LEDs or fluorescent light

[pJenny]

Not just longer life but energy efficiency too.

[KeyboardDemon]

For those having problems with LED lights, the solution is simple: don't buy the cheapest crap you can get

I've learned that the hard way. The really cheap stuff (especially the kind you find on ebay etc. with 30+ tiny regular 3mm LEDs) overvolt the LEDs to make them brighter. The trade-off? They run quite warm and brightness falls down into nowhere after a few months or they simply die and stop working completely.

I took a bunch of these apart (easier than it looks most of the time) and a lot of them have very crude electronics in them. Protection circuitry? Nuh uh.. that stuff costs money. Some of them even lack a fuse (silkscreened on the PCB, but just a jumperwire in there instead)

If you want them to last, get brand name stuff and look around for recommendations on LED forums (yes.. those exist).
PS: go for warm-white LEDs (or CCFLs for that matter).. the cheapos commonly use cold-white (blue-ish) LEDs cause they're cheaper. Gives the whole room a cold feeling like regular flourescent lamps (the kind you'd find in a garage). Doesn't do your mood any good in the long run

Thanks, that sounds like good advice.

[ash42]

^^^ I agree. There are brands that really work great like Philips and GE. You'd be able to get your money's worth.

[pJenny]

Hows ur LED Lights going guys ..?

[directhex]

Crap brands don't last as long as they should. Several of my LEDs have died.

Philips have recently introduced their flagship - a 75W-equiv dimmer-compatible screw-fit LED bulb, in the US, with a 22 year lifetime quoted on the box. When the 240V bayonet version comes out, I'm planning on investing.

[ash42]

^^ Mine's still working great (as expected). I bet yours are doing the same thing too.


^ Wow! 22 years! That's absolutely amazing. Hooray for LED light bulbs.

[doyll49]

LED is the way forward but pricey at the moment. Florescent are okay but hate the brightness warmup delay, especially in kitchen and on desk.

Will be changing over to LED as soon as prices become realistic.

[pp05]

Crap brands don't last as long as they should. Several of my LEDs have died.

Philips have recently introduced their flagship - a 75W-equiv dimmer-compatible screw-fit LED bulb, in the US, with a 22 year lifetime quoted on the box. When the 240V bayonet version comes out, I'm planning on investing.

This is what has stopped many people's adoption of LED. The failure rates are too high, manufacturing process not robust enough and of course the price.

[kalniel]

This is what has stopped many people's adoption of LED. The failure rates are too high, manufacturing process not robust enough and of course the price.

Of course, the situation is somewhat different now, 2 years on from the post you're replying to

[pp05]

Of course, the situation is somewhat different now, 2 years on from the post you're replying to

Is it really Kal.

Let's hear from members who did dabble with LED bulbs at home and whether they lived upto expectations.

[Funkstar]

I've been thinking about this recently, so thumbs up on the thread revival.

I've seen packs of three halogen replacement LED bulbs in B&Q for £10. We have about ten 50 watt halogen bulbs I would like to replace with LED, but I don't want to spend a fortune on them.

[GoNz0]

I have been looking as well as the ccfl gu10's are crap 4 years on (megaman brand) they take minutes to get to full brightness now.

it would seem philips 6w Master LED should stand the test of time. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

[wasabi]

Started off using LED GU10s a couple of years ago but have now swapped most of them out of MR16s. The massive failure rate I had with with the GU10s isn't the fault of the LED itself, it is the 'ickle 240 to 12v transformer built-in that fails. They overheat as the transformer circuitry has to be squished into a tiny space - this is even more a problem in the 4 or 5w versions. MR16s have a separate transformer so heat dissipation issues are reduced massively and lifespan of the whole thing is better as a result. More fiddly to wire up though as it isn't a direct screw-in replacement.

[Butcher]

Worth checking the colour temperature - even the 3000K bulbs are pretty cold compared to incandescents or ccfls. Philips do some 2700K which should be a bit warmer.

[wasabi]

Worth checking the colour temperature - even the 3000K bulbs are pretty cold compared to incandescents or ccfls. Philips do some 2700K which should be a bit warmer.

Strange - to my eyes quite the opposite. I find most 3200k LEDs and CCFLs to seem very yellow. The nearest I've found to old-fashioned halogens is some CCFLs that are rated at 4200k. Most of the LEDs I use are rated at 6400k, but that is mainly bathroom and kitchen where the almost blue light suits IMO.

[scaryjim]

Let's hear from members who did dabble with LED bulbs at home and whether they lived upto expectations.

Replaced the 4 GU10s in the dining room of my last house with LEDs from - iirc - Ikea. 18 months of trouble-free lighting, in a high usage room. Didn't notice any obvious delay in warm up times, provided plenty of light, very happy with them.

Did my step-son's fitting with CCFL GU10s at the same time and had no problems with those either, but obviously the CCFL spots are a lot bulkier. I would've converted more of the house to LEDs if the prices had been a little cheaper, but in a rented property there's a limit on what it's worth changing.