Ceramic Uplighters - Nasty Energy Saving Light Bulbs

[lookoveryourshoulder]

We are currently planning a revamp of our lounge/sitting room and need some advice.

We have a nice wrought iron chandelier which has 10 x 20w pearl candle bulbs - these are getting more and more difficult to find and I guess that we are going to have to bite the bullet sometime and get energy efficient ones...

In addition, we have three wrought irons uplighters - these look like the normal "paint your own" type (slightly opaque glass) with a minimal wrought iron adornment around the sides/top which kind of matches the main chandelier... but I will need another one installed when the room is re-painted/revamped...

With regard to the chandelier - Are the energy efficient ones exactly the same size/fitting and look like "candles" rather than energy efficient light bulbs. What wattage should I be looking for so as to not overload the system ?

For the uplighters - can anyone recommend any good online stores that supply these type of lights. I have had a look tonight and can't find anything that comes close - most seem to be very gothic and very heavy looking...

I guess that I could ditch both the chandelier and wall lights and start again - but we have a very high ceiling and a big room and I need to keep costs down..

Thanks...

p.s. I realise that I am not at the cutting edge of design - but I like them...

No need to buy nasty ones unless you want to. Candle CFLs are available. To decide the power you need, look at the rating of the old-fashioned lamps you currently use whose brightness you are happy with, and divide the watts by 5 (will be slightly dimmer) or 4 (will be slightly brighter). So for example a 100W filament lamp can be replaced by a 22W CFL.

In the early days people used to be told that a 15W CFL was "nearly" as bright as a 100W lamp, which made people think that CFLs were dim as they were sold a less-bright lamp than they were used to. In fact a 12W or 15W CFL is OK for a porch, bedside or small table lamp, but not to light a room.

CFLs with an open envelope look slightly better if you can see them; if you can't, the sticks or spiral are usually cheaper and brighter.

I normally get Warm White for indoors.

p.s.

Lamps are available with Bayonet Cap = BC fitting (push and twist) or Edison Screw = ES (screw in, obviously, named after the American who popularised the incandescent light bulb previously invented and patented by the English Mr Swan and sold it under his own name to give the impression he had invented it.)

Each is available in standard or small size.

SBC is small BC
SES is small ES

American screw is not the same size as European, and is 110volts so not suitable.

CFLs with an opal envelope look slightly better

I meant.

.. Brilliant - thank you PigletJohn

You seem a "font of knowledge" as I have seen you contribute to loads of DIY threads .... so can I ask please ask another question of you ???

We have a large walk-in shower unit that has a kind of "T" plastic strip around the bottom of the shower unit which three separate glass panels sit in... one bit of the seal sits outside the pane of glass, one inside and the channel where the glass sits. They are secured on of the panes of glass to the ceiling with a small "arm" (sorry If I haven't described it that well..)

It is a real pain to keep clean and it always gets nasty stains - green stuff etc etc etc right down inside the seal...

I have tried to use a steam cleaner (and small knife/cotton bud to lift the seal - from the top and then underneath to remove the crud) but it is so difficult to "get at the stains" and it never looks like I have cleaned it at all...

Can you suggest a replacement ?

I was thinking that I could remove the strips that the glass sits on - steam/ deep clean the glass/shower units and get someone to seal it - using the see-thru sealant both inside and outside the shower unit.

Can you see a problem with this ?

My partner is really anti - but there again he doesn't have to clean the damn thing !!!!

silicone sealant might do it, but try to find recommendations for a local person who fits a lot of bathrooms and is a plumber who does repairs as well.

the green might be algae.

I find it difficult to run silicone sealant neatly. White might stop you seeing through to the dirt inside. You can get an anti-mildew grade.