LED lightbulbs

Asha

Asha

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Asha
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I changed from incandescent bulbs to energy bulbs many moons ago, however I'm now in the need of some replacements and i'm considering the LED bulbs ....specifically 9 watt which I believe offers abou 800 lumens, so equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent.

Looking at pics and dimensions they appear somewhat large, however they will fit in my appliances.

Has anyone tried these LED bulbs and if so are they all they're cracked up to be.....brightness, life expectancy, consumation etc

I notice that there is a "spot" version and a 360 version.....I would presume that for say a standard or table lamp, it would be the 360 version??

Basically your views and feedback will help me decide wether to change or stay with what I know.

Cheers
 
We are slowly moving over to LED here and they really are very good, the ones I have are just the same dimensions as a standard candle style bulb, and easily as bright, without the heat and they seem to last well...

3 plus years ago when we gad the kitchen redone, I had the sparky fit LED over standard spots, and all of functioning like new...and warrented to do so for another 4-6 years at least

Honestly I'd say go for it
 
MWHCVT said:
We are slowly moving over to LED here and they really are very good, the ones I have are just the same dimensions as a standard candle style bulb, and easily as bright, without the heat and they seem to last well...

3 plus years ago when we gad the kitchen redone, I had the sparky fit LED over standard spots, and all of functioning like new...and warrented to do so for another 4-6 years at least

Honestly I'd say go for it
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Hi Matt, how ya doin'. I see your still as good looking as ever :D:D

Thanks for the info.....Ironically I had the same indecisiveness years ago changing from incandescent to "energy type " bulbs as I wasn't convinced that they would offer the same brightness and the additional cost for the bulbs wouldn't be justifiable. As it is I've never looked back after making the change.

Looks like it will be the same with LEDs then although they appear reasonably priced from what i've seen. .(y)
 
Father in law has recently got some candle LED bulbs and you can't tell the difference from a normal candle bulb,

Depending on where you are using the, personally I would opt for a warm light if you can over the cool light ...
 
andyred said:
Father in law has recently got some candle LED bulbs and you can't tell the difference from a normal candle bulb,

Depending on where you are using the, personally I would opt for a warm light if you can over the cool light ...
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Yes I learnt some time ago about the warm and cool light options after buying the cool ones:banghead: ...The cool white always appears so "clinical" and unwelcoming.
 
I'd 100% transition to LED's definitely worth it, larger initial outlay but not so much anymore. I also prefer the light they emit to conventional filament type bulbs
 
Don't buy the really cheap Chinese ones. They last 2 minutes.

About half the house is now LED, the other half will follow.
 
Phil V said:
Don't buy the really cheap Chinese ones. They last 2 minutes.

.
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Aha, OK, thanks for that advice.

Like anyone else i have a budget, however i try and purchase what is going to work out economical long term rather than re purchasing every verse end, so, do you have a particular brand to reccomend?
 
I've used SimplyLED.co.uk and that was about 3 years ago and they are still going strong. So I rate them, not necessarily the cheapest but good service
 
Sarg0r said:
I've used SimplyLED.co.uk and that was about 3 years ago and they are still going strong. So I rate them, not necessarily the cheapest but good service
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Cheers, I'll check 'em out.

Although I live abroad, I do occasionally purchase from the UK.

Regardless, it will help me search out descent brands.
 
Gearbest in China. I've bought a number of bulbs from them and not had a failure yet. I now have nothing but LED in the house, even the cooker hood has LED Corncob type bulbs in it.

http://www.gearbest.com/led-light-bulbs-c_11266/ If you decide to use Gearbest choose tracked delivery, it's a bit quicker and only costs £1.50ish over their normal free delivery.
 
Asha said:
Hi Matt, how ya doin'. I see your still as good looking as ever :D:D

Thanks for the info.....Ironically I had the same indecisiveness years ago changing from incandescent to "energy type " bulbs as I wasn't convinced that they would offer the same brightness and the additional cost for the bulbs wouldn't be justifiable. As it is I've never looked back after making the change.

Looks like it will be the same with LEDs then although they appear reasonably priced from what i've seen. .(y)
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Yeah, and I still have a habbit of dragging unsuspecting photographers out into the cold dark night...I do hope your keeping well

I don't think you'll regret the change over, for me the quality and speed of light is far better than the tradition energy savers, some of which seem to take an age just to warm up...I seem to remember the ones I've got in at the moment were about £5 a bulb so pretty comparable with the energy savers I think I went for 5W and this is perfect for me .. As above we too have the warm LED over the cool white
 
9w !

I fit them at 4, 4.5 or 5w - 5 being equivalent to about 12v 50w halogen.

I'd have thought 9w would burn your eyes out...
 
We've got 5w LED GU10s in our kitchen down lighters. I was going to buy LAP ones from Screwfix but the sparky who was putting the fittings in advised against it. Apparently they don't last very long and they buzz like a wasps nest if you have them on a dimmer circuit. Went for Phillips eventually.
 
An interesting thread as I have been watching the prices drop and stabilise?

Looking at the SimplyLED link in post #9 there is quite a lot to take in ~ DAB radio being affected, wattage to replace the lamps in place now as BC22 fittings, warm or cool white, dimmable etc

But for sure I would like to replace some of the current lower energy halogen we are using now.
 
In the case of GU10 bulbs over 7W you may find the shank longer than the traditional GU10s you may be replacing.

This means they may sit 'proud' of any inset 'downlighters'.

7 & 9 watt bulbs usually replace 75w GU10 Halogens.

When choosing to replace 'set' controlled by dimmers with dimmable LED, please note that some older dimmer switches may not work propery.

In the case of this many suppliers sell LED balanced dimmer switches. I have MK Grid Plus switches in my Kitchen/Family room and MK LED grid switches can be priced from £35-65 EACH. I was advised to use the 'Varilight' equivalent which cost me £12 each! They work a treat on the dimmable warm white wider angle GU10s I use for area lighting. LEDHut also sell replacement LED capable light switches which I use in my media room, again they work well.

Recent additions include 2.5w LED G4 capsules in some bathroom above 2 sinks cabinet dowlighters to replace 3 × 20 halogen G4 caplules (7w replacing 60w) (£2.99 per capsules + £3.99 for a UK supplied 9w Line Driver).

Basically I have a 5 bedroom house which now has LED bulbs in all but the dining room. The outdoor 100w floodlights are now 10w LED floodlights and the soffits have 1.5w GU10s.

I think, from an investment/payback point of view, I am looking at a ROI of around 30 months. The reduction in power consumption has led to a real reduction in energy use (monthly enerby charge down 40% but more to come). It is also no great deal if internal lights are left on at night. 3 nightlights for lower and upper hall are 2.5w.

Burnout on good quality bulbs has been minimal in the past 2 years as the replacement ha progressed. (2 x GU10 above the shower located in an IP66 shower downlight, 1 x GU10 LAP 5W in a kitchen downlight and a 6w GLS E27 used in an uplighter. No 'dimmed' LED bulbs have failed.

Fitted

65 x GU10 LED (mainly 5w dimmable 'floods' and some 6w spots for task ares.

14 x E27 LED GLS

4 x LED R50 spotlights

8 x 3w LED golf ball

4 x 3w LED candles.

3 x 2.5w G4 12v LED capsules

9 x fixed 1w undercabinet Cabinet LED tasklights

11 x 0.5w kickplate/plinth lights

It may seem a lot but I have to 'walk the walk' as an Environmental Consultant. My home is a tiny project compared to many of my 'industrial' projects!

In passing.... some of the original GU10 bulbs we used in hotels/office reception areas were £30-40 EACH (trade price). My team used 120 in our first project!

COB in case others are unsure means 'Chip on Board'

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_management_of_high-power_LEDs

Steve
 
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I've tried nearly all colour shades and just do not like them. It is nearly impossible to find any with a nice wide spread. When they are then they are too bright, warms seem to be too warm, although infinitely better than cool. We spend a lot of time designing certain parts of our home where the light would overlap from the spot lights...It is easy to do with halogen bulbs, haven't found the equivalent led...I swapped all mine with a collaque and keep buying up the good old stuff...
 
kendo1 said:
9w !

I fit them at 4, 4.5 or 5w - 5 being equivalent to about 12v 50w halogen.

I'd have thought 9w would burn your eyes out...
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I'm going on the approx 800 lumens info as to my potential choice of 9 watts as from what i understand that's the equivalent of a 60w filament bulb.

I do want a bright light but at the same time i don't want to have to wear sunglasses in my lounge! lol

So what would be the "correct" wattage of an LED bulb to obtain the equivalent of a 60w filament?
 
Buy a 5w and try it, if it's not bright enough for the lounge move it to another room and replace it with a stronger one.
 
Best bet is to "suck it and see". I quite like the quality and temperature of some of the LEDs we have here but not others so have moved them around a bit so they less pleasing ones are in pendant fittings which are pretty much only used for a few seconds rather than as constant light sources. Much prefer (in general) the warm ones to the cool ones. Make sure that the ones you get are dimmable if you want to be able to dim them - not all are!
 
We recently changed all our light bulbs to l.e.d ones ,got ours from the local home bargains shop ,nothing posh or complicated but I love the light they give out .the kitchen has a four spot light bar that I have fitted with two bright white bulbs in the middle and two warm at the ends it really works nicely .worth doing
 
5w LED is roughly equivalent to 50w conventional but look at the lumen output to get a more accurate idea of how bright they'll be. There's quite a difference between brands too.
 
boogie man said:
5w LED is roughly equivalent to 50w conventional but look at the lumen output to get a more accurate idea of how bright they'll be. There's quite a difference between brands too.
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OK thanks ...tbh it's like most things on the net, there's a certain amount of conflicting info.

As Hugh mentions in post 20, picking up a 5w ( a reputable brand like Philips i reckon is best) and see if it's suitable is a starting point so I'll go from there I think.

Thanks to everyone for their input(y)
 
Asha said:
OK thanks ...tbh it's like most things on the net, there's a certain amount of conflicting info.

As Hugh mentions in post 20, picking up a 5w ( a reputable brand like Philips i reckon is best) and see if it's suitable is a starting point so I'll go from there I think.

Thanks to everyone for their input(y)
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As I said above, 5w LED is equivalent to a 12v 50w Halogen bulb, so I would fit about 3 or 4 in a standard bathroom.
If they are too bright I would fit 4w. It's like changing down to 35w Halogen.

I would imagine they (5w) are close to a 50/60w tungsten.
They are not as expensive as they used to be, so it's no big deal, and reputable dealers will take returns.

When I first stated fitting them they cost around about £40 each with separate drivers. I visited the place I first fitted them last week and the original LEDs are still working after 8 years.
 
kendo1 said:
As I said above, 5w LED is equivalent to a 12v 50w Halogen bulb, so I would fit about 3 or 4 in a standard bathroom.
If they are too bright I would fit 4w. It's like changing down to 35w Halogen.

I would imagine they (5w) are close to a 50/60w tungsten.
They are not as expensive as they used to be, so it's no big deal, and reputable dealers will take returns.

When I first stated fitting them they cost around about £40 each with separate drivers. I visited the place I first fitted them last week and the original LEDs are still working after 8 years.
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OK cheers Ken .......8 years! That's pretty impressive even with the cost that they were back then.

5 watt it is then ( saves buying sunglasses as a "necessary" accessory!:cool: :D)
 
LEDs have improved a lot in the last 5 years, and have a higher output generally now than they did for the same wattage even a few years ago. Be aware too that Lumen output is often over-stated, and also varies between individual units - they are often 'binned' into similar output levels with the most efficient being most expensive.

They make excellent replacements for both ordinary filament bulbs and the compact fluorescent versions sold more recently, with 7-9 watts being around 60-75 watts conventional, but try to find 3000K colour temperature, since 2700K can be a bit too yellow. In GU10 spotlamps things are patchier, and often the beam has a very hot centre that rapidly dims at the edges, though again designs are better these days though still less even and pleasing than a traditional GU10 halogen lamp, which again was less good than a traditional R63 spot. Different beam angles are also available, with anything from 36' to 120' (good for kitchens). Avoid the units with multiple small lenses, and choose those with either a COB emitter for a spot type or a diffuser for a wider beam.

I've been buying mine mostly from CPC Farnell - huge selection, good prices, quality seems OK. We've had a couple fail and we've also had the odd Philips fail too, but they're mostly still OK after >18 months. Using a mix of 5W and 7W in the kitchen, 5W elsewhere. I'd say 240 lumens output is a little less than a typical 20W halogen, 420 lumens similar to a 35W halogen spot.
 
ancient_mariner said:
LEDs have improved a lot in the last 5 years, and have a higher output generally now than they did for the same wattage even a few years ago.
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Lets hope so, I tried a few, a few years ago, and thought that the were crap, I stuck with halogens ever since.
 
Cobra said:
Lets hope so, I tried a few, a few years ago, and thought that the were crap, I stuck with halogens ever since.
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Me too - bought a bunch at almost £5 each, and they all died within 12 months, plus the lens unit on the front created a tiny hotspot on the worktop ad the colour temperature was iffy. I ended up removing the lens to leave bare emitters for a more even light spread and making a warm up filter from some old Lee filter material samples I'd picked up 20 years ago.

I've experimented a bit with various low-wattage lamps. Worst were the compact fluorescent spots in GU10 fitting: real output about 25% of what was listed on the box, and the most hideous colour balance imaginable.
 
Cobra said:
Lets hope so, I tried a few, a few years ago, and thought that the were crap, I stuck with halogens ever since.
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They have improved in leaps and bounds.

I favour the COB tech versions. Colour temperature can make a big difference to task areas. I do not like reading under brilliant white lamps, preferring warm white. In my study I have a mixture but in my media room it's dimmable warm white.

I have just replaced the last of my halogen spots and it is more comfortable to sit under them.

The very cheap Chinese versions sold on the bay (and sadly Amazon too) are very poor. Even some Philips branded are none too clever.

As I posted earlier, my 'burnouts' have been minimal. 2 went back to Homebase and were refunded. I buy mostly from LEDHut but there are some other good suppliers.

Just ordered a Yongnuo 300 LED video light..... video calling!
 
To reiterate what Hugh mentioned earlier, there are two types of LEDs, Dimmable and NON-Dimmable and some "old" dimmer switches do not like the new dimmable LEDs and need to be replaced or will/may flicker and those who suffer from Migraines will soon have an attack.

From Google about LEDs & Dimmers http://www.beamled.com/info/blog/achieve-perfect-dimmable-led-lighting/
 
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i've got quite a few different LED bulbs in my house -

the best ones i've found are the led filament lamps which look like this

http://www.crystal-led.com/uploads/EE972014626238.jpg

the light from them is just lovely, just like an old fashioned clear tungsten lamp, expensive, but worth it in fittings where you can see the bulb.

i've also got a handful of gu10s from poundland (the 5watt ones are brighter than the 50w halogen i replaced) and i've also got a few poundland 5w gls style bulbs in lamps - had no problems and they're much better for rooms where you want instant light, like in bathrooms etc and hallways as the cfl bulbs seem to take an age to warm up, especially in the colder months.
 
The biggest problem is they flicker way worse than anything else on AC current. 50 Hz flicker is obviously very bad. I'm not sure if there is a way to convert current to DC in somewhere down the chain but clearly this is what I'd want done.

On average they look very reasonable and can provide very even illumination, which is great, but they typically only have 70-80% CRI so certain colours are not brought well out by the light.
 
Have used Philips ones from toolstation for a couple of years as replacements for standard BC bulbs, all fine about a fiver each. Recently got the packs of 5 from screwfix for just a tenner or so to replace remaining lights and some outside. These seem just as good and 3 year guarantee so would recommend these.
 
Our kitchen is 15ft x 12ft, and we have 8 GU10 downlighters. I replaced the standard bulbs with LED's around 3 years ago (when they were expensive to buy:(), and they are just as bright and lasted longer than halogens.
 
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