Vanity: ? for Electricians/Lighting Experts

[Jamestown1630]

Forgive me if this is a very ignorant question, but I don’t know very much about lamp wiring, LED bulbs, etc., and am hoping someone can give me advice.

I recently purchased some of these lamps from IKEA:

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00323887/

They're very nice for my purpose, but I can’t stand the unshaded LED bulb. Ikea’s lamps seem to be all LED, and they sell the bulbs for them. The bulb we bought is an E12, 200 Lumen, because that’s what the display lamp had. But they have lots of different bulbs with those same specifics, just with different names.

The lamp says that it can only be used with ‘dimmable’ bulbs; and I’m wondering if there’s a dimmable incandescent bulb I can buy that will work in this lamp.

I don’t know anything about LEDs – we stock-piled incandescents when the govt. made the nutty decision to ‘outlaw’ them; but I know that decorative ones are still available. I just don’t know if lamps like this are only wired to work with LEDs, or not (yes, I’m that ignorant.)

I’d actually like something sort of amber colored – I have an old lamp that uses amber chandelier lights, even some that flicker. (One of the reviews of this lamp suggested that it was possible to achieve a flickering aspect that really simulated a kerosene lamp, but we haven’t seen any ability for this lamp to do anything but be headache-bright, or slightly less bright - if you dim it as low as possible, after awhile it just goes out - and we may have been directed to purchase the wrong bulb. But I'd really like to get away from the LED, if I can.)

Thanks to anyone who might be able to help. Any thoughts would be helpful, as I have another, different kind of lamp from Ikea that I’d like to change-out as well.

-JT

[al baby]

How were the meatballs

[Jamestown1630]

Hi, al baby.

I still haven’t made my own meatballs, but the store-bought ones we put in the spaghetti sauce last night were pretty good.

[Blueflag]

LEDs are available with varying:
1. Colors
2. ‘Temperatures’ rated in Kelvin
3. Shape
4. Brightness
5. Wattage
6. Base size (traditional is called Edison)
7. Dimmable

They are likely THE most customizable lights/lamps/bulbs available.

Search for an Acuity Brands resller/distributor and get their help.

[nesnah]

IKEA “recommends” LED bulbs.

Go to HD or Lowe’s and get anything you want.

[Jamestown1630]

Is E12 the base size?

[Delta 21]

[Jamestown1630]

Well, I know I can buy bulbs that will screw into the lamp; I just don’t want to kill the lamp.

[E.Allen]

You need to look at the degree ratings of the LEDs, it’s also called the color temperature. the higher temp (4000-5000 degree) range are bright white with an increasing blue tinge. Some people find this harsh for interior lighting. A lower temp, high 2000 or 3000 degree is much yellower, some people describe as warmer, more similar to incandescent.

[Jamestown1630]

I actually did something like that when I was a kid.

'Burnt child fears the fire'.

Hence, this vanity :-)

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks. I’ve obviously got some studying-up to do.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

They sell some really nice amber lights everywhere now. They are in the very warm spectrum of light.

[mplc51]

Turn the switch on buddy

[HotHunt]

The electricity feeding the lamp socket doesn't know what kind of bulb is in the socket.

If it is a regular bulb socket base, you should be able to use an incandescent, LED or fluorescent bulb.

I actually did the opposite of you. I converted my tube fluorescent light fixtures in my sheds and barns into using LED bulbs by by-passing the ballasts. They will last much longer and won't corrode in the Florida air because they are plastic, not metal and glass.

I was having troubles keeping the regular fluorescent bulbs lit because the humid air would corrode the 2-prong ends. The LEDs don't have that problem. I like the light they put off much better myself.

Good luck.

[norwaypinesavage]

1) All incandescent bulbs are dimmable. You might be able to use any that screws into the socket, 25 watts, or less. It's possible, though, that IKEA designed the lamp to work only with LED bulbs. They take a lot less power, and don't get as hot. If this is so, they would be very likely to inform you of that in the packaging or instructions with the lamp.

2) The base of the bulb (the part that screws into the socket) appears to be a standard "small base". That's the kind that old Christmas tree and night light lamps use. If you have one of these bulbs around, screw it in, and try it. If it works, you could likely buy any 25 watt, or less "candelabra" bulb, and it should work just fine.

In short:
1) Check the instructions to see if incandescent bulbs are prohibited.
2) If not, try a night light bulb.
3) If it works, buy any "small base" "candelabra" bulb, 25 watts or less.

[WayneM]

1) All incandescent bulbs are dimmable. Not all LEDs or fluorescent are dimmable, but the ones that are dimmable will be labelled as such.

2) This uses an E12 bulb. E12 means that the socket is a candelabra socket (or base). A “normal” bulb (E26 base) is referred to as a medium base.

3) A 200 lumen LED bulb will consume about 2 to 4 watts and will not heat up much. A 200 lumen incandescent will consume about 7 times the electricity (15-25 watts) and give off the proportionally greater heat. And the heat would be about the only potential danger involved here.

4) I would suggest you try to find a 15 watt incandescent candelabra bulb. Put it in, set the dimmer to high, and feel around the base of the socket. See how hot it is. If you can touch it firmly it for a couple of seconds without yelling or jerking away in pain, it should be OK.

5) A 25 watt incandescent MAY be too much and will cause the bulb socket to run a bit hot. It likely won’t fail immediately, but the socket (likely plastic instead of ceramic) will not last as long.

6) The lamp or the socket SHOULD have a maximum socket wattage rating written on the lamp, the cord, or the socket itself. Anything below this wattage should be quite fine, and it matters not whether they are incandescent watts or LED watts. Only the electrical watts, and the resultant heating, matter to the socket.

7) Yes. I am an electrical engineer!

[Jamestown1630]

The electricity feeding the lamp socket doesn't know what kind of bulb is in the socket. If it is a regular bulb socket base, you should be able to use an incandescent, LED or fluorescent bulb.

Thank you. That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I've just been afraid of messing up the lamp - or killing bulbs - or doing something dangerous; since I understand so little about this stuff.

[raybbr]

the wattage rating of the lamp controls is what will determine what lamp you can put in. If the fixture is designed to work with a fifty watt lamp you can only use a fifty watt space incandescent which won’t give you any where near the same amount of light.

[raybbr]

I looked at the specs. It’s rated for 6 watts. You won’t get any light from a 6 watt incandescent.

[Jamestown1630]

Thank You! I appreciate it very much.

I wanted these mostly for ambiance and a little light in a particular space.

(I didn’t realize that all incandescents are ‘dimmable’!)