Household Bulbs - Is LED Really Better?


Recommended Posts

I've been looking at some household bulbs recently.

My house current has a lot of these:

5052449043563_21000_IDShot_2.jpeg

They are about ?1 each, I haven't had to replace many in the time that I have remembered. But I have been looking at LED versions:

41xKjR4NKJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

At ?6 each they are expensive... but use way less energy (my main concern) and last longer.

I'd be buying around 14 of them, so it'd be around ?100, a lot for just a few bulbs but the saving in energy over the life of the bulb would be worth it. However what has thrown a big spanner in the works is these:

5052449043587_21000_IDShot_2.jpeg

While I understand they aren't LED, they are a lot cheaper at ?4.

They question is, what do I pick. For Asda, I can get 5% off the total price so am leaning towards those. I'm not too bothered about the low energy factor, it's more a saving of money for me. I could just replace the bulbs as they break but I'd rather do it all in one go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the energy saving bulbs save a few pounds a year so not really a lot. I would count the costs of savings vs the cost of the bulbs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well it's not a matter of actually being better, it's about power savings.

LED uses very little electricity, so although more expensive than regular bulbs and compact fluorescents, you do save a ton in the long run.

Compact fluorescents used to be really expensive at one time too, but now are dirt cheap, and LED will too eventually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love these LED bulbs

i use the same ones

wiring in our house is very old and the normal bulbs kept blowing so a bulb was only lasting about a month before blowing

I bought 3 of these as a test to start with and they have been in the same fitting now for almost 3 years

never had to replace one yet

3 of them were about ?18 compared to replacing 3 bulbs every month which was ?36 a year lol

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the LED lighting I've seem seems a bit directional (i.e. will light up things below it, but not much else). If you have a large-ish room, LEDs might not be suitable.

Buy one and try it first?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the LED lighting I've seem seems a bit directional (i.e. will light up things below it, but not much else). If you have a large-ish room, LEDs might not be suitable.

Buy one and try it first?

That's one thing I've kinda been wondering about. I've never actually used or even seen the light from LED bulbs, but I know anything else that's LED, is bright, but the light doesn't go anywhere. Like LED flashlights for instance, they are super bright, but don't shine very far.

But I still think just for power savings alone, they are the best choice, especially when they come down in price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Want a laugh about lights and bulbs?

I just bought my new place and it was specced up with GU10 downlighters throughout, rather than hanging pendant lights. Great.

When you buy a place, a survey is done and a report telling you it's energy efficiency - which allows space for any suggestions. Seeing as my place is new-build, it's REALLY efficient, but the jobsworth filling the form felt he had to put something in the "Recommendations" section. He recommended that swapping out all my downlighters for hanging pendants with low-energy bulbs could save me...

12p per month!

Wow. What an awesome suggestion. Don't get me wrong, 12p per month over a year would be ?1.44! Nice savings. But wait...

I'd have to buy the bulbs, which would cost me over that. And the pendant fittings. Oh wait, I'd have to have the downlighters stripped out, my ceiling re-skimmed, looking at about a grand or so there...

What a tosser!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well as i say i have them in my kitchen

the light i have have 3 directional swivel heads on them

Your right in saying LED is a directional light source it wont spread as much as a normal bulb will but the light is fantastic

it more than lights up our whole kitchen

get a few and try them out

I'd be curious to know, how much heat do the LEDs create compared to regular bulbs?

In response to this very little

one of those little halogen bulbs will take the skin off your hand with the heat they generate

the led one can be on for hours and its still cool enough to take out with bare hands :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah as Haggis said, halogen bulbs are SUPER hot, they use those things in kitchens to keep food warm you know? LOL. LEDs on the other hand are basically room temperature (maybe a little more obviously). Halogens kick off probably 150F (50C) easy (depending on the size).

I use CCFL (I know I know) but got some LEDs for certain places and they work great. Counter lights in the kitchen look awesome with LEDs because of the narrower beam they cast, have that reflecting over a stainless steel backsplash and it looks great :p

Sorta like this:

stainless-steel-backsplash-060.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Led lights are better then cfls for one reason. they are instantly turned on to their max brightness. Cfls have to warm up for max brightness. I have them all over my house.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like led lights, however, I bought several for my dinning room chandler (on/off - Not dimmer), however they all failed within a few months.

I suspect it was related to power fluctuations in my apartment or I got a bad batch.

As other people pointed out

  • Use the least amount of electricity compared to other bulbs
  • No Mercury (CFC's have trace amounts of it, some more then other's)
  • Long Lasting

LED use to have issues with not being bright, but that has improved.

On the flip side CFC's have improved to decrease / eliminate the warming up period.

CFC do still struggle when there are very cold, I have one on my outside porch and it takes a few minutes to get to full brightness in winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At ?6 each they are expensive... but use way less energy (my main concern) and last longer.

check here

pack of 4 for ?14 ish

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GU10-Led-Bulbs-50w-40w-30w-Bulb-Brightness-SMD-Technology-4-8-10-20-Pack-sizes-/321086271291?pt=UK_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item4ac23baf3b

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We swapped our halogen spotlights for LED ones. The halogen ones were breaking too frequently but the LED ones have been fine so far (I think it's been a year now). I don't think the LED ones were *that* expensive, either, especially compared to the cost of constantly replacing halogen bulbs. The LED lights are nice and bright, "instant on".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Led lights are better then cfls for one reason. they are instantly turned on to their max brightness. Cfls have to warm up for max brightness. I have them all over my house.

The new CFLs are all instant on, so that isn't true anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we get those energy efficient jobs here in the US. But heaven forbid they pop. A hazmat team has to clean your home out due to the toxic killers in these

tb_cfl_spiral_wh_2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently installed LED bulbs in my house from http://www.limitlessled.com

Pretty cool, can control with an app on your phone or the remote

Coloured bulbs are not as bright when using them for white, but my son loves using the coloured bulb in his room and just picking a colour

Using the White bulbs in most rooms

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awhile ago I heard that CFLs were about to be banned, or being worked on being banned, here in Canada anyways. I guess it's not happening.

At least they are fairly cheap now. I just bought a 4 pack of cheapies. 15 bucks. Better than 25 bucks for 1 bulb that they used to be a few years ago.

Last I seen, the LED bulbs cost 25 bucks each, that was almost a year ago, but I don't see them around most places yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently installed LED bulbs in my house from http://www.limitlessled.com

Pretty cool, can control with an app on your phone or the remote

Coloured bulbs are not as bright when using them for white, but my son loves using the coloured bulb in his room and just picking a colour

Using the White bulbs in most rooms

That'd be sweet!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.