Replacing GU10 Halogen Bulbs with LED

blisteringblue

Just done some sums and figures are scary. Now I know my downlights are not on 5 hours a day, but using that as a baseline per annum for 22 of them:

50w Halogen = £372
Low Energy Downlights = £98
5 Watt LED = £52

Now this was assuming £12 per LED and £5 per low energy & 18p/kwh for the electric (the figure British Gas Energy smart told me to put in my energy monitor)

The low energy needs to be considered too, but I think the slow warm up will put the boss off too.

OK pinch of salt because they are all not going to be on 5 hours a day, but around 12 months to save the initial outlay is not that bad?

I just need to find the right LED?

partan

when we were choosing lights, the electricians gave us a few to trial. the low energy ones were good light when they got warmed up, but they do take a really long time to get bright. the led's they supplied were narrow beam, and while they looked good, they only gave a spot of light on the floor directly below them. in hindsight i wish i put more of the finbrights around the house as they are great in my opinion

blisteringblue

partan wrote: »

in hindsight i wish i put more of the finbrights around the house as they are great in my opinion

I will have a look for a couple of these today then, Will see if these can fool the boss! Just going to put them in this time and not tell her and see if she notices :rotfl:

thenudeone

have a look here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=44339424&postcount=31

Roopeedoo

Hi Rachel,

The reason there's a blueish tint to some LEDs is because all LEDs in their natural form are blue. They are then made white with the addition of yellow phosphor. The more phosphor is added the "warmer" or yellower the lamps becomes. Sometime, with cheaper LEDs you end up with a green tint because of the combo of the blue and the yellow.

The problem from a manufacturer's point of view is that the phosphor blocks some of the light output. Therefore if you're making a cheap, low level LED to begin with it won't cope with too much warming (hence the blue tint). To combat this the high end manufacturers make a brighter LED to begin with so that they can warm it to a good colour.

If you want a reliable type of LED lamp your best bet is to go for a 3,4 or 5W LED with 3 chips in it. These are generally far more reliable than the ones with a million and one chips, which tend to end up being returned as they're an old technology.

Your best bet is using electrical distributors, who will be able to talk you through the options and show you samples. They'll also have better prices.

I know this because I manufacture LED lamps.

elstimpo

I'm an LED retailer and my advice is if a product that apparently lasts 15-20 years only comes with a 1 year warranty, run a mile and i'd say the same at 2 years as well. The warranty reflects the companies confidence in it's own product.

My products are very expensive, but they are made from the best materials money can buy and by the best manufacturer. That's why we can put a 5 year warranty on all products.

We constantly test LED bulbs from manufacturers around the world, our competitors products and those bought on ebay and have some absolute horror stories i wish i could tell you.

Buy from a company who are experts in LED. Who will take the time to talk to you about all the aspects of an LED (Beam Angle, Color Temp, Lumens, Heat dissipation, chip set) etc, who offer a proper warranty and a trial period where if you don't like them, you can get a full refund.

There are very few good LED products + LED retailers out there so make sure you are buying a quality product from an experienced and knowledgable company.

muskoka

I've been using these in my kitchen for six months and so far am very very happy with them - http://www.lampspecs.co.uk/Light-Bulbs-Tubes/Aurora-6W-GU10/A2-GU1006-30-LED-Spotlight-GU10-6W-240V-Warm-White-Flood-38-degree-Aurora

But I purchased them from an electrical wholesaler and paid no more than £12 each for them.

baldelectrician

I have used Kosnic 5W PowerLED GU10 - warm white for around a year now

I have 14 around the house and 2 have failed (had them replaced under guarantee)

Of the 12 that are still original all but 1 are fine and working as they should

1 is giving out a lower light output- that will be swapped out.


As far as things go I have reduced my lighting electricity bill by;

• Replacing with LED's
• Installing movement sensors for lights (lights come on when you walk into a room- and stay on for 2-3 mins after not detecting movement)

The movement sensors are around £15-£20 each
Be careful what LED's you buy- look for the efficiency, you are looking for above 50 lumens per circuit watt.
Two different 5W LED's can vary by as much as 30% in light output

Roopeedoo

elstimpo wrote: »

I'm an LED retailer and my advice is if a product that apparently lasts 15-20 years only comes with a 1 year warranty, run a mile and i'd say the same at 2 years as well. The warranty reflects the companies confidence in it's own product.
.

The warranties are a bit of a red herring within LED. Will you really be able to buy the same lamp in 5 years? I'm betting no... and that's from a manufacturer's point of view.

The individual components that make up a lamp don't come with more than a 2 year warranty as standard. That's for everyone by the way. Some companies are willing to take a punt on the fact that the lamps will be working for up to 5 years but most are betting on the fact that the market won't want the same thing by then.

In my humble opinion this isn't the way to do business. If a manufacturer approached you with a 2 year warranty would you sell it with a 5 year?

fraser

looks like finbright is not available any more, i called and left them a message a while ago, trying to buy some LED bulbs - visited the website today and looks like the hosting has expired

has finbright gone to the wall?

http://www.finbright.com/