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-   -   Crompton 60W bulb (https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=179120)

Techman 28th Apr 2021 12:44 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Heatercathodeshort (Post 1368312)
The two prong fireglow lamps are pre war Berry's magicoal.

I had a good working one of these that I removed from an old electric fire at home when I was a youngster. I remember the fire being used and then I remember pulling it to bits and retrieving the orange two pin lamp. I think that the fire was taken out of use for a failed element. I remember the firework displays when they failed back then and the blob of melted wire that I seem to remember on the former of that particular fire element - I don't remember what happened to the lamp in the end, but I don't seem to have it now.

I used to have 60 watt orange lamps that were in a couple of wall lights in the house I used to live in over 20 years ago - they were still there and working when I moved, probably long gone by now!

However, seeing these orange and pink looking lamps seems to be ringing bells with me, so I need to have a look next time I'm in the loft to see what I can find - you never know!

Graham G3ZVT 28th Apr 2021 1:58 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
There were red or orange night lights in my boarding school dormitory.

Diabolical Artificer 28th Apr 2021 6:49 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
I remember those from a bed warmer we had when I was a kid, the warmer was made of pressed sheet metal in a bar of soap type shape, my Mum slipped it under the sheets before I got in bed. This'd be early 70's before central heating.

Andy.

Refugee 28th Apr 2021 10:25 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
I have got a pink bulb in storage and can remember testing it with a multimeter last time I spotted it.

electronicskip 28th Apr 2021 3:13 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Station X (Post 1368142)
Some lamps were specified as being "fire lamps" I remember Woolworths selling them in the early 1970's.

"Magicoal" seems to ring a bell regarding the electric fires they were used in.

We sold a lot of fireglow bulbs at the shop in various sizes and wattages , including multi coloured 15w Pygmy bulbs .
No particular dedicated use.

broadgage 28th Apr 2021 6:04 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Because orange or amber fireglow lamps were used in electric fires, there arose a widespread and erroneous belief that such lamps were "more warming" than other colours .
Use in electric bed warmers as described a few posts back was very common, when in fact a standard clear or pearl lamp would have worked just as well and been cheaper.

Red or orange lamps of low power were widely used as nightlights in school dormitories and similar places, minimum sleep disturbance but enough light to safely walk around if need be.

duncanlowe 28th Apr 2021 6:35 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
I hope this isn't drifting too far OT, but the mention of woolies in regards to lamps takes me back. I looked after the light fitting displays. On display, fittings were always equipped with 15W bulbs to avoid the big electricity bill from so many being in use. But the life was noticeably rubbish, so I was forever replacing them. Now I know we would have only been paying 'cost to the store' as they were treated as shrinkage. But I wonder if the significantly longer life of say 40W would actually have been cheaper? Might even have saved a bit of money on other heating for the store?

kellymarie 28th Apr 2021 7:54 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
My modern electric fire in the lounge has a white candle bulb which lights up a red faux coal and log effect the flame effect us done by an electric motor driving the wheel round

broadgage 29th Apr 2021 12:16 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by duncanlowe (Post 1368983)
I hope this isn't drifting too far OT, but the mention of woolies in regards to lamps takes me back. I looked after the light fitting displays. On display, fittings were always equipped with 15W bulbs to avoid the big electricity bill from so many being in use. But the life was noticeably rubbish, so I was forever replacing them. Now I know we would have only been paying 'cost to the store' as they were treated as shrinkage. But I wonder if the significantly longer life of say 40W would actually have been cheaper? Might even have saved a bit of money on other heating for the store?

Use of a 15 watt bulb instead of a 40 watt bulb is of course saving 25 watts, or over 1000 hours is saving 25 KWH.

5 pence a unit was about the going rate for many years, so saving 25 KWH was saving about £1.25 in 1000 hours.
The lamps were probably about 10 pence each, cost price, not retail.
The electricity cost therefore exceeds the lamp cost.

And remember that the 15 watt lamps might well have lasted their 1000 hours.
If 100 lamps are lit for 12 hours a day, then at least half a dozen failures each week are to be expected.

steve102 29th Apr 2021 8:01 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
These bulbs are still available from https://www.lampwise.co.uk/crompton-...ight-bulb.html
I use one in my HMV fan heater instead of fireflow bulbs which tend to shed their red coating when warmed up.

Heatercathodeshort 2nd May 2021 12:16 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Diabolical Artificer (Post 1368762)
I remember those from a bed warmer we had when I was a kid, the warmer was made of pressed sheet metal in a bar of soap type shape, my Mum slipped it under the sheets before I got in bed. This'd be early 70's before central heating.

Andy.

Believe it or not I used to sell them! Belling bed warmer . 'Only use 40W rough service lamp'
Sold them to elderly ladies that didn't like the idea of being fried alive by an electric blanket. The Belling was of course removed before retiring.
Maybe it also reminded them of the ancient version that was filled with hot coals! John.

Heatercathodeshort 2nd May 2021 12:46 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
3 Attachment(s)
Thinking about it the coloured lacquered fireglow lamp was probably one of the most widely used coloured lamps of the electric fire era, namely the 1950s and 60s.

I pulled this Belling 'Adam' fire, Cat No 743B off the tip many years ago. I believe it's quite a late example of a much older design that remained unchanged for decades.
It still gets used from time to time just to take the cold air off the room.
2 X 60W lamps are used, the heat of which creates a warm air flow that turns the deflector wheels. The patterned glass completes the effect. J.

majoconz 26th May 2021 1:42 am

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Quote:

Submarines and indeed surface ships do use red lighting at night, in order to preserve night vision.
...and on our minesweeper way back in the 60'/70's when I was in the RNVR.

agardiner 26th May 2021 8:18 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
On Air light?

kirstyd 26th May 2021 10:22 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
My gran used to work as a cleaner at the local ODEON she would bring coloured bulbs like this home .Would they have been used in the concealed lighting perhaps and possibly used with dimmers ? .Some of the bulbs had three prongs on them instead of the usual two

broadgage 26th May 2021 11:40 pm

Re: Crompton 60W bulb
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by kirstyd (Post 1378115)
My gran used to work as a cleaner at the local ODEON she would bring coloured bulbs like this home .Would they have been used in the concealed lighting perhaps and possibly used with dimmers ? .Some of the bulbs had three prongs on them instead of the usual two

Yes quite possibly, cinemas used to have an array of coloured lamps decorating features both in the auditorium and in external signage.

It was common practice to replace all these lamps, working or not, either after a set time, or when a certain percentage had failed.
The used but still working lamps would likely have been a staff perk.

3 pin bayonet caps were used for various special purpose lamps, including 75 volts (railway trains), 160 volt, 80 watt (ballast lamps in series with fluorescent tubes), smaller mercury vapour lamps (shop window lighting), and twin filament lamps (railway signals, operating theatres)

Don't think that I have ever seen a coloured but otherwise standard lamp with a 3 pin cap.


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