ChatterBank1 min ago
What Do I Need To Look For?
22 Answers
I would like to buy an outside security light for the front of my home, but I want something different , something a bit decorative, but I want it to be bright enough to come on when someone walks up to my driveway.
It has to be mains powered, not solar or battery and preferably black in colour, but what is it that determines how bright it will be?
Is it the wattage or something else?
This coach lantern is something I like, but I don't know how bright it will be. TIA
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It has to be mains powered, not solar or battery and preferably black in colour, but what is it that determines how bright it will be?
Is it the wattage or something else?
This coach lantern is something I like, but I don't know how bright it will be. TIA
https:/
Answers
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Would this one be bright?
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This one says non replaceable LED so would it be bright and if it stops working, does that mean I'd have to buy a new one?
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Barsel...an 8 or 10 watt LED lamp would be bright enough to illuminate an area around the front door etc...but the type of unit you are looking at isn't meant to flood the whole of the drive/front garden. For that you'll need a conventional security light which can look more at home on commercial premises.
The '100 Watts' quoted in that listing is an indication of the maximum power rating that its components are designed to handle. The actual light output would depend upon the type of bulb that you put into it, which could be any bulb with a BC (bayonet cap) fitting. In practice, using any modern low energy bulb, you shouldn't need to use anything like 100W to achieve a decent light level.
When most of us around here were youngsters, standard (incandescent) light bulbs were rated by their wattage but these days, with so many different types of bulbs available, they're rated in lumens. This table can help you to convert:
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Going back to 'the good old days', most people will have probably used 25W or 40W bulbs in their desk lamps. If that's the level of light output that you now want to achieve from more modern bulbs, look down the first two columns in the table to see the power rating of the newer types of bulbs.
In the same 'good old days', most people might well have chosen to use a 60W bulb in a bedroom but a 100W bulb in a living room or kitchen. To find the power ratings of more modern types of bulbs, look down the third or fifth columns respectively. (In all cases though, pay particular attention to the column headings, as its 'lumens' that you really need to be looking for, rather than 'watts', these days.
So, if you only want enough light to find your keys by, look for a bulb providing perhaps 300 lumens of light. However if you want a really bright light, look for a bulb providing around 1500 lumens. As you'll see from the chart, all modern bulbs providing such outputs use under 100W, so the lamp you've linked to is fully compatible with any of them.
For specific examples, I'll suggest this as a possibility for a really bright light:
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and this for a bulb that, although not really bright, will easily give you enough light to find your keys by:
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At 15W and 3W, respectively, they're both well within the 100W maximum limit of the lamp. (If you could actually buy a 100W halogen bulb, you could probably light Trafalgar Square with it!).
When most of us around here were youngsters, standard (incandescent) light bulbs were rated by their wattage but these days, with so many different types of bulbs available, they're rated in lumens. This table can help you to convert:
https:/
Going back to 'the good old days', most people will have probably used 25W or 40W bulbs in their desk lamps. If that's the level of light output that you now want to achieve from more modern bulbs, look down the first two columns in the table to see the power rating of the newer types of bulbs.
In the same 'good old days', most people might well have chosen to use a 60W bulb in a bedroom but a 100W bulb in a living room or kitchen. To find the power ratings of more modern types of bulbs, look down the third or fifth columns respectively. (In all cases though, pay particular attention to the column headings, as its 'lumens' that you really need to be looking for, rather than 'watts', these days.
So, if you only want enough light to find your keys by, look for a bulb providing perhaps 300 lumens of light. However if you want a really bright light, look for a bulb providing around 1500 lumens. As you'll see from the chart, all modern bulbs providing such outputs use under 100W, so the lamp you've linked to is fully compatible with any of them.
For specific examples, I'll suggest this as a possibility for a really bright light:
https:/
and this for a bulb that, although not really bright, will easily give you enough light to find your keys by:
https:/
At 15W and 3W, respectively, they're both well within the 100W maximum limit of the lamp. (If you could actually buy a 100W halogen bulb, you could probably light Trafalgar Square with it!).
Thanks, Barsel.
The lamp in your link specifically states 'BC', so it's definitely a bayonet cap fitting.
The description also specifically states "Excludes lamp, sold separately 65067", so you'll need to purchase a bulb for it. (Oddly though, searching for '65067' as a product code, doesn't actually find a bulb for it. It doesn't matter though, as any bayonet cap bulb can be used in it).
The lamp in your link specifically states 'BC', so it's definitely a bayonet cap fitting.
The description also specifically states "Excludes lamp, sold separately 65067", so you'll need to purchase a bulb for it. (Oddly though, searching for '65067' as a product code, doesn't actually find a bulb for it. It doesn't matter though, as any bayonet cap bulb can be used in it).
Just looking at Wickes as there is one near to where I live, and these 'bulkheads' seem to be quite bright.
They're not as decorative as I'd hoped for, but they look ok.
What do you think Chris, will they be bright enough?
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They're not as decorative as I'd hoped for, but they look ok.
What do you think Chris, will they be bright enough?
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