house she finds them helpful when she is about. Hubby has one in the front of the garage, so you can pop in with your hands full.

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    1. We have one on each side of the house, but that's so I can do jobs in the dark as well! Need to set some up outside the workshop next so I don;t break my neck coming in at 11 at night!

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  9. I like solar lights.....weak but usable

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    1. I find that when you wan them most, in the winter, they don;t get enough light to charge properly.

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