How to buy a light bulb in 2021!

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Forget about how many …does it take to change a light bulb? The question actually is; ‘What do I need to know to buy a light bulb?’ Try buying a new one! You need a GSCE to work out what u need! Turns out its WAY more complicated than you would think, especially if your bulbs were really long lasting ones and you have had them a long time. I’m going to link to a wonderful site, that walks you through what you need to know, with no prior knowledge needed. Firstly most important, if you read no further than this first paragraph..To save your sanity, if your light bulb dies DO NOT DISPOSE OF IT, until you get a new one! You will need the information on the light bulb and to be able to look at your light bulb to help you choose a new suitable one. Also DO NOT TAKE the ‘What bulb this needs’ stickers off your LAMPS!

Links

Here is where I found really useful information, about what you need to know about your light bulb, to be able to get a new one. Its from Moonlight Design blog and blog post is called; which-light-bulb-should-i-buy-the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-light-bulbs/ Thank you Moonlight Design, your blog post does just what it says on the title.

• Here is the post I’m talking about; https://www.moonlightdesign.co.uk/blog/which-light-bulb-should-i-buy-the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-light-bulbs/

• Here is the home page of the site its from, so if the blog page vanishes hopefully you can find them again from this https://www.moonlightdesign.co.uk/

Choosing your lightbulb

For those who like the story behind the post, here we go. Firstly, I’m not a totally clueless adult, I did the basics, its just when what I wanted was discontinued, it all got a bit complicated. The makers site wasn’t helpful, I couldn’t even find the fitting type there so the search began for ‘what do I need to know to buy a light bulb?’.

• I unplugged the lamp from the mains, removed the lightbulb, (if u have been using the lamp at the time, let it go COLD first too coz lit bulbs get very very HOT)
• I read brand information from the side of the bulb
• Checked the wattage
• And did what u do if you’re housebound, I went to Amazon to order another

BUT it had been discontinued, ahh, rats, now what. Well, I tried searching, sticking with the same brand n when I couldn’t find exactly the same I went for larger wattage. I wanted to read by the light so brighter the better right. err NO as it goes. Lovely delivery person delivered the parcel, I opened it, relieved bulb not broken and went to install it, then, saw the sticker on the lamps fitting that said … ‘maximum wattage 60 watts’. *Groan*

I went to the brand’s site to see what the options were. As by now I realised I had no useful language to even ask the right questions. I didn’t understand which eco wattage was for the old school language of watts and was getting more and more confused, and cross and at the point of giving up.

I did a search and found the blog post I link to above and at last, somewhere that was taking me step by step from the beginning, so I could understand the terminology, and work out what words to use and search for based on the light bulb on the desk beside me. *does happy dance*

I remembered that my wonderful late hubby was very forward thinking and had always made sure that as soon as a bulb went and we used the ‘spare’ from the cupboard that a new one was put back as a spare for next time, while u had the box to reference it from. Also since he was doing the whole Kon Marie thing, before that sweet soul was even born, there were spares together in the ‘light bulb cupboard’. Sadly maybe he had bought in haste on this size, as although they were the same in many ways, the two spares for this size, were screw in, not with the two arms out to the side called Bayonett fitting. It means I have a pile of bulbs I don’t know where they go! Well some I do but read on…

Inventory

So as of right now I am still continuing the learning process, and I’m still trying to figure out what lightbulb I need, more reading needed.

NOT wanting to repeat this very time consuming process each time a bulb goes, I am doing something hubby would do and maybe its on his computer somewhere but I’m doing inventory of all the lightbulbs in the cupboard, going mad doing it so reminded myself to start with what I do know.

Start with the facts, with what you know

• What do I have now: Writing down all the information from each light bulb box. So I have a point of reference.
• Write down how many I have of that kind
• Go round the house and list every light in the house, list where it is, what its maximum wattage is and what bulb it has now
• Comparing that to the ‘instock list’ I just made.
• Putting a piece of paper in the light bulb box for which lamp in which room its for. (I could also have taped the list to the back of the door in the cupboard they are in, that would work too)
• After this I’ll know what I need and where it is without the need for tiptoes and a step ladder!

Over the top you may say.. after an afternoon of chasing my tail and NOT wanting to do this again NO. That way no tiptoeing and trying to guess which one I need from the top cupboard. I will be able to look in the notebook and say, its this room, this lamp, its max wattage is this and this is the bulb it has now. I have this many instock. Yes its a faff, yes it will take some time but then next time I’ll know, not have to guess.

If you forgive the obvious pun, I am having a ‘light bulb moment’ for why hubby had so many inventories, like for everything, though they lived on his computer. I too love a system too and love how there was a place for everything and everything in its place. I see where I have muddled things a bit since he passed, but a lot of the sort by type is already there from how he had things, so it makes it quicker. I am in the process of my own Kon Maire journey, its an emotional process and takes a while, pruning and changing things feels both challenging in good and not so good ways but the afterwards is SO SO worth it. I am starting to see areas I have done and they are softer, safer kinder.

SO short version, Save the box from your light bulb and write which room and which lamp it was for, even if you can’t afford spares, this will help you shop for your replacement bulb with less stress than Im having.

Sharing this tale so that you don’t have to invent the wheel from scratch for yourself, I can’t be the only one going nuts trying to figure out the new systems and terms used for lighting now. BTW they are discontinuing incandesent and halogen bulbs, so get em while you can if they are important to you. They are also selling by LUMENS not the old school watts or the watts LED. Another good reason to keep your old packaging or make a note of it somewhere you can find the information again.

OK rant over, I’m off to put light bulbs that don’t fit, back in the cupboard, and work all this shizell out another day.

I wish you luck and success with your light bulb journey and thanks to the wonderful people at Moonlight design for having a wonderful blog post written in plain english in a way that is easy to follow. THANK YOU xx

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

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