LED Lamps to Replace Incandescent Bulbs - But When?

[bikdav]

There are bulbs in which the LED is contained in a frosted lens giving you the same type of diffusion as a standard incandescent bulb.

Absolutely. The ones that I bought are frosted. Mine are almost shaped like an incandescent bulb except for the "cooling fins" on the side.

 

[sholling]

I'm slowly but surely replacing the CFLs in my house with LEDs but It's a years long process due to cost. So far 3/4 the CFL bulbs in my family room have been replaced and well as all 3 in my bedroom plus the front porch light. Those lights see a lot of use and I was able to find very good 7w 430 lumen LEDs for $10 on sale. The quality and quantity of the light really surprised me. The only one that was more money was a 15w (90w equivalent) flood light for the porch. I plan to replace whats left in the family room and the hallway lights as I find them on sale but the rest of the lights in the house will probably remain florescent until the price comes way down.

On a slightly different note I've also replaced or upgraded all of my flashlights to LED.

 

[majorloser]

On a slightly different note I've also replaced or upgraded all of my flashlights to LED.

My brother-in-law is a high lumen flashlight freak. I've got Fenix, ITP and Romisen lights all over my home and in every vehicle. He drops more off everytime he visits.

Here's a good place to get them if interested:

ShiningBeam.com Home Page

And to an even more different note, I've been looking to add LED lighting to my truck. Rigid Industries make some awesome bright LED bars. Not cheap, but put out some serious light.

Off Road LED Light Bars | Jeep Truck LED Light Bars | Rigid LED Lights

 

[GoFastr]

The math on the payback of the bulbs is pretty easy to do, as I did it this weekend after noticing 60w LED bulbs available for right around $10 each. Given that the main room in my house has a light fixture with four 60w bulbs, and it's probably on 8 hours a day (probably more), and that energy here is around $0.10 a kW/hour, the saving for me meant that the LED bulbs broke even after 222 days of use. So, 8 months after getting them they're already paid for, and that's discounting the fact that the incandescent bulbs would be past their lifespan already during that period and have to be replaced.

If utilities started to charge more, that only shifts the balance even more towards the LED lights as they'll pay off much quicker. They are a bit expensive now, but getting much cheaper, and will only continue on that route. I will probably start to replace some of the lights bulbs in our next house when we move, and replace the less used ones as the LEDs come down in price.

How do the costs of the LED's work out compared to the CF bulbs? I changed out all of my incandescent bulbs 2 years ago to CF and it was somewhat of a savings. Where I live we pay .40 cents a KW for power (depending on the price of diesel) and I'd really like to find some deals on LED's for outdoor candelabra base and eve spot lights for motion detectors.

 

[jcl]

One of the main reasons I started swiching to LED's was the high heat output I had from halogen track lighting. Though I do prefer the warm, bright color you get with halogen, it's like sitting under a broiler.

We had the same issue. 75w par 30 halogen bulbs in recessed lighting gave great light, but put out tons of heat. Switching to 15 w ecoSmart LEDs from Home Depot made a world of difference.

I find the 40 w equivalent Edison bulbs aren't quite bright enough. Still waiting for a moderately priced 60 w or 75 w equivalent.

My one concern is longevity. We had some cfls that only lasted a few months. Spending $20-$40 a bulb they better last a good long while.

 

[j_garcia]

And to an even more different note, I've been looking to add LED lighting to my truck. Rigid Industries make some awesome bright LED bars. Not cheap, but put out some serious light.

Off Road LED Light Bars | Jeep Truck LED Light Bars | Rigid LED Lights

I bought a set of replacement bulbs to try out in my car and I may convert all of the markers with them:

 

[majorloser]

I plan on replacing all the interior and exterior lights on my 5th wheel trailer once I get it. There's dozens of 12 volt light fixtures in those things, both inside and out. I know it's going to end up costing a fortune, but at least the "house" batteries will last for at least one night without shore power if they're LED's.

Just as an FYI, here's a couple places I've bought LED's lamps and supplies in the past with great service:

LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS

LEDLight.com: Online Shopping for LED Lighting Products

 

[bikdav]

I bought a set of replacement bulbs to try out in my car and I may convert all of the markers with them:

You just answered a question that I had concerning automotive bulbs. I was thinking about trying this.

 

[bikdav]

Did Any of You Experience This?

Let me ask all of you a question. When you were reading a magazine or newspaper, did any of you find LED lighting easier on the eyes instead of CFLs? Is it just me, or did any of you experience this?

 

[majorloser]

Let me ask all of you a question. When you were reading a magazine or newspaper, did any of you find LED lighting easier on the eyes instead of CFLs? Is it just me, or did any of you experience this?

Your standard run of the mill CFL's have a temperature a little off for me. Lately I have tried some of the daylight units in various places in the house. They put out a very bright blue-ish (cool) light. Much easier to see details.

The same thing goes with LED's. I tried the first LED's that came out and they were way to warm (yellow) for me. Once I started switching to the cooler units it became much nicer. I'm using lights that over my compter desk that are CREE cool whites (6100K). Much easier on my eyes when reading and using the computer.

 

[hkremer]

Not more expensive

The up front price of LEDs is higher but the operating cost is far lower because the last about 20 times longer and use about 80% less energy. A good analogy is a magazine subscription:

1 issue: $6.00
12 issues: $25.00

Wow, $25 for a magazine? But which is higher? It depends, of course - are you going to buy more than one? At four, you hit the crossover. At 12, you are way ahead. It works exactly the same with LEDs.

75W Halogen: 2,500 hours, $8.00 = $437.00 for 10 years (bulb replacements and energy.
17W LED: 50,000 hours, $50 = $130 for 10 years (no bulb replacement, 78% less energy)

This is an average - varies by amount of time used/day and cost per KwH (which isn't going down).

So, which costs more? The LED almost always COSTS less, though the price is higher.

 

[GoFastr]

Is there a comparison chart that shows what wattage LED is comparable to incandescent, CFL or halogen for lumen output replacement purposes?

I want some pretty bright lights for my motion activated, dusk-to-dawn outdoor eave lights.

 

[majorloser]

Is there a comparison chart that shows what wattage LED is comparable to incandescent, CFL or halogen for lumen output replacement purposes?

I want some pretty bright lights for my motion activated, dusk-to-dawn outdoor eave lights.

This might help a little.

How do LED lightbulbs compare to CFL and incandescent? | JasonMorrison.net

LED Lights vs Incandescent - CFL vs LED Lights - Popular Mechanics

Just note that color temp plays a big role in perceived brightness. Higher temperatures (toward blue or daylight) will seem brighter to the eye versus cooler temperatures (toward yellow or warm white). This link shows the differences:

LED vs. CFL vs. Incandescent Light Bulbs

 

[j_garcia]

I want some pretty bright lights for my motion activated, dusk-to-dawn outdoor eave lights.

You can go see your options at any Lowes or Home Depot. I currently have halogens because that's what was already installed when we bought the place, but I will be switching mine to LED.

 

[3db]

I do have a beef to pick with this whole energy saving movement towards CFLs. We have been brain washed into believing that CFL is eco friendly. That is utter BS. Is the negligent value of energy saved by CFLs over incandesents offsetting the amount of toxins put into the landfill sight from the mercury ballasts contained in the CFL? Mercury is near the top of the toxisity (SP) charts in terms of its staying powers. The stuff just not degrade.

Another thing to consider are the materials used to make LEDs. They too are highly toxic so for energy saving purposes, we poison our soil, water, and air. No thanks. I'll stick to the old fashion energy robbing incandesents and be mindful of turning lights off when I leave a room.

 

[j_garcia]

CFLs are not supposed to be thrown in the garbage, they need to be taken in to a designated location for proper disposal because they are considered toxic waste. Naturally, most people don't know that and throw them in their city garbage, so yes that is a problem.

Mercury doesn't degrade, that is correct, but it isn't like you are hanging out at a landfill and most likely in certain areas (like much of California) the mercury is already in the ground. Unless you come in contact with the internals of a CFL, it doesn't pose a direct risk to you either, but you do need to be careful when handling one that is broken.

The vast majority of everything we manufacture for modern life has a penalty, certainly everything electronic, and of course many things we consider beneficial. I'd have to say LEDs are low on my list of things that damage the earth.

 

[3db]

CFLs are not supposed to be thrown in the garbage, they need to be taken in to a designated location for proper disposal because they are considered toxic waste. Naturally, most people don't know that and throw them in their city garbage, so yes that is a problem.

Mercury doesn't degrade, that is correct, but it isn't like you are hanging out at a landfill and most likely in certain areas (like much of California) the mercury is already in the ground. Unless you come in contact with the internals of a CFL, it doesn't pose a direct risk to you either, but you do need to be careful when handling one that is broken.

The vast majority of everything we manufacture for modern life has a penalty, certainly everything electronic, and of course many things we consider beneficial. I'd have to say LEDs are low on my list of things that damage the earth.

I agree with you that everything in life is nothing but trade-offs. However, its not ECO friendly as most people tend to think. I agree with you that these bulbs reqire special handling but how many of those care enough to employ the proper disposal techniques?

As far as toxicity goes, no other industry works with more hazardous materials then the semiconductor/electronics industry. Here's a small sample;

http://joh.med.uoeh-u.ac.jp/pdf/E40/E40_4_03.pdf

LEDs are very efficient but are the most poisonous of all lighting methodologies to make. This stuff makes asbestos look like child's play.

 

[j_garcia]

I've worked in the semiconductor industry for 20+yrs. I know all too well what goes into making all these things, and it ain't pretty.

"Green" electronics are a total oxymoron. Just like electric cars - yes we don't use as much gas, but the manufacturing and the eventual byproducts of all those batteries that WILL expire are going to be just as bad if not worse than what fossil fuel has done.

 

[3db]

I've worked in the semiconductor industry for 20+yrs. I know all too well what goes into making all these things,http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif and it ain't pretty.

Opening my trench coat.. Can I interest you in some dope?

"Green" electronics are a total oxymoron. Just like electric cars - yes we don't use as much gas, but the manufacturing and the eventual byproducts of all those batteries that WILL expire are going to be just as bad if not worse than what fossil fuel has done.

Agreed.. We then ship all that sh?t over to China where the "new killing fields" recycle these hazardous materials.

 

[avnetguy]

LEDs are very efficient but are the most poisonous of all lighting methodologies to make. This stuff makes asbestos look like child's play.

Just started looking into these LED lights. So do the poisons used to make LEDs remain in the product or are they just used to create them and are cleaned off?

I'd much rather have the hazardous materials only present during construction as opposed to being embedded in the product.


Steve