Overlocker machine - Bulb

[SewRuthieSews]

I have a Bernina 800DL which I'm using as my main overlocker now. Its more than 10 years old and the bulb has started flickering. Clearly it's going to fail soon.

Many of my machines still have the old incandescent bulbs, are there now sewing machines bulbs which are low energy and nice clear light (less yellow)?

As an aside I wonder if I'm using lots of electricity when I'm sewing, especially the bulbs, mind I think they are only 10W or less.

[Tamnymore]

10W is a tiny amount of power @SewRuthieSews  - if you think about it that's a hundredth of the power that a 1KW electric heater uses. The main thing is to make sure you have the right bulb as a spare for when the original bulb finally goes!

I don't think you'd use much power with your  sewing machine. It's only using a significant amount when the motor is running so that's onlly for a few seconds then you stop and start and so on.

I know that my electric heater is the guilty party in my sewing room so I'm keeping it off as long as possible!

[BrendaP]

If you replace an old incandescent bulb with a modern LED one you will likely get a whiter light, cooler to touch and less expensive to tun.

However, sewing machines generally don't use much power, it's the appliences which get hot which consume greater amounts of electricity; irons, kettles, toasters etc.

As a general guide something with a 3amp fuse uses a small amount of power, something with a 13 amp fuse uses a lot and anything hard wired (cookers, fires) gobble it up.

[So Chic]

I bought a LED bulb for my 800DL and it failed after a couple of years and I went back to an incandescent bulb as I couldn’t find anyone who sold LED bulbs to fit my machine.  I was not worried about the cost but the LED is a much better light.

[Helen M]

Can you switch the light off and on @SewRuthieSews? I ask because my 1989 brother 730D overlocker sometimes flickers, has done for a few years. If it does I flick the bulb switch off then back on and it does the trick. I think it could be a loose connection rather than the bulb going. I have a spare (I think!) if it goes permanently.

I don't think sewing machines use a lot of power but if you're worried turn it off while you're not actually using it. I think we are all becoming a bit paranoid about how much this and that uses but at the end of the day we have to have something to do with our time! I think it's just about being aware and careful with things that do use a lot of power. I haven't been away in almost 3 years so I figure I'll use some of what we've saved to stay warm.

A thought occurred to me the other day as I was listening to some gloomy news on the radio that you can almost predict the headlines in say 6 months time being that power companies moaning that they aren't making money because everyone has been switching off things!

[Acorn]

I've tried very hard to get an LED for my Husqvarna Megaquilter because the light that comes with it is not as bright as I would like.  Unfortunately there don't seem to be any in existence - and I really have looked all over the place.  I had a bulb for a car numberplate which looked right, fitted, and had all the right numbers, but it just didn't work.

[Ouryve]

My most powerful machine is my overlocker which, according to the back plate, is 119W. That means I would have to run it at full pelt for almost 8.5 hours to use a unit of electricity. I don't think I've used it for that long in all the time I've had it.

[Acorn]

You'd be very tired if you did.  But you'd have a whole new wardrobe!!

[BrendaP]

My most powerful machine is my overlocker which, according to the back plate, is 119W.

A watt is one thousandth of a kilowatt so your overlocker, on full pelt, is not much more than a tenth of a one bar electric fire

[SewRuthieSews]

Its a screw in bulb, so I unscrewed it a bit and screwed it back in again slightly tighter, it seems OK for the brief test so maybe thats fixed it.