Completed switch to LED bulbs

Froggitt

Over the years, I have changed over almost all my light bulbs from incandescent and halogen to LED and CFL. I've now completed the last "more complex" (and previously more expensive to switch) rooms, which had candle bulbs and dimmer switches.

Went for 16 x Crompton 5w LED dimmable Candle Filament Lamps, which had issues initially with the old dimmer switch, so purchased 2 x JQP401W Varilight V-Pro 0-120W (1-10 LEDs), which worked perfectly with the LEDs out of the box - even an idiot could change over the dimmer switches in five minutes.

The look and the light quality of the LEDs is exactly as I had hoped it would be, you wouldn't know it wasn't an incandescent bulb unless you looked closely.

Got the lot for about £90, and based on 3 hours a day, should pay for itself in electricity savings in about a year.

Biggus_Dickus

Froggitt wrote: »

Over the years, I have changed over almost all my light bulbs from incandescent and halogen to LED and CFL. I've now completed the last "more complex" (and previously more expensive to switch) rooms, which had candle bulbs and dimmer switches.

Went for 16 x Crompton 5w LED dimmable Candle Filament Lamps, which had issues initially with the old dimmer switch, so purchased 2 x JQP401W Varilight V-Pro 0-120W (1-10 LEDs), which worked perfectly with the LEDs out of the box - even an idiot could change over the dimmer switches in five minutes.

The look and the light quality of the LEDs is exactly as I had hoped it would be, you wouldn't know it wasn't an incandescent bulb unless you looked closely.

Got the lot for about £90, and based on 3 hours a day, should pay for itself in electricity savings in about a year.

More power to your elbow.:T

I love LED lights!

...they don’t burn my shiny bonce like halogen spot-lights used to do.:j

AndyPK

I rate the energizer LED ones too for not being able to tell the difference.

Nice to know compton are good, will take a look

JohnB47

Froggitt wrote: »

Got the lot for about £90, and based on 3 hours a day, should pay for itself in electricity savings in about a year.

I'm not criticising, I've gone for LEDs for most places around the house but I think you are optimistic about breaking even so soon.

It will be more like 3 years at 3 hours 'on' per day. Still worth doing of course. Just fit and forget. Watch out for those ones fitted in places which don't allow a good flow of air around though. In my experience, those are the ones that fail after a year or so - heat kills 'em.

Froggitt

JohnB47 wrote: »

I'm not criticising, I've gone for LEDs for most places around the house but I think you are optimistic about breaking even so soon.

It will be more like 3 years at 3 hours 'on' per day. Still worth doing of course. Just fit and forget. Watch out for those ones fitted in places which don't allow a good flow of air around though. In my experience, those are the ones that fail after a year or so - heat kills 'em.

All the light fittings look a bit like one of these

so presumably good air flow?

I took the savings from Crompton website https://www.cromptonlamps.com/Catalogue/LED/Filament/Candle/LED-Candle-Filament-Clear-Dimmable-5W-2700K-BC-B22d-7130

JohnB47

Froggitt wrote: »

so presumably good air flow?

Absolutely - the best really. I have a fitting very similar to that but I haven't replaced the bulbs in it - it's switched on very rarely and never for too long.

My problems have all been with GU10 LED spots fitted in fittings that don't let enough air to flow in and around the bulbs.Those that do have good airflow have been no problem for more than 4 years. So they've all paid for themselves.

chiny

Looks reasonable for air flow. Consumer electronics tends to be rated for 40ºC maximum, so if keen, you could take a thermometer to a bulb holder - don't zap yourself; one of those point & click temperature thingies might be safer.

Others mention appearance, appearance of light is of course important and that is fixed by the colour temperature of the LED. You probably need somewhere around 3200ºC (colour not actual temperature) for a nice warm white, perhaps a bit less in your living room for "atmosphere".

I tested a 6500ºC colour temperature in a room; it was like being in a SciFi film and most odd. I do have 6000ºC in the fridge (definitely not the temperature), it is like daylight, so I can really see what is happening to food.

telemarks

We've also switched "mostly" to LED now.

I was VERY glad to get rid of lots of hot MR11 ceiling halogens we had fitted 25 years ago. Even swapping out the fittings for GU10's, removing the transformers, and buying new LEDs I still think we've broken even in 8 months (as these kitchen bulbs are used a lot).
I say "mostly" as we still have a few "evil" bulbs in the house, and the biggest waster left in our house is now the 35w bulb in the microwave. Bizarre but true.

JJ_Egan

Its the savings i find odd .
Cost £90

Save £90 off lighting bill in twelve months really ??

Froggitt

chiny wrote: »

Looks reasonable for air flow. Consumer electronics tends to be rated for 40ºC maximum, so if keen, you could take a thermometer to a bulb holder - don't zap yourself; one of those point & click temperature thingies might be safer.

Others mention appearance, appearance of light is of course important and that is fixed by the colour temperature of the LED. You probably need somewhere around 3200ºC (colour not actual temperature) for a nice warm white, perhaps a bit less in your living room for "atmosphere".

I tested a 6500ºC colour temperature in a room; it was like being in a SciFi film and most odd. I do have 6000ºC in the fridge (definitely not the temperature), it is like daylight, so I can really see what is happening to food.

They are 2700K and a really nice warm white.

Temperature, I just touched a bulb which has been on for an hour or so, I would say it was cold rather than warm or hot!!!

Froggitt

JohnB47 wrote: »

Absolutely - the best really. I have a fitting very similar to that but I haven't replaced the bulbs in it - it's switched on very rarely and never for too long.

My problems have all been with GU10 LED spots fitted in fittings that don't let enough air to flow in and around the bulbs.Those that do have good airflow have been no problem for more than 4 years. So they've all paid for themselves.

I find GU10 generally (even good ones, even with good air flow) don't last more than two or three years, they used to be really expensive, but nowadays they are much cheaper, but at least I don't have six 50w halogens chewing up the electricity any more.