replacing household lights with LED bulbs, advice sort please

BUFF

Sandtree said:

daggers_jones said:

is there anything else that needs considering?

Standard LEDs cannot work with a dimmer switch so if you have any dimmers make sure you buy the appropriate bulbs for them.

Even dimmable LEDs may not work/may expire early with older dimmers - you may have to update the dimmer switch too.

maisie_cat

We replaced all the bulbs in our house with LEDs within 6 months of moving in, including the 10 (why?) downlighters in the kitchen. It is the quickest win energy wise, it's an old cottage with small windows & thick walls so can be dark on a dull day.

coffeehound

MattMattMattUK said:
I remember the early ones, took several minutes to get up to full brightness, 

My parents have still got one of those early Phillips ones with the glass bell-jar shape diffuser -- as you say, takes ages to warm up, though at least it was well made!

MattMattMattUK said:
... they were undimmable, many of the cheap ones had noticeable flicker, even some of the more expensive ones had a noticeable flicker for many people, they really were a technology that should have been skipped. 

Totally agree

jbuchanangb

So did you all replace working non-LED bulbs, rather than just buying LED spares and using them when the old bulbs stopped working?

That is what I did. Who wants to switch on 250watts of lights in the kitchen when you can switch on 25? Or 500 watts in the bedroom, instead of 50? On the latter I even showed my wife the energy monitor and how it jumped up by 500 watts when the bedroom lights went on. I've just dug out the EPC and it said that to replace all the non-LED bulbs would cost £100, and the annual payback would be £240. No-brainer. Payback probably even more with the way electricity costs have gone up.

Verdigris

500 Watts in the bedroom! Is it a pr0n studio?

jbuchanangb

Ten halogen downlighters. Each with a 50watt bulb. Still quite bright even with the LEDs.

Verdigris

I mostly just use the LED bedside light. It's 3 Watts, I think.

I live a quiet life, though!

SpanishBlue

I replaced all my bulbs (60W/100W) with LED ones when I moved into my latest home nearly 4 years ago.

All were bought from Home Bargains for a couple of quid or so. Not one bulb has failed yet.

I still have all the old 60W/100W bulbs I took out sitting in a drawer.

I would happily give them away to a charity or anyone who wanted them, but I don't suppose there is any demand for old light bulbs?

coffeehound

SpanishBlue said:

I still have all the old 60W/100W bulbs I took out sitting in a drawer.

I would happily give them away to a charity or anyone who wanted them, but I don't suppose there is any demand for old light bulbs?

Someone suggested keeping them to put back in when you move house, though with LEDs being inexpensive now, even that is not worth the hassle.

I suppose they could be used as (unreliable) heaters to stop pipes freezing

jbuchanangb

I mostly just use the LED bedside light. It's 3 Watts, I think.

I have bedside lights, but they are lit so few minutes per day that I haven't replaced the bulbs!