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Old 10-02-11, 09:48 PM   #11
Xringer
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"Since LED and CFL lamps both have similar efficiencies you would need roughly the same wattage for both. "


I'm not sure, but I think LED efficiencies are getting better, in this case at least.

The 50Weq CFLs that I removed from the kitchen, each used 11 watts,
These 40Weq LED lamps are brighter and use 7.5 watts achieving 450 lumens @3000 K (using 32% less power?).


50Weq CFLs? Not so good..
Light Output (lumens) : 380 lm (15% less than the 40Weq LEDs?).
Actual Color Temperature (K) : 2700 K
11-Watt (50W) Flood CFL Light Bulb (E)*-BPESL11R20/DM/ESM at The Home Depot



And, LEDs are getting a little cheaper now.. But, with me it's not about price.
For some reason, I'm attracted to efficient gizmos!!

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Old 10-04-11, 09:41 PM   #12
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Something is wrong with those CFL's because we were discussing in a different thread about our CFLs that we have, or could be found just browsing the aisles of the hardware store that get 70 lumens per watt or better. My kichen has CFLs that put out 1640 lumens and use 23 watts (71 lumens per watt)

450 lumens / 7.5 watts = 60 lumens per watt. It's not bad but still in a similar range of CFLs albeit a bit on the low end.

The one difference that most LEDs have is that their light is more focused in one direction which can be great if the end of the LED lamp is towards what you want lit as it will be brighter where you want it with less light cast off where it isn't needed. If you put one in your living room on a table lamp and it isn't designed to throw the light in every direction then the lamp looks a little funny, especially when you are trying to read or grab a magazine that is on the table that the lamp is sitting on and all the light is on the ceiling.

I use LED lighting in my bathroom as the fixtures point down so I get the advantage of the light being pointed at the sink and LEDs don't mind being switched on and off all the time. Less light reaches the ceiling and the shower but there is enough to take a shower so it works out. All depends on what type of fixture they are in. I considered getting the 60 watt replacements as a trial and comparing them to the 60 watt replacement LEDs which are both 13 watts and 800 lumens (62 lumens/watt) and seeing what sort of difference they would make but I couldn't justify spending the money and having perfectly good CFLs or LEDs just laying around waiting for a CFL in the house to burn out. I have over a dozen CFLs bought in the mid-90s that have been used in bedrooms and the computer room up until 2007 when I left that house. In over a decade only one out of the dozen installed ever burned out. The box they came in originally rated them for 10,000 hours but all of the boxes have a sticker over the 10,000 hours that says 12,000 hours. 40 watt equivalent long double tubes. I don't use them anymore because I live in a house that has fixtures none of these fit in.

If I get LEDs, I'd hate to leave my current CFLs at the same fate. It's easier to leave the older CFLs behind because their color temperature was greenish rather than the warmer or bluer colors and those old ones didn't allow for comfortable reading or computing like the new ones do.
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Old 10-05-11, 12:17 AM   #13
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Default Fill Lighting and Task Lighting

I think it would help our discussion if we distinguish between fill lighting and task lighting.

Fill lighting is used to illuminate a whole room or a general space within a room. Fill lighting is often a more diffuse light, with the light being indirect, or coming from a larger surface, or from multiple light sources.

Task lighting is used in a specific area, generally where a task is to be performed. Task lighting often benefits the task by being somewhat higher in contrast, and having a balanced color spectrum.

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Old 10-05-11, 06:59 AM   #14
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The CFLs that I removed are "R20 Flood" type and work like a mini-spot light.
So, they are more of a task light.. Had them pointing down at the table, for eating tasks!


The new LED bulbs are more of a 'fill' light, but with some directivity.
Because they partly light up the fixture's decorative frosted glass globes around them,
they actually work a lot better putting light over into the cooking area of the kitchen.

~~
Maybe the low lumens per watt of the CFLs is because they are 'Dimmable'?
Perhaps the power supply makes power sacrifices to enable dimming?

Still, down at the table surface, the LEDs are brighter than the CFL spot lights.
The more I used these, the more I like them!

The four Bathroom globe incans are my next target!!
Shop Utilitech 40-Watt Equivalent Warm White Decorative LED Light Bulb at Lowes.com



But $80 is a lot of mola! Have to sell the wife now..
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Old 10-05-11, 08:02 AM   #15
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Most of the CFL's that I see are around 40 to 45 lumins per watt, I've seen some LEDs that are in that same range but I tend to get LEDs that are 70 lumins per watt or so.
My fridge light right now is a .9 watt LED made my Feit, it has a 3 sided pyramid with surface mounted LEDs on each side, the same LED is over my desk as a task light, point it at the ceiling and it will light up the whole room well enough to read by, talked my brother in to getting a few of them for his house to use as a "night light", less then a watt and you can see everything in the room, no CFL is going to do that.
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Old 10-05-11, 07:38 PM   #16
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Default Been shopping again!

That Fridge light is gonna last forever!!

I'm just putting LEDs in lamps we use a lot. I hated those four Incandescent globes
in the bathroom, for years! Not too bad in the winter, since they keep me warm..
Tried to get the LEDs to replace them today..
Shop Utilitech 40-Watt Equivalent Warm White Decorative LED Light Bulb at Lowes.com
But they only had 3 left.. They've got 45 in stock at another Lowes up the road..
I'll have to buzz up there this weekend and pick up one more..
These things are way brighter than the old incans (wattage unknown).



Found a neat LED bulb at Lowes rated for 800 lumens.
I've installed it in the den, where we keep a table lamp on anytime we use the den in the evening.
I think it's the 3rd one down on this page.
Feit Electric: It's the Bright Thing To Do.®


60 Watt Equivalent
• 800 Lumens
• 13.5 Watts
• 25000 Hours
• 3000K Color Temp
• A19 Semi Omni Directional LED
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Old 10-05-11, 09:20 PM   #17
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I think those were the same Fiet LEDs that I saw at Menards about a month back. I think they were on sale for $20 at the time. I've been waiting for a long time to see a 60 watt equivalent. I just need some CFLs to burn out to I have an open socket to put them in and I'll buy them and likely never have to touch them for decades. One of my 40 watt equivalent Sylvania's is rated for 50,000 hours. 5.7 years if they were on 24 hours a day, 23 years if they were on 6 hours a day, and 34 years if used for 4 hours a day(usual performance factor for CFLs when they are claiming their 9 year or so life). Sweet!

I can imagine it now, putting LEDs in all the fixtures and 20 years later you are just replacing your first one.
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Old 10-05-11, 10:09 PM   #18
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It's a dimmable so I compared it to the 40w equals, side by side, they looked about the same,
until we cranked the dimmer all the way up.. That thing is bright!

After about 5 hours on, I felt the heat-sink and it was too hot to handle,
for more than a few seconds. But, nothing like a 60W incan..

I wish that I had seen it on sale for $20. I paid closer to $30 for mine.
If I see them on sale, I'll get at least two more.
One living room table lamp and one in here (my PC room)..

Last edited by Xringer; 10-05-11 at 10:16 PM..
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Old 10-06-11, 04:17 PM   #19
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My wife just pointed out these 40Weq LEDs for $9.97 in the local HomeDepot flyer.

Shop for EcoSmart A19 8.6-Watt (40W) LED Light Bulb (864680) from The Home Depot

I think they use about 1 watt more than mine, which cost me $3 more..
Otherwise, the specs are very similar. These look like a real deal.

Cheers,
Rich
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Old 10-06-11, 04:46 PM   #20
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I think LED are just finally getting down in price is what's going on. I noticed a bunch of LED bulbs at superstore (walmart supercenter competitor) today. Most were in the $10-$20 range for 350-450 lumen par20 or regular bulbs.

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