EcoRenovator - View Single Post

natethebrown · 09-29-14, 03:48 PM

This past weekend my wife and I went shopping at the IKEA in Atlanta. In their lighting section I noticed LED bulbs (10W, 600 lum, 2700K) for $4.50 a bulb. Since I still have a couple more Incandescent bulbs I still need to swap out in my new house, I went ahead and got 10 of these LED bulbs.

Here is a picture of what the LED bulbs look like:

Here is a single LED bulb in a lamp next to a CFL (LED is on the right)

Overall, I couldn't notice much, if any, difference in light output. The color seems about the same as well. I went ahead and tested the LED's actual power usage compared to a couple of different brands of CFLs I had. I let each bulb warm up a couple of minutes before getting the Kill-a-watt reading.

Brand Name Rated Power Actual usage
Great Value 13W 11.5W
Great Value 13W 11.3W
Ecosmart 14W 13W
Bright Effects 13W 10.9W
IKEA LEDARE LED 10W 10W

I do like the instantaneous light output of the LED. After having CFLs for years, it is nice not to have that noticeable warmup period. The 10-20 year life span of the LED bulb is also a nice feature.

Unfortunately, when comparing simply actual power usage versus CLFs, it is really hard to justify the extra cost of an LED bulb, even when factoring in the life span. For the cost of one LED bulb, I can nearly buy 4 Great Value CFLs that use negligibly more power.

If LED bulbs come down more in the future I will probably invest in them, but for now I will keep buying CFLs and use the extra money saved for more cost affective efficiency improvements like insulation and/or air infiltration sealing.

09-29-14, 03:48 PM	#1
natethebrown Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Alabama Posts: 167 Thanks: 0 Thanked 40 Times in 20 Posts	IKEA LED Bulbs This past weekend my wife and I went shopping at the IKEA in Atlanta. In their lighting section I noticed LED bulbs (10W, 600 lum, 2700K) for $4.50 a bulb. Since I still have a couple more Incandescent bulbs I still need to swap out in my new house, I went ahead and got 10 of these LED bulbs. Here is a picture of what the LED bulbs look like: Here is a single LED bulb in a lamp next to a CFL (LED is on the right) Overall, I couldn't notice much, if any, difference in light output. The color seems about the same as well. I went ahead and tested the LED's actual power usage compared to a couple of different brands of CFLs I had. I let each bulb warm up a couple of minutes before getting the Kill-a-watt reading. Brand Name Rated Power Actual usage Great Value 13W 11.5W Great Value 13W 11.3W Ecosmart 14W 13W Bright Effects 13W 10.9W IKEA LEDARE LED 10W 10W I do like the instantaneous light output of the LED. After having CFLs for years, it is nice not to have that noticeable warmup period. The 10-20 year life span of the LED bulb is also a nice feature. Unfortunately, when comparing simply actual power usage versus CLFs, it is really hard to justify the extra cost of an LED bulb, even when factoring in the life span. For the cost of one LED bulb, I can nearly buy 4 Great Value CFLs that use negligibly more power. If LED bulbs come down more in the future I will probably invest in them, but for now I will keep buying CFLs and use the extra money saved for more cost affective efficiency improvements like insulation and/or air infiltration sealing.