Yesterday I needed to change a light bulb but we had used the last spare for that fitting a couple of days ago, so off I set for the nearest hardware/DIY store, the local shops and supermarket not stocking that type. I was amazed (I nearly typed 'dazzled' but thought that too awful a pun) by the range of light bulbs available. There were the traditional bulb shape, a round shape almost as big as a tennis ball, another round shape the size of a golf ball, straight candles, twisted candles, bayonet fittings, large screw fittings, small screw fittings, and a range of halogen bulbs for recessed fittings. And of course they all came in a range of wattages and either clear or pearl. What's more, they all have reference numbers now - I wanted E14. A far cry from the days when one would go into Woolworths, select a 40, 60 or 100 watt bulb, clear of pearl, and the girl behind the counter would test the bulb before taking one's money.
What surprised me was that it was cheaper for me to buy two packs of two bulbs than one pack of four!
The really big surprise comes when you want to dispose of a CFL (compact fluorescent lamp).
ReplyDeleteThere was something about that in one of our newspapers a while ago. I seem to remember that if one of these breaks, one should open a window to ensure any noxious fumes escape, don protective clothing to gather up the glass (which might cause a fatal injury) - and call in a specialist disposal squad.
ReplyDeleteSomething like that, anyway.