Anyone using/used LEDs?

[Xringer]

A while back, those Utilitech 60w were about $30.. That's why I went for the Phillips $15 60w.

They do just fine in lamps where we used to have 75w incandescent blubs.

Prior to trying the 60w LEDs and getting used to the amount of light they provide,
I was thinking of hacking an extra socket under the lamp shade of two of our table lamps.
Then, I could have used two cheaper 40w LEDs.. But, I find the 60w are doing the job.
The $15 isn't a problem, if they last. That's the question! Since we have such
an erratic grid here. (voltage jumps).

[Exalta-STA]

Originally Posted by Mike23

Hello.

Just now I'm installed 2 LED-s with 3 watts. I will to test these now since I've never used LED-s .In a few north-european country the led-s have own culture I saw at many places.
I think in efficiency maybe the LED-s in lost against other like CFL (Compact fluorescent lamp).

Hi there, in my experience, LEDs are way more efficient and brighter than CFLs
Since I'm assuming you're from Europe..Tu parles français? Sprechen sie Deutsche?

----
Oh by the way, how do you compute the cost of the LEDs vs the consumption? Im planning to make a project proposal to the woman of the house to have her relatives replace their incandescent/CFL bulbs with LEDs...and to be more convincing I must have a cost/consumption/benefit comparison...

[gasstingy]

Joining the thread. I'm interested in how the LED's compare, also. Mostly as replacements for the little halogen spots on the range hood and for our ceiling fan. The fan wobbles on higher speeds and that has killed many a CFL. It's not so bad on low/med, so CFL's last 3 or 4 years since we figured that out.

Otherwise, the CFL vs LED comparison in the store shows LED's producing the same or slightly less lumens for about the same energy consumption as a CFL. Still, some folks {here} brag about them.

[Daox]

Here is my compairison of the one LED light I'm using in the house. It was expensive, but we've been nothing but happy with its performance.

Picked up a Par20 LED light today

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by gasstingy

...the CFL vs LED comparison in the store shows LED's producing the same or slightly less lumens for about the same energy consumption as a CFL. Still, some folks {here} brag about them.

At this point in the development of lighting technology, this is true, CLFs do produce more light (by a smallish margin) than LEDs. However, LEDs usually have small lenses build into the LED or used in conjunction with the LED, so that the light is directed to where you want it to be.

I had a conversation with a lighting engineer (I didn't even know there was such a thing) who pointed this out. He worked on things like lighting parking lots, and public spaces. He said that even though CFLs put out more light, LEDs were what he usually used for his projects, because of the directionality and the longevity (avoiding bulb-changing costs).

In a home, you may want to use indirect lighting and bounce small CFLs off of the ceiling for room fill light (because of their slightly better output and lower cost), and use a few LEDs strategically placed for task lighting (because of their directionality and longer life). LED lights have better contrast (because of their small source size) which is desirable for task lighting. There are LED lights that are composed of very many small LEDs all soldered together. They have a less contrasty, less directional light and have a light quality similar to CFLs, only with lower lumens per watt and higher cost.

Different types of light have their own advantages and disadvantages and should be used accordingly. This isn't a horse race, at least not yet.

At some point, LED costs will fall much further, and light output per watt may increase too... then CFLs will clearly go the way of incandescents.

-AC

[Exalta-STA]

Originally Posted by gasstingy

Otherwise, the CFL vs LED comparison in the store shows LED's producing the same or slightly less lumens for about the same energy consumption as a CFL. Still, some folks {here} brag about them.

Hmm I don't know what brand they're offering but sounds like they aren't good quality or so I think. My new 5 watt LED pumps out more light and spreads it out more than my 15 watt CFL it replaced.

[JRMichler]

I used only CFL's for indoor lights in my new house and LED's outside. The CFL's don't like cold weather.

I think I'll change the utility room light to LED because the CFL takes so long to warm up and get bright.

[nibs]

Don't know if this has already been mentioned, Cree has announced 245 lumens per watt, in the 4,000K range.
It will not be long before these efficiencies will be readily available.
We have been using the Phillips MR16 bulbs for about 3 years now and really like them, I paid around $30 each for them but for us they were worth every penny, since we spend quite a bit of time off grid.

[Xringer]

I'm pretty well sold on the Phillips 60w LEDs.. They look odd, and they are yellow..
Makes you think the light would be yellowish.. Nope..



But if they are hidden under a lamp shade, you might think they are 60w incandescent.

AmbientLED 12-Watt (60W) A19 Soft White (2700K) Light Bulb (E)*-423343 at The Home Depot

Just waiting to see how long these will last..

[MN Renovator]

My 3 Sylvania LED8A19/G2 50,000 hour rated 8 watt LEDs have been in use for a year now in the lighting fixture that I use the most in this house, my bedroom ceiling light. I'm not counting hours or anything but I do like them. The CFLs that were in the fixture before were getting dimmer because of the black internal deposits that CFLs get and the LEDs brighten up the room at a better color temperature than the CFLs did. I can't stand the 2700k when reading things as it seems dimmer and too yellow for my eyes and these 3000k LEDs are using 2 less watts than the CFLs and when reading a book or newspaper, they don't seem dim.