Singapore Expats

Hey guys, searched (here and elsewhere), but couldn't find a clear answer. Does anyone know if Cree LED lightbulbs acquired in the US would work in Singapore?

Do US lightbulbs in general work in Singapore?

No, they don't work for two reasons. First, the bulb socket sizes are different so there is no physical fit. But the larger problem is that USA bulbs run on 120 volts while voltage in Singapore is 240 volts.

That goes for everything besides light bulbs as well. US appliances and electronics, unless specifically designed to be multi-voltage cannot be used in Singapore. Common examples of things that are generally usable are laptop computers, some stereo systems, and some TV's... although the over the air encoding system is different and will not work.

Thanks Eagle. Makes sense. Knew about the voltage, but wasn't sure about the bulbs themselves. Interesting to know it's a different sized socket too. So much for that investment in all those LED bulbs!

anycer wrote:Thanks Eagle. Makes sense. Knew about the voltage, but wasn't sure about the bulbs themselves. Interesting to know it's a different sized socket too. So much for that investment in all those LED bulbs!

Where are your Cree bulbs located?

I'm in New York City for the next few weeks. Relocating to Sydney in September for 5 months and then SG permanently after that.

I'll probably just sell them here on Craig's List before we go. I'll leave the ones I put the apartment's fixtures for the next tenants and good environmental karma.

Short update: I've seen several webpages that say the E26 base (US) and E27 base bulbs will work interchangeably, for example:

So, I got out some genuine Yankee light bulbs and some Aussie E27's along with both kinds of holder. Well, I couldn't notice any difference in diameter...both screwed into each others sockets just as loose/tight as they would in the 'correct' ones.
What was clearly evident is the US bulbs have a shorter base...with some Aussie E27 sockets the contact at the bottom wasn't made even when fully screwed in. Screwing an Aussie bulb into the US socket leaves more of the thread exposed which could be a shock hazard.

You still have the voltage issue... I suppose you could series wire 2 US bulbs in a single lamp or perhaps two lamps on each side of a couch... non code I suppose.

Hrm. Interesting. Not worth the trouble to me, though.

Are LED (not incandescent or florescent) bulbs easy to come by at SG retailers?

Yes. Reasonably easy. Your local mom & pop Hdwr or lighting shop might not have them, but most larger upmarket shops or speciality shops will carry there. LED lighting speciality shops are popping up all over (not like dandelions but all over the island) so that you really don't have to literally cross the island to find one. In fact there is one close to where I work near Bukit Batok (getting to be a popular area with expats) in which I recently bought about two meters of LED strip lighting in order to illuminate the interior of a vintage glass & teak display cabinet. They also carried all kinds of ceiling light and other types of LED lighting. Ikea here also carries LED lights as well.

Terrific. Thanks for the info. As a long time lurker, really appreciate all the great content here.

Glad we can be of assistance.

Get an idea here:
http://www.lazada.sg/shop-lighting/?q=led%20bulbs

Some (well, most) of them are imported but nevertheless you can get them locally reasonably quickly.

anycer wrote:Hrm. Interesting. Not worth the trouble to me, though.

Are LED (not incandescent or florescent) bulbs easy to come by at SG retailers?

What SMS says... shops all over the place... but you really have to watch out for the dodgy crap being brought in from China... like corn cob LED's with no isolation transformer and live parts on the surface... you can get fried. Or bulbs that run exceptionally hot.

You'll be hard pressed to find brand name bulbs, and if you do, they will cost out the wazoo. You might seriously consider Oz and UK sources for bulbs... for good quality might still be cheaper with shipping. Or, get them to the US and bring them with you.