Why are there so many different types and sizes of light bulb connecting bits? Fat "bayonet", thin "bayonet". Fat screwy ones, thin screwy ones. Ones with just pins etc. etc. I can never remember which to buy as each of my lights is different.

Why has a law never been brought in for all lights and light bulbs to be the same? Is it just us or do other countries suffer from this too?!

I was in Poundland the other day, buying a lightbulb, and every single box had been opened, presumably by prospective customers checking that they had the kind of mounting that they wanted.

I was doing exactly that in my own local Poundland the other day.

I hasten to add that I went on to close each box afterwards.

Butterfield wrote:

Why oh why oh why are there so many different types and sizes of light bulb connecting bits? Fat "bayonet", thin "bayonet". Fat screwy ones, thin screwy ones. Ones with just pins etc. etc. I can never remember which to buy as each of my lights is different.

Why oh why oh why has a law never been brought in for all lights and light bulbs to be the same? Is it just us or do other countries suffer from this too?!

Fixed.

Did we know that the old giant striplights you'd get in kitchens, school classrooms and offices - the ones that'd flash when they came on - had been banned?

Me and my friend were searching for new ones online the other day to replace the ones that had stopped working in his house, and no one sells them anymore!

I always hated them. They were always packing in.

That explains why my parents couldn't find any when they needed to replace their under-shelf mini-tubes in the kitchen.

I've got a massive one.

In my kitchen.

Nightjar wrote:

I've got a massive one.

In my kitchen.

Good luck finding a new one when it goes.

I believe in some cases narrower new-style LED replacements can be used. They may even work without the little starter thing and don't flash a few times when they come on.

Replacing or modifying it'll be the council's responsibility if and when it goes.

My newish LED light has failed.

Not impressed the old incandescent bulbs lasted longer than that.


By years.

These new lightbulbs are sort of like electric cars. They look good on paper but in the real world.... well, often fail.

Cheap Chinese construction.

I've only ever had one fail, which was the first one I ever bought. I got it from BHS and it cost me £10 because they were a new thing, back then.

It did last for several years but not for the 25 promised on the box.

I got the ladders out, it's from Wilko.

I need to take it back and get my money back.