LED light bulbs

[AZRedhawk44]

Thanks, added to my wishlist for next month.  I'll pick up 2-3 of them.  I'll try them side by side with the ones I just ordered.

[Brad Johnson]

Looks like Home Despot keeps them in store stock.  Same price as Amazon.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/N-5yc1v/Ntk-Extended/Ntt-425264?browsestoreoption=1

Brad

[p12]

This is the one I bought.

Really do like it.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_366513-3-78847_0__?productId=3465384&Ntt=dimmable+led+bulb&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Ddimmable%2Bled%2Bbulb&facetInfo=

[zahc]

The biggest problem with LED bulbs is there's no such thing as "an LED bulb". It's not like incandescents where the cheap ones are similar to the good ones.

You should never buy anything but Cree. First, because they are about the best all - around option, and second, because I work for them and I need the stock to go up.

[Perd Hapley]

An interesting LED bulb:
http://www.dvice.com/2013-9-4/flat-led-light-bulb-only-3

And in a similar vein:
http://dornob.com/flat-light-bulb-idea-compact-replacement-for-round-bulbs/#axzz2pI4QMSbw

[230RN]

They vary.  We have one that's still working that we installed when we moved in 20 years ago.

The two (CFLs) which have lasted longest are in a hall light, from which I removed the globe.  Free air circulation seems to be necessary for longevity.  Worst ones are in the bathroom medicine cabinet-mirrors, where circulation is not good.


Roo_ster called dibs on riding shotgun, so can I tie the SOBs up to the bumper?  Oh, and as noted, I have a boxful of dead CFLs we can crush.

Terry

[bedlamite]

Roo_ster called dibs on riding shotgun, so can I tie the SOBs up to the bumper?  Oh, and as noted, I have a boxful of dead CFLs we can crush.

I think we should use the new Aluminum F-150 instead of the Hummer.

[TechMan]

How big is that thing? I wanted to get a couple of 100 watt equivalents when I bought the 40s, but the 100 watt ones at Costco were huge (though not much bigger than some of my CFLs). I'd love some of those in the same size as an incandescent.

I have to say, I like LED light too. I put the little candelabra lights in the light over my dining room table, and they dim way better than the CFLs I had there did, and they have a much brighter and more pleasant light. I actually like the color better than the light from the original incandescents that were in that lamp.

Ben,
Here are some pictures of the 40W LED and a 75W incandescent bulb.  I also weighed them: 75W incandescent is 30 grams and the 40W LED is 304 grams.

Holy sheep dip, do you tan in that bathroom, or just keep the serving trays warm?   

Just the serving trays...I was wrong, we have 2 75W incandescent bulbs in there now, we use to have 100W, but as they burned out I used what we had available.

[Ben]

Thanks Andy. I've got a couple of dual bulb torch lamps that don't have a lot of vertical clearance and I've been trying to get bright light without the bulb sticking up over the shade. The 100 watt equivalent CFLs always did. Not sure if the 100 watt equv LED will as well. I actually should try these 40s I have in one of them, given that they at least appear to me to be brighter than actual 40 watt incandescent bulbs.

Edit: Just to verify, your first post said 100 watt equivalent, but the above said 40? My 40s are about the same size as an incandescent, so I'm assuming your bigger one is the 100 watt equivalent?

[TechMan]

Thanks Andy. I've got a couple of dual bulb torch lamps that don't have a lot of vertical clearance and I've been trying to get bright light without the bulb sticking up over the shade. The 100 watt equivalent CFLs always did. Not sure if the 100 watt equv LED will as well. I actually should try these 40s I have in one of them, given that they at least appear to me to be brighter than actual 40 watt incandescent bulbs.

Ben, I have a 100W CFL here that I will get a comparison shot of tomorrow (it is currently supplying light to my corner of the family room.)

[K Frame]

More and more towns in Northern Virginia are going to LED street lights. They actually do a decent job of lighting the streets.

[Brad Johnson]

TTU is slowly converting all lampost and exterior safety lighting to LED.  Much better light quality than sodium vapor, and noticeably better than metal halide.  Hands down winner on maintenance costs and energy use.

Brad

[zahc]

LED outdoor light=win. Of course it's physically impossible to color balance vapor lamps. Around here, the early adopters are car dealerships, because the cars look a million times better under the LEDs. The economics are already in fa or of LED for new installations, but car dealers are actually switching.

[Perd Hapley]

TTU is slowly converting all lampost and exterior safety lighting to LED.  Much better light quality than sodium vapor

Well, pretty much everything short of a candle is better light quality than sodium. 

[AJ Dual]

My burb of Milwaukee is also switching over to LED. Generally only on streets where there's been major digging/resurfacing going on. We have the really horrid monochromatic orange low pressure sodium lamps on almost all of our residential side-streets, I remember them going in sometime in the late 70's as a child, probably in slightly delayed response to the 70's energy crisis, and Prez. Carter encouraging everyone to wear sweaters etc.    Because of their almost single-line emission, and kind of close to the yellow/green peak of human sensitivity, they were the most efficient lamp for a long time.

When it was realized the monochromatic LPS lamps were not good enough the major thoroughfares have the brighter pinkish high pressure sodium.

[Perd Hapley]

Because of their almost single-line emission, and kind of close to the yellow/green peak of human sensitivity, they were the most efficient lamp for a long time.

More efficient than induction? 

[AJ Dual]

More efficient than induction? 

I think so. LPS can get up to 200 lumens/watt and they don't degrade as they age, or at least much.

Induction lighting is pretty much the same as florescent lamps, except there's no electrodes piercing the envelope for direct discharge into the gas. I don't think they get above 100 lumens/watt. And lose efficiency as the gas discharge UV light is re-converted, re-emitted by the phosphor mix on the inside of the glass. The LPS pours almost all it's energy into the two very close lines of yellow/orange sodium emission.

[Perd Hapley]

Sorry, yeah, you're right. Sodium's about efficiency; induction's about low maintenance costs.

[AZRedhawk44]

OK, so these ones I ordered from Amazon are a bit too blue/green.

They are extraordinarily noonday sun-like.

I do want a bit more "yellow" but there's a mountain of difference between all these things.

Of all the bulbs in my house, it seems they rank from yellow to blue in this order: 
1. Typical spiral fluorescent
2. GE Soft-white incandescent
3. The first LED bulb I bought
4. Typical 40w fluorescent tube
5. The most recent 6000K LED bulbs I bought


Wish I knew the brand of the first one I bought.

I'll continue to use these ones I bought... they're mellowing the aggregate color tone and helping with the "too yellow" feel I get in my house, but I wish I had uniform ~3500K color temps from all my bulbs.

[K Frame]

I finally pulled the LED out of the table lamp in the living room. I'd put it there a couple of weeks ago to give it a try, but it was simply too blue white.

The fluorescent spiral bulb that went back in is MUCH nicer color wise.

I think the LED is going to go into the post lamp out front.

[Brad Johnson]

OK, so these ones I ordered from Amazon are a bit too blue/green.

They are extraordinarily noonday sun-like.

Ahem...

Also, 4000-6000 K color temp is considered by most to be pretty harsh.  Noonday sun harsh, and usually more suited to an environment calling for that color temp.  3000-3500 k seems to be the sweet spot for general interior illumination.  The LED troffers in my office are 3500 K and the light is pleasantly neutral, neither stark white nor yellow-ish.

He can be taught!    

I think you're going the right way in sticking with something in the 3500K range.  It's "crisp" without being glaring, a nice balance.  Unfortunately most of the work has gone into making lamps that mimic incandescent, meaning a glut of 2700K offerings but little else in A-type domestic products.  Philips offers a 5000k lamp, but I think you would still find it very harsh.  There are a smattering of 3000-3500K lamps in the BR30 and PAR 38 sizes, but not many.

Don't rely on your list of personally-used products as an absolute guide.  Fluorescent-based lamps, both standard and CFL, can be had in color temps ranging from 2700K to 6500K.  Become familiar with the color temp range and how it relates to lighting you've experienced.  That will be a better guide for guesstimating what a particular lamp will perform like in your home.

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

Don't rely on your list of personally-used products as an absolute guide.  Fluorescent-based lamps, both standard and CFL, can be had in color temps ranging from 2700K to 6500K.  Become familiar with the color temp range and how it relates to lighting you've experienced.  That will be a better guide for guesstimating estimating what a particular lamp will perform like in your home.

This. There is no "typical" temp color, when it comes to fluorescent or LED. Different lamps/bulbs/luminaires are designed to give off different color temps, usually between 2700 to 6500 K.

Unfortunately most of the work has gone into making lamps that mimic incandescent, meaning a glut of 2700K offerings but little else in A-type domestic products. 

I think perhaps it was necessary, due to all the hype about non-incandescents being too blue, or whatever.


Also, it seems the new hotness cheapness for LED bulbs, is the flat style. It saves money by eliminating the big, metal heat sink.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-SlimStyle-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-2700K-A19-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-433755/204730356#
It will be interesting, if those take off. Still too ugly for my open-fixture ceiling fans, of course. 

[Firethorn]

Also, it seems the new hotness cheapness for LED bulbs, is the flat style. It saves money by eliminating the big, metal heat sink.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-SlimStyle-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-2700K-A19-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-433755/204730356#
It will be interesting, if those take off. Still too ugly for my open-fixture ceiling fans, of course. 

Interesting.  I'll admit that I'm STILL an advocate for just putting in a fixture that comes with the LEDs integrated.  That way you don't have to put up with the ugliness of a converted fixture, or the problems associated with trying to stuff LED's and necessary electronics into a bulb shape.

something like this:


At an estimated 17+ year lifespan, 'bulbs' don't make as much sense, especially if you're losing life because of the bulb design making it so that too small components are getting too hot.

[AZRedhawk44]

Brad, I love my house when it gets natural ambient light.  I just want MORE natural ambient light.

I figured "noonday sun" would be nice, rather than ratpiss candleflicker dungeon yellow.

These are a skosh past noonday sun, though.

[Pb]

If you have an enclosed fixture, you can use a Switch LED.  They are cooled with liquid silocone, and so can take higher temps than most.  I'm using one in a closed fixture, it seems good so far:

http://www.amazon.com/SWITCH-Lighting-A260FUS27B1-R-Replacement-Dimmable/dp/B00EZE6SE4/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1389283911&sr=1-1&keywords=switch+led+bulb