Well several people on here seem to choose to do so. I also have fluorescents for outdoor security lights that are on all night, because they are cheaper to run. I believe there are valid applications for all three types.
leds are not always what they say
- Thread starter big-all
- Start date
Well several people on here seem to choose to do so. I also have fluorescents for outdoor security lights that are on all night, because they are cheaper to run. I believe there are valid applications for all three types.
Can you keep a secret?
My parents still have one of the extra large incandescent bulbs lighting their garage. Not sure if anyone remembers them? Anyway, it's been there since the early 70s.
They were probably banned long ago. This one must be approx 150W and use enough power to give a green zealot palpitations.
Please don't tell the authorities.
I know people who grow with led, and the plants are quite amazing, even compared to sodium, they are good.Look up a few cannabis forums, i'm sure you'll be surprised, the best cost more.
I know nothing of growing cannabis - honest - but one advantage of tungsten over LEDs is that you have the benefit of heat, if you want it, as well as light!
The idea of growing with leds is to get rid of excess heat that sodium lighting creates, it also gets rid of the heat signature........yeaaaah, and it lowers your electric bill by about 60%, and is a lot safer with less fires in a confined space.
Does anyone have any LED replacements for GU 10's, that they would recommend
Sounds like you didn't do a cost analysis of that.
I did a spreadsheet for our house for the most used lights, and only those that were used for more that 4hrs per day were worth replacing with LEDs, and even then some were a marginal economic benefit.
We have a security light that could be about 500w, but because its only on for about 1min per day, it isn't worth replacing.
While the kitchen lights are used for 5 or 6 hours per day on average, and the LEDs pay back is in the order of a few months.
Admittedly most of mine have been surplus lights from jobs so no cost to me. I've been keeping an eye on LEDs for a while now. About three years ago I specified about 250 CF units in a large job of 5 top spec apartments. These are market leader brand and were supposed to be the best available. They are absolutely crap. They were supposed to dim but they don't - not without buzzing like an 11,000 volt transformer. The lamps blow every 5 minutes and replacements are nearly ten quid a pop. And pop is the operative word because when they do blow they go off like a 12 bore. They are just about the worst thing I've ever specified in my life. So we gave LEDs a try. At that time they weren't that good but over the last 18 months they've improved dramatically. The latest ones are fantastic. They dim brilliantly, give good light, on and off is instant, and at 1.4Watts you can't go wrong.
For the record I wouldn't advise people change light units unless the old units are defective. Changing lamps is fine but not until the old lamp dies. Like you the kitchen lights were big users along with the living room. I bought a pack of dimmer lamps a few weeks ago for my living room, which I'll change over gradually. What I do know is that up to my last bill on 18th Jan my average daily usage is down 23% compared to the same time last year. And most of the units only went in over the last 6 months so that should improve still.
Wobs, that doesnt add up, unless I have my maths wrong?
Current rate of leccy is 17p on average.
If you leave a 60w bulb on for 1 hour a day = £3.72 a year
A 4w Led bulb = 24p a year.
You can pick up a LED bulb for £3-15 depending on brand and such, even if you buy the stupidly overpriced ones you can see you will make your money back.
Current rate of leccy is 17p on average.
If you leave a 60w bulb on for 1 hour a day = £3.72 a year
A 4w Led bulb = 24p a year.
You can pick up a LED bulb for £3-15 depending on brand and such, even if you buy the stupidly overpriced ones you can see you will make your money back.
A 60w incandescent bulb produces about 710lm.
A 4w LED produces about 240lm.
This means you are making a false comparison.
When you buy an LED, you have to compare the cost with cost of the existing bulb (or similar) and make sure the bulb is similar in poutput. I have many CFLs, and as they are cheap and efficient (£/lm and w/lm), it is difficult to find areas where LEDs are justified when you compare bulbs with similar outputs.
Even when you factor in the longevity (which you can't gaurantee), they often do not make sense. Not having dimmers makes life so much simpler.
As Jeds says though, the price is coming down, and its an area where one must keep an eye on.
with leds i recon if you multiply the rated output by 9 you get a reasonable comparison
you will not have the same lumens comparison but you will be close on the useable light output
so a 4w will be 36w
8 = 72
11w=99w and 1000-1025 lumens as opposed to the 1300 off a 100w normal bulb
you will not have the same lumens comparison but you will be close on the useable light output
so a 4w will be 36w
8 = 72
11w=99w and 1000-1025 lumens as opposed to the 1300 off a 100w normal bulb
