LED bulbs for damp conditions

[cdbe]

Hi, I have 3 brick lights in the garden wall, pir switched, 40-60W ES fitting CFL bulbs. In 6 months all 3 have gone. Although properly fitted the light casings are damp inside so I guess that must be the problem. I personally find CFL bulbs not very durable or long lasting and wondered whether LED bulbs might last longer in this environment? If so any particular type or brand?

Thanks.

 

[Iggifer]

You need to solve the damp problem first and foremost. Whatever kind of lamp you put in is somewhat irrelevant.

 

[cdbe]

Yes that's true. I think the cause of the dampness is that the units don't seem to seal very well (I guess that's why they were £2 each in the B&Q clearance!). While I will try to improve this with some silicone etc I just wondered if there's something better than the domestic bulbs in there at the moment, I guess condensation may also be an issue and lower temperatures than the same bulbs would experience in my lounge.

 

[flameport]

brick lights

If by that you mean the things which are set flush into a wall instead of a brick, then the only way to ensure they don't fill with water is to totally seal all of the parts that are in contact with the wall - back, top, sides, bottom - with silicone or some other totally waterproof material, and then drill two 5mm holes in the front cover at the bottom left and right corners so that any water can drain out.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you have any sort of lamp which gets warm in use, that will heat the air inside, and make it expand.

When the light goes off, and the air cools and contracts, it isn't just dry air that gets sucked back in.

 

[winston1]

Hi, I have 3 brick lights in the garden wall, pir switched, 40-60W ES fitting CFL bulbs. In 6 months all 3 have gone. Although properly fitted the light casings are damp inside so I guess that must be the problem. I personally find CFL bulbs not very durable or long lasting and wondered whether LED bulbs might last longer in this environment? If so any particular type or brand?

Thanks.

CFLs are not meant to be frequently switched as would happen with a PIR. That is most likely the cause of failure.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Cr@p. This is the most likely cause of the problem

the light casings are damp inside s

 

[winston1]

Cr@p. This is the most likely cause of the problem

It is NOT crap. CFLs are not meant to be constantly switched. The damp won't help I admit.

 

[bernardgreen]

Brick lights are one of several place where an incandescent lamp is a better option. The "waste" heat dries out the dampness. One council changed the lamps in its brick lights to energy efficient LED lamps, then found they had tp add small resistive heaters to then to keep them dry. The installers had made the mistake of sealing the fittings to the conduits which carried the cables to a warm switch room. Warm and slightly humid atmosphere. The cold brick llight fitting drew humidity along the conduits which condensed in the fittings thus drawing more humidity into the fitting.

 

[ericmark]

If you have any sort of lamp which gets warm in use, that will heat the air inside, and make it expand.

When the light goes off, and the air cools and contracts, it isn't just dry air that gets sucked back in.

This is very true so the less heat the lamp gives off the better as less air is blown out and sucked in, and also good to select a point low down where it can blow out any water and suck in air not gathered water and drill a hole. i.e. you select where the air transfer is, don't leave it to chance.

 

[cdbe]

Thanks, I'm not sure I'm that much the wiser. I've ordered some more CFLs mainly because they're dirt cheap (95p each). I'll drill some drain holes in the fittings. I appreciate that the switching will affect the lifespan a bit and I guess I'll just have to get used to replacing them fairly frequently. A Google search brings up various bulbs for damp conditions/external use but only seem to be available in the US.

 

[winston1]

Thanks, I'm not sure I'm that much the wiser. I've ordered some more CFLs mainly because they're dirt cheap (95p each). I'll drill some drain holes in the fittings. I appreciate that the switching will affect the lifespan a bit and I guess I'll just have to get used to replacing them fairly frequently. A Google search brings up various bulbs for damp conditions/external use but only seem to be available in the US.

Bad move. Pity you didn't read or absorb what I said above. CFLs are not meant to be frequently switched as would happen with a PIR.

LEDs are also cheap. Poundland do them and they don't mind frequent switching. I didn't tell you the price but I guess you can figure it out.

 

[JohnW2]

Bad move. Pity you didn't read or absorb what I said above. CFLs are not meant to be frequently switched as would happen with a PIR.

It sounds as if he did 'read and absorb' what you wrote, but decided that CFLs were more cost-efficient ....

I've ordered some more CFLs mainly because they're dirt cheap (95p each). ... I appreciate that the switching will affect the lifespan a bit and I guess I'll just have to get used to replacing them fairly frequently.

For what it's worth, even if CFLs are "not meant to be frequently switched", before I changed them to LEDs, I had a number of CFLs on PIRs outside my house for several years, and almost never had to replace any of them. The main problem with the CFLs was the 'warm up period' (not immediate full brightness), not their life expectancy.

Kind Regards, John

 

[cdbe]

I'm more than happy to try LEDs for a £1 - if they're E27 fitting, I'll do one of each as a trial. Regarding switching, the 3 brick lights are an addition to an existing circuit with a pir bulkhead light which is in a sheltered/dry position, all 4 lights switch together but the bulkhead one has not needed a bulb in 4 years.