LED lightbulbs worth the extra money?
 

I have never used energy saving bulbs but lately I feel like saving a few bucks and get some energy saving bulbs. I see there r CFLs and LEDs. LEDs are more expensive but they claim to be better. Which kind of bulb should I choose?

I would use LED as accent lighting, but not a main source of light. I believe LEDs shoot straight out in a more concentrated beam, so you should also expect shadows.

For a main source of lighting + flood lighting I would use either incandescent or fluorescent.

If you want actual light output, use regular Incandescent/Flourescent.
LEDs are just fancy. Use them as ambient lighting, or Nightlights.

What kind of fixture's are they for? Had a European light fixture manufacturer come in with some amazing fixtures available.

icic, well, i guess CFL it is then. I'm using it as main light

^Yeah CFLs give good white lighting. You may also consider using incandescent if you want to install dimmers.

Kinda off topic, I'm an apprentice electrician and I've worked in a lot of high end custom homes... Anyways one customer wanted LED valance lighting to go around the perimeter of each room. It's basically a roll of little LEDs on a line of 3M tape, which costs $50/foot. Not to mention each line needs to be hooked up to a driver. Expensive! :D

CFL's are bad for you. stick with normal bulbs untill LED's get cheaper and brighter.

LMAO Is it the same stuff that is selling for $2 a foot on ebay?

I'm a LED lighting supplier. There is a whole crap load of LED resellers out there. You get what you pay for. There is a huge difference between a $30 bulb and a $12 bulb. Colour output also varies on what brand and type of LED is being used.

$50/foot of strip lighting is roughly the retail cost, wholesale is usually around $70 for a 5meter roll. Yes, power supplies are extra.

If anyone is interested, just let me know. We have over 20 products that qualify for BC Hydro's incentive program. ie, $30 for a LED bulb, our retail price on it is $30, so your getting it free, but it must be purchased under a business.

We only carry quality products, that is why we were selected to supply for Pacific Centre's new outdoor lighting, North Van Civic Centre, Coastal Hotel, etc.

Hi Kalekain.. .i bought a track lighting system from home depot... and right now they are using 50W halogen bulbs. Is there a way for me to change it to LED bulbs without compromising the warm colours I am getting?

Thanks.
J

what type of bulb is it? MR16?
what base type is it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifaceted_reflector


assuming they are mr16's which are pretty common for track lights, heres a bi-pin they have at home depot
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...k=P_PartNumber


not sure about how the colour temperature is tho

That's just horseshit. They're the exact same technology as has been used in full-sized fluorescent lights for DECADES now... you know, those long tubes in the ceilings of stores, factories, schools, kitchens, workshops...

They all have flicker, they all contain mercury... they've been in commercial use since *1938* and the world hasn't come to an end because of them.

They are GU10 Base... i cant find them at homedepot.ca any idea where I can find these locally?? i searched on google.. and they seem to be about 50 bucks per bulb... argh.. i have 5 lights to replace..

http://www.rona.ca/shop/~led-lightbu...!mr16-led_shop
$8.47 each

4100 K
not sure of the lumen output tho


and heres another:
http://www.rona.ca/shop/~led-bulb-gl...!mr16-led_shop

just my opinion...

I don't think using those flourescent bulbs will cause any change in your electric bill. They give off very very little heat so in the winter time it may feel colder around the house with these bulbs. which will cause u to probably turn the heat up.

I have done some research on my own with my own electric bill and found out that with regular use, you do not end up saving any money what so ever, the electric bill was the same amount as before, and this was after changing every bulb in my house to flourescent bulbs. The only difference i saw was that the flourescent bulbs give off more light.

That's a silly argument - unless your whole house is lit up by a bunch of 500W flood lights, the amount of heat contributed by incandescents is negligible to the overall heating of the house.

Did you measure the actual difference between the bulbs, or just look at your electric bill? Running the dryer a couple more times, using the oven a couple more times, the fridge running longer because you stocked more beer in it... there are lots of things that could take more power and balance out the readings. Unless you're tracking the usage and consumption of EVERY appliance, you can't make a valid comparison by simply looking at the electric bill.

Yup, you just have to find one that is between 2800k to 3000k, that is warm white.

Also, for 50W you need to get a 7W MR16 or GU10 bulb, or a really high quality 5W to be similiar to the 50W output of halogen. 3W will look dim.

You are only going to notice a huge difference in electric bills if your lights are on 24 hours. As for the lights heating your house, most of your lights are up high, and heat rises, so it's pure fiction that your heater will run less.

That bulb will give you 70 lumens if your lucky.

You really shouldn't notice a difference until a few months later or the year after. Way I see it is that a meter reader must first confirm your power use. Hydro bills us from past historical use and does not have the ability to tell what power you use daily... least not until they install the new meters with wireless connectivity.

True if your on the pro-rated plan. If your on the actual month to month plan, then you can compare. You can also purchase a digital meter monitor and see what your power usage is, i think they are like $100. There are wireless ones available as well.

As with anything that's own by the government, 1 year might be 2 years.

The other thing is, again, watching your OVERALL power usage isn't really an accurate indicator of savings JUST from swapping light bulbs - you still have everything else using varying amounts of power that can throw the average off. You may save a few KWh on the bulbs over the course of a month, but cook one more frozen pizza than you did last month, and running the oven bumps the overall usage back up. Remember, there are plenty of appliances that use WAY more energy than ALL the lights in the house combined - stove, dryer, water heater... electric heat, if applicable.

I found some LED lights at superstore but they are not bright enough...

Does anyone know where I can find a GU10 bulb in LED or even halogen that is brighter than the stock 50W halogen it comes with ??? I've searched home depot, crappy tire, and rona.. and the max seems to be 50W

GU10 halogen max is 50W, there is nothing higher.

LED max in a standard fitting is 7W, there are higher ones, but they are not in standard sizes and are fugly.

The heat factor housewise, you are right, its not noticeable.

However, the heat factor does come into play in smaller rooms(halogens in a small kitchen drive me nuts) and most important, brown marks on the ceiling. If you get people putting 100watt incandescents in a flushmount it cooks the paint and looks like crap.