LED Lighting

[Sully2014]

Hello,

My bulbs quite often blow and wondered if firstly replacing the standards bulbs with energy saving at about £4 a pop will increase the chances
Of them NOT blowing as its about £4-£5 a pair which im resentful of paying?

Second question is i LED, these are more popular now but still very expensive.

Would using LED bulbs also decrease chances of bulbs blowing as apparently they can last 20 years??

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes, energy saving lamps will last much longer

Yes LEDs, while more expensive to buy, will save you money over time as they last several years and use a tenth of the electricity to run for an equivalent light output.

 

[ericmark]

Personal experience I swapped 8 bulb holders to 18 bulb holders by changing fittings and swapped my 60W tungsten bulbs which it would seem I was replacing one a week for 8W CFL globe bulbs which claimed would last for 5 years at my usage.

They lasted a lot longer than tungsten but after 2 years there were only 2 of the original 18 bulbs still working we had replaced the expensive Philips originals with some cheaper bulbs the replacements seemed to be lasting better.

They also had an advantage/disadvantage of a soft start switch on lights when wife was dozing on chair would not wake her with soft start but switching on lights to read some mail it was a real pain waiting for them to warm up.

Lidi were doing some candle shaped LED bulbs at 1.6W each and I bought a pair to use in reading lamps but could not find any 8W CFL globe bulbs as reasonable cost so as a temporary measure put them in the main light fittings. I was rather impressed so kept my eye open for Lidi to repeat the offer. Next time they came on sale they were 3W versions so bought all they had 8 of them so now living room lit with 8 x 3W and 2 x 1.6W it is far brighter than with the CFL they replaced and lights come on without any delay. Looking at the Lumin ratting of bulbs now 2/3 of the original Lumin ratting of CFL but clearly much brighter.

As to how long they will last non of my 230 volt LED's have to date failed. But been fitted less than a year. I have had some 12 volt LED's fail and talking to others in the family they have also had 12 volt versions fail but not 230 volt versions. The 12 volt versions were very cheap.

All in all very pleased with the results after moving to LED but not so happy with the original move to CFL. However the larger size LED bulbs are very expensive and had I not changed first from 2 bulbs to 6 bulbs in living room before first trying standard 22W CFL which looked horrid I could have not got enough lights and after that change to 10 bulbs in the rooms now using LED lamps. So often it also involves changing fittings as well if not going to buy very expensive lamps.

The other lamps changed were the GU10 spot lights I used 2W LED lamps from B&M Bargains approx £10 for 3 and these have replaced the 35W and 50W lamps again without any problems the beam is a little on the narrow side but where used this was no problem.

I also tried some 0.58W GU10 and MR16 from Pound World but these were just too dim to be really any use and the MR16 versions (12v) have been failing plus these very cheap lamps are a bit too blue the more expensive types are a warmer more red colour.

I am into photography and find the colour from the LED lamps in general is better than CFL. Old trick is angle a CD at the light and it acts as a prism with LED it is gradual change across the colours as with sun light but with CFL forms bands of colours with hard lines between each colour so no amount of colour temperature correction will give correct colours.

Clearly you can read what the firms claim but I am just telling you my personal experience. I will when Lidi do bulbs again buy another 6 and swap dinning room to LED as well. Kitchen likely will keep florescent tubes and landing also keep the florescent tube had to swap tube last year 18W it failed after 15 years can't really complain at that. It is a HF florescent with battery back-up so lights the stairs in power cut so rather expensive to replace.

Bedroom will likely stay with CFL not used enough to be worth changing but the bedside reading lamps already changed to LED (GU10). Office is lit in the main by a folded tube florescent reading lamp the fixed lamp is only one left in the house still with a tungsten bulb. Because the fixed lamp has a dimmer switch it is not a simple swap will also need to swap switch but the dimmer switch also means the bulbs last longer.

 

[Sully2014]

Thanks Eric for that detailed response!

If i can ask you some further questions as my knowledge
Of light bulbs is extremely limited!

You said

"Personal experience I swapped 8 bulb holders to 18 bulb holders by changing fittings"

When you say you swapped do you mean you bought amd installed new light fittings rather than just use existing light fittings and insert an LED bulb? Why did you do that?? - do led bulbs not work in normal socket?

Why did you feel the need to go from 8 bulbs to 18??

Thanks

 

[ericmark]

Yes I swapped the ceiling roses for fittings taking multi-bulbs. This was first done because the original 2 x 60W tungsten bulbs were not bright enough and could not find lamp shades for 100W bulbs.

The swapped fitting had the bulb holder below the bulb which means the holder is cooler and had a glass shade which hid the tungsten bulb from direct view.

Swapping to 22W CFL resulted in being able to see the folded tubes above the shade and although they worked they looked horrid.

So second swap from 6 lamps to 10 lamps in the room allowed the use of smaller globe shaped bulbs 8W each that did not project above the glass shades. However these Philips bulbs were to put it mildly not a real success. Swapping to cheaper bulbs did result in again being able to see bulb but when we swapped from 6 to 10 we also swapped from BA22d fitting to E14 or SES fitting and it does seem there are more cheap screw fitting LED bulbs on the high street than BA22d type.

So luck had it the two LED bulbs were candle SES fittings and although they now do poke above the shade they are all even and don't look too bad.

I think I paid £5 for first pair of LED bulbs and at £5 worth giving them a go. And as I said was going to use in reading lamps and originally only used as temp but worked so well.

Spending £35 for a single bulb is rather a leap of faith and as I found the 27.2W now used in my living room is brighter than the 200W original uncovered bulbs when we bought the house 30 years ago and spending out £35 for a bulb to then find you need sun glasses is not really the way you want to go.

In my Mothers house the wet room had three 50W GU10 spot lights I swapped to three 2W LED versions and there is now a triple shadow on the floor not noticed before and I am sure with a light meter it is a little darker but I can't see with my eyes any real difference in the amount of light and I was fed up of swapping bulbs.

I would not claim that swapping to CFL saves energy as at least in winter we want the heat and with tungsten lamps we set the thermostat to 18°C but with CFL moved to 20°C as no radiated heat from the bulbs. However as far as maintenance goes yes very much reduced.

Also with tungsten black marks appear above the bulbs as the dust in the air is disposed on the ceiling due to the convected currents of air around the hot bulbs. This was much reduced with CFL and totally gone with LED bulbs so less frequent decorating is required.