revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Pffft even my 2018 tractor is 100% LED.

Count Steer wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:53 pm I think oven bulbs work and, as far as I know, they're still incandescent.

The little red indicator light on the oven, and also often on kettles, is also not an LED typically because it means you can wire them in parallel with the heaters and fire the full 240V through them without additional circuitry. I can't remember the exact tech they use though.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:59 pm

Count Steer wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:53 pm I think oven bulbs work and, as far as I know, they're still incandescent.

The little red indicator light on the oven, and also often on kettles, is also not an LED typically because it means you can wire them in parallel with the heaters and fire the full 240V through them without additional circuitry. I can't remember the exact tech they use though.

I can't remember the term... but IIRC it's a mis-use of the word: ie, they're a certain type of incandescant bulb, but the commen useage term is something like "sodium" (it's not), but the bulbs aren't "sodium" bulbs - it's just the term that has come into common useage. (that's the sort of thing that mildly irritates me)

They're a kind of Neon lamp, I remember now. Also used on power strips.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_lamp ... _indicator

As above, it's cause you can put mains power through them without additional changes. But they're not incandescent.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:16 pm They're a kind of Neon lamp, I remember now. Also used on power strips.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_lamp ... _indicator

As above, it's cause you can put mains power through them without additional changes. But they're not incandescent.

That's it neons.
OK - so I learnt something new today - I didn't realise they were actually using a neon tube - I though they were just referred to as neons. cool.

Rockburner wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:40 pm ... although the only use-case I can think of at the moment is Mathmos lava lamps which use both the heat and the light).

Although neither was an original 'proper" one, I've just binned two of them because the wax had deteriorated.

So, if that affects all of them, don't worry about ongoing lamp availability.

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:49 pm Although neither was an original 'proper" one, I've just binned two of them because the wax had deteriorated.

So, if that affects all of them, don't worry about ongoing lamp availability.

Some of us are more frugal / environmentally conscious, I'd just buy some replacement wax

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:49 pm

Rockburner wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:40 pm ... although the only use-case I can think of at the moment is Mathmos lava lamps which use both the heat and the light).

Although neither was an original 'proper" one, I've just binned two of them because the wax had deteriorated.

So, if that affects all of them, don't worry about ongoing lamp availability.

You can buy replacement bottles.

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:49 pm

Rockburner wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:40 pm ... although the only use-case I can think of at the moment is Mathmos lava lamps which use both the heat and the light).

Although neither was an original 'proper" one, I've just binned two of them because the wax had deteriorated.

So, if that affects all of them, don't worry about ongoing lamp availability.

Really?! Mine's been going for 20+ years* (not switched on permanently, obvs ). I wonder if they changed the wax?

Edit: Ah. Mine's a Mathmos, just realised Hosses weren't. Must read posts properly.

TBH it could be nearly double that. I can't really remember when we didn't have it.

MrLongbeard wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:53 pm

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:49 pm Although neither was an original 'proper" one, I've just binned two of them because the wax had deteriorated.

So, if that affects all of them, don't worry about ongoing lamp availability.

Some of us are more frugal / environmentally conscious, I'd just buy some replacement wax

It's inside a sealed glass container which is full of oil (or some other fluid). Good luck on replacing the wax!

Some of us have more sense than to try

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 4:55 pm

MrLongbeard wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:53 pm

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:49 pm Although neither was an original 'proper" one, I've just binned two of them because the wax had deteriorated.

So, if that affects all of them, don't worry about ongoing lamp availability.

Some of us are more frugal / environmentally conscious, I'd just buy some replacement wax

It's inside a sealed glass container which is full of oil (or some other fluid). Good luck on replacing the wax!

Some of us have more sense than to try

There are kits and tutorial on how to go about it, the original wax got in there somehow

MrLongbeard wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 5:16 pm

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 4:55 pm

MrLongbeard wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 2:53 pm

Some of us are more frugal / environmentally conscious, I'd just buy some replacement wax

It's inside a sealed glass container which is full of oil (or some other fluid). Good luck on replacing the wax!

Some of us have more sense than to try

There are kits and tutorial on how to go about it, the original wax got in there somehow

Yup, I'm sure there are people daft enough to bother

Since I was intending to give them away, it's not something that I'd invest time and money to bother with.

But you raise a good point. Many things that could be so are not built to be repairable. With both a kettle and iron I've tried to carry out repairs. Either replacement parts weren't available, or only at high cost.

I suppose, using your 'it got in somehow' reasoning, it would be possible to replace the filament, or gas, in an incandescent lamp . Is there a kit and YouTube tutorial for that?

They managed to do it more than 100 years ago, probably while wearing a top hat. Can't be that hard.

Horse wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 5:44 pm I suppose, using your 'it got in somehow' reasoning, it would be possible to replace the filament, or gas, in an incandescent lamp . Is there a kit and YouTube tutorial for that?

A kit? probably not, a tutorial, I'd be concerned beyond reason if there weren't, as D points out above they were doing it long before the internet was a thing, before exotic gasses, clean rooms, H&S, t' good old days by eck.

I though you lot were the make do and mend generation, scornful of fast fashion and todays throw away society, for shame old timer, for shame.

Edit; I was half way to having a look for said tutorial and it struck me, why would I want to replace like for like, why can't I replace the old and busted for new LED hotness, and just use the old lamp as a vessel for dodgy fuckery.........

My post was supposed to be sarcastic. The thing which made lightbulbs a feasible technology was the development of proper manufacturing facilities, including clean working, the right gases, chemistry and controlled metallurgy. They're only bulbs at all because you need to keep the filament clean and surrounded by inert gas.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 1:11 pm
You can't buy incandescent lightbulbs

I know I'm being daft, but every time I read that description and it always makes me ask why they are so damned angry

You would be too if someone stuck 240V up your arse with no warning.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 6:12 pm My post was supposed to be sarcastic. The thing which made lightbulbs a feasible technology was the development of proper manufacturing facilities, including clean working, the right gases, chemistry and controlled metallurgy. They're only bulbs at all because you need to keep the filament clean and surrounded by inert gas.

A feasible, somewhat long life technology, I agree 100%, but that doesn't mean they can't be bodged together to get maximum life out of them;

If anyone is desperate for incandescent household bulbs (rough service I think they got called for some reason) I think I've got a box of 'em somewhere. BiL was bemoaning the light quality from those new-fangled things so I got him a box full. Don't think he wanted them all. Haven't noticed them for some time though...they may have gone in the skip.

I'll have a proper rummage during garage/loft clearing.........Phase 9.

Guy who used to sit behind me at R-R, nearly 20 years ago come to think of it, used to have a box of incandescent bulb filaments in his desk. He loved to show people how brand new filaments can be stretched to arms length without breaking, whereas once they've been hot in the lightbulb they get extremely brittle as we all know.

I never asked where he got a box of 1000 light bulb filaments, which feels like a mistake in hindsight.