Check with your power company, they may be selling quality subsidized ones at a bargain price. That's how I got most of mine and not one has failed yet.
Any LED bulb gurus here? (house lighting)
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I've installed (or at least been on a crew) that has installed thousands of LED bulbs, mostly fluorescent retrofit bulbs. Most of these have been in schools or some large dairy farms in the area. They claims that they last 40K-60K hours, but we're finding that the life of the bulbs are not near that. It seems that the drivers fail on these bulbs. Our suppliers have stood behind their guarantee, at least so far.
Just today I installed six new can lights in a residential living room. I like the new ones that are as slim as a sheet of dry wall and are just held in place by two springs. The brand we installed today was Eaton and it has a switch on the electrical junction box that sets five different light colors/brightnesses.
Just today I installed six new can lights in a residential living room. I like the new ones that are as slim as a sheet of dry wall and are just held in place by two springs. The brand we installed today was Eaton and it has a switch on the electrical junction box that sets five different light colors/brightnesses.
I have every brand imaginable and can't say for certain any are better/worse. Feit, Cree, Sylvania, GE, etc. No complaints. Just had to learn early-on that I don't like 5000k bulbs.
Love my LEDs. CFLs were garbage though - glad they're basically obsolete now. Lifespan alway worse than claimed, toxic materials, etc.
Love my LEDs. CFLs were garbage though - glad they're basically obsolete now. Lifespan alway worse than claimed, toxic materials, etc.
Sylvania and GE should be reputable. Amazon Basic I'd be a bit more careful reading the fine print, just like IKEA bulbs (2 of my 4 died way before expected lifetime).
Among major brands like above and FEIT, and CREE, I'd pick the one with the longest lifespan within reasonable cost. 60W equivalent soft white (2700K) is not rocket science, they are mature technologies as long as they don't cut corners by over powering the LED to reduce cost at the expense of life.
Among major brands like above and FEIT, and CREE, I'd pick the one with the longest lifespan within reasonable cost. 60W equivalent soft white (2700K) is not rocket science, they are mature technologies as long as they don't cut corners by over powering the LED to reduce cost at the expense of life.
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I have two houses that are completely LED. Just buy the cheapest ones you can find. Walmart ones are good. I hate daylight personally. I like the 2700K to 3000K warm bulbs personally. The daylight 5000K are too harsh and give me a headache.
If you have downlights/cans, they make LED conversion kits that are fairly cheap nowadays. I've bought them for as cheap as $3 per, and they have a nice professional appearance, plus they are built a lot better than bulbs and should really last 2 decades.
If you have downlights/cans, they make LED conversion kits that are fairly cheap nowadays. I've bought them for as cheap as $3 per, and they have a nice professional appearance, plus they are built a lot better than bulbs and should really last 2 decades.
Originally Posted by E365
I have every brand imaginable and can't say for certain any are better/worse. Feit, Cree, Sylvania, GE, etc. No complaints. Just had to learn early-on that I don't like 5000k bulbs.
Love my LEDs. CFLs were garbage though - glad they're basically obsolete now. Lifespan alway worse than claimed, toxic materials, etc.
Originally Posted by bubbatime
I have two houses that are completely LED. Just buy the cheapest ones you can find. Walmart ones are good. I hate daylight personally. I like the 2700K to 3000K warm bulbs personally. The daylight 5000K are too harsh and give me a headache.
I ONLY buy 5000k daylight bulbs..none of the others look right to me.
I started with the Short Lived GE LED "bright stiks"..short lived as in only made for a year or 2...the original 6 I bought are still going strong nearly 4 years later - installed either dec 31 '15, or jan 01 '16- 2 on the front of the garage are on a timer, the pole has a photocell, those 3 are on an average 12 hrs a day, in temps from -10F to 105F...)
the other 3 of that first purchase went into lamps in the living room were 5000k "60watt equiv", replacing "100watt equiv" CFL's. they're every bit as bright, if not brighter, and still working 5-6 hrs a night here almost 4 years later.
I've since converted the whole house to LED's. after the Bright stiks Disappeared, I've had the best luck with our meijer house brand. in fact the only ones I've had "burn out" were the fancy OSRAM ones I bought at Lowes back in the beginning.
huh... looks like the bright stiks might still be around in some form...i know i've not seen them in a store around here in a year or 2....
I have every brand imaginable and can't say for certain any are better/worse. Feit, Cree, Sylvania, GE, etc. No complaints. Just had to learn early-on that I don't like 5000k bulbs.
Love my LEDs. CFLs were garbage though - glad they're basically obsolete now. Lifespan alway worse than claimed, toxic materials, etc.
Originally Posted by bubbatime
I have two houses that are completely LED. Just buy the cheapest ones you can find. Walmart ones are good. I hate daylight personally. I like the 2700K to 3000K warm bulbs personally. The daylight 5000K are too harsh and give me a headache.
I ONLY buy 5000k daylight bulbs..none of the others look right to me.
I started with the Short Lived GE LED "bright stiks"..short lived as in only made for a year or 2...the original 6 I bought are still going strong nearly 4 years later - installed either dec 31 '15, or jan 01 '16- 2 on the front of the garage are on a timer, the pole has a photocell, those 3 are on an average 12 hrs a day, in temps from -10F to 105F...)
the other 3 of that first purchase went into lamps in the living room were 5000k "60watt equiv", replacing "100watt equiv" CFL's. they're every bit as bright, if not brighter, and still working 5-6 hrs a night here almost 4 years later.
I've since converted the whole house to LED's. after the Bright stiks Disappeared, I've had the best luck with our meijer house brand. in fact the only ones I've had "burn out" were the fancy OSRAM ones I bought at Lowes back in the beginning.
huh... looks like the bright stiks might still be around in some form...i know i've not seen them in a store around here in a year or 2....
I find that color temperature is very important. The 2700k temperature bulbs in LED are way too sickly yellow. While the 5000k are a nasty blue and harsh.
Best color temperature is usually about 3500k if you can find them. It's really the true equivalent to early afternoon sunlight.
Best color temperature is usually about 3500k if you can find them. It's really the true equivalent to early afternoon sunlight.
And I had shorten life with Cree.
I like a bright light so I go with a high Kelvin number, 5,000°K, sometimes called Daylight.
I like a bright light so I go with a high Kelvin number, 5,000°K, sometimes called Daylight.
one of the things you cant unsee once you see it is a strobe light affect with LEDs. They simply half wave rectify the 60Hz so most of the mainline LED bulb had 60Hz flicker. It may ot mat not bother you. You can easily see it by watching your arm as you swing a karate chop while under a LED light vs incandescent. For me it is somwhat annoying.
Being sparky I am tempted to put a better rectifier and filter in the light fixtures to make the voltage nearly DC for the LEDs to eliminate the flicker.
Being sparky I am tempted to put a better rectifier and filter in the light fixtures to make the voltage nearly DC for the LEDs to eliminate the flicker.
Originally Posted by danez_yoda
one of the things you cant unsee once you see it is a strobe light affect with LEDs. They simply half wave rectify the 60Hz so most of the mainline LED bulb had 60Hz flicker. It may ot mat not bother you. You can easily see it by watching your arm as you swing a karate chop while under a LED light vs incandescent. For me it is somwhat annoying.
Being sparky I am tempted to put a better rectifier and filter in the light fixtures to make the voltage nearly DC for the LEDs to eliminate the flicker.
I've always sensed that subtle flicker and while it isn't super annoying I do know it is there.
one of the things you cant unsee once you see it is a strobe light affect with LEDs. They simply half wave rectify the 60Hz so most of the mainline LED bulb had 60Hz flicker. It may ot mat not bother you. You can easily see it by watching your arm as you swing a karate chop while under a LED light vs incandescent. For me it is somwhat annoying.
Being sparky I am tempted to put a better rectifier and filter in the light fixtures to make the voltage nearly DC for the LEDs to eliminate the flicker.
I've always sensed that subtle flicker and while it isn't super annoying I do know it is there.
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2700K all the way, for ambiance. I can even tell diff between 2700 and 3000. 3000 looks too harsh. We have a flagstone fireplace hearth 2700K makes it look warm and perfect ambiance. 3000k or above makes it look like it should be in the garage instead of the living room. This is lumen to lumen comparison.
We do have daylight (5000k?) LED bulbs in the garage, which is proper look for that environment (white walls, concrete, etc).
I've noticed some folks using daylight LED's in porch lights, and yard post lights. Looks horrible. Especially in a neighborhood where everyone else has proper 2700K bulbs going in the same fixtures. I'm not talking about dusk-to-dawns on a pole building or similar, daylight color temp all the way for that ... I get it. Talking about neighborhood front yard post lights near sidewalk and front porch lights.
We do have daylight (5000k?) LED bulbs in the garage, which is proper look for that environment (white walls, concrete, etc).
I've noticed some folks using daylight LED's in porch lights, and yard post lights. Looks horrible. Especially in a neighborhood where everyone else has proper 2700K bulbs going in the same fixtures. I'm not talking about dusk-to-dawns on a pole building or similar, daylight color temp all the way for that ... I get it. Talking about neighborhood front yard post lights near sidewalk and front porch lights.
Originally Posted by mk378
If I lived in that neighborhood I'd fit the porch light with the most "improper" bulb I could find. And it wouldn't match the one on the other side of the porch, let alone the post light.
Why though? Folks like a well ordered neighborhood let them have it in peace. That being said I prefer the 3000k bulbs in LED, (2700k looks fine with incandescent bulbs)
the 2700k LEDs look too yellow to me, just off or sickly. Maybe the GE bulbs with the proper filter on the outer plastic or glass eliminates that to a degree.
If I lived in that neighborhood I'd fit the porch light with the most "improper" bulb I could find. And it wouldn't match the one on the other side of the porch, let alone the post light.
Why though? Folks like a well ordered neighborhood let them have it in peace. That being said I prefer the 3000k bulbs in LED, (2700k looks fine with incandescent bulbs)
the 2700k LEDs look too yellow to me, just off or sickly. Maybe the GE bulbs with the proper filter on the outer plastic or glass eliminates that to a degree.
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What i don't like about ANY led bulb is they only project light 180 arc. That big plastic holster or sheath that the half globe bulb lens sits on blocks a normal 360 degree light spread. This is very noticeable to me when used in an end table lamp for instance. A normal incandescent bulb renders a nice highlighting of the end table's rich wood grain. An led doesn't, the table top doesn't receive the same light to enhance it's appearance.
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
What i don't like about ANY led bulb is they only project light 180 arc.
These new style LED bulbs released in the last year or two fix that issue. They look and work like standard bulbs, but are LED.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Va...ble-1-5W-15W-Equivalent-2-Count/55465509
What i don't like about ANY led bulb is they only project light 180 arc.
These new style LED bulbs released in the last year or two fix that issue. They look and work like standard bulbs, but are LED.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Va...ble-1-5W-15W-Equivalent-2-Count/55465509
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Those are only 15 watt equivalents though. Says 110 lumen. I would love to find those in 75W or 100W equivalent equivalent.
This is an 800 lumen bulb with strip LED technology.
https://www.gelighting.com/led-bulbs/e26/ge-led-soft-white-60w-replacement-a19-3
The "Relax", "Reveal" etc line of frosted glass probably also has LED strips inside. Those are up to 1200 lumens.
https://www.gelighting.com/led-bulbs/e26/ge-led-soft-white-60w-replacement-a19-3
The "Relax", "Reveal" etc line of frosted glass probably also has LED strips inside. Those are up to 1200 lumens.
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