CFLs or LEDs for domestic lights?

A few months back, I was reading about a four foot PCB of LEDs that replaced a standard florescent tube. Two prongs on each end, the same as a tube. All you needed to do, was remove the starter. Wiring out the ballast is optional. But the cost ~$80AUD :-(

Like most people on this list (:-)), I reckon I was one of the first to use a CFL. A great big clunker built like a tank, I reckon 20-25 years ago, and for about $27AUD each. Naturally, I like to try new technologies first. As always, it costs me more money. Being a technology pioneer isn't cheap.

My very good friend Mick got some smaller LED fittings from Dealextreme in honkers, for his 12V down light system. He was that pleased with them, he put me onto a few others that they have for more conventional domestic fittings.

I just ordered some of these, I wanted something that was physically equivalent to what I was replacing, so I could best judge apples with apples:

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E27 3W 42-LED Energy Saving LED Light Bulb - White (220V) Price: $7.92 free shipping

3W, but the review reckons they are equiv to 8 to 12w CFL.

Mick just ordered these to try:

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B22 3W 18-SMD 5050 LED White Light Bulb (220V) Price: $5.80 free shipping

I may try a few of these:

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E27 2W 38-LED White Light Energy Saving Light Bulb (220V AC) Price: $4.44 free shipping

WOW!

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7W 131-LED 6000K 1100-Lumen White LED Down Light (220V~240V) Price: $19.40 free shipping

From Mick: I have these in the Kitchen

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They are every bit as bright as the 50w halogens and a lot better... The light is WHITE Not yellow and are wide spread not narrow beam like Halogen. Best thing I did.... I replaced 6 x 50W halogen (300w) with 6 x 3.8W (23w) LED and much better result... To power them I used a 12V 5A power supply ...Cant find it on DX at moment but standard 12V 5a laptop type plug pack thingo...

Hunt around, there are quite a few different types.

BTW, if you order 3, you get a better price.

Are they any good? Are they as bright? Will they last as long or longer? Will they use less power? Can you use a dimmer? Insert more questions here...

I know a lot of users are very disappointed with CFLs.

Please let me know how you get on.

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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Don McKenzie
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**Thanks for the feedback Don. I've been looking at some of these Dealextreme LEDs and wondered about their quality and quantity of light output. I deperately want to get rid of my halogen downlights. They are incredibly short-lived and power-hungry lighting.
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Trevor Wilson
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Reply to
Trevor Wilson

I figure if they are half as good as they sound, CFLs and halogen down lights will go the way of betamax recorders.(What-who?)

And look at Mick's power savings. 300W verses 23W, if the ratings are correct. Sure it really needs to be measured accurately, but it sounds good at this point.

And what about the pink bat scandal. May not have lost all those houses in fires, due to heat in the down lights. Makes you wonder just a little.

You now see LEDs in traffic lights, autos, etc, etc. I must have 37 million of them looking at me right now. And that's just my modem and router. :-)

Now they will be looking down at my bald head.

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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Don McKenzie

Just found the best category view:

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However there is 11 pages of them :-)

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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Don McKenzie

**I still have two Betamax machines. I get excellent returns hiring them out. All these people with their wedding videos stored on Beta tapes. :-)
**By my figuring, a standard 50W downlight should produce around 1,200 Lumen. The cited downlight is a long way short of that (300 Lumen). I reckon I could survive with around 600 Lumen per downlight. With best technology, that would mean around 5 Watts/LED downlight. Realistically, I guess 10 Watts should be obtainable at a modest cost. I'll scour the Dealextreme site for suitable candidates.
**Wonder? Not at all. The fault lies fairly and squarely with the con-men who did not train their people properly. I hope they get sued into oblivion. Bastards. It ain't rocket science. It's been known for decades that you don't cover light fittings with insulation material.
**Yup.
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Trevor Wilson
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Reply to
Trevor Wilson

:-)

They'll probably grow massive cancers on it |-(

Reply to
Rod Speed

Do they need a dc supply?

Reply to
F Murtz

The sky falling in may beat them to it chicken little :-)

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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Reply to
Don McKenzie

explaining the unsightly lump on your shoulders woddles

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Reply to
atec77

  • Is all this really worth all the hassle and expense? After all you don't retain the 'character' of the old 'pearlies'. I'm sticking with the olduns.
Reply to
Metro

Gday Trevor,

I dont have a lux meter or anything but my perception after replacing 6 x 50w Halogen with 6 x the following

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made little perceptable brightness on the overall effect but the `fill' was magnificent (just like flouro bar light)the 6 x halogen were very directional and actually created `shadows' where the light did not light as well. (my ceilings are 9 foot).

The bulbs I chose I hoped would just replace the halogen as they have prinetd AC/DC but under AC with the standard 12V transformer they had an annoy blink that I could not live with. I bought a DC transformer that the lighting shop said would drive 10 LED downlights but was only 12w so that wouldnt do so I used a 12v 5A samsung power pack and the result is brilliant.. The kitchen area feels much brighter than with halogens and the light is WHITE not YELLOW that the halogens spit out.

I dont believe that the difference between them are from 300-1200 Lumen unless this is a very logrithmic scale as they are comparable, esp when you consider the `fill' or light spread from the LED downlights.

Mikko

Reply to
Mik DaDik

We have a completely led household and although a longish return

the savings are there and I like the pure white , even the 2 watt in my Maglite is

excellent and goes close to 100 hours between charges

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Reply to
atec77

ced a standard florescent tube. Two prongs on

r. Wiring out the ballast is optional.

se a CFL. A great big clunker built like a

ike to try new technologies first. As always,

n honkers, for his 12V down light system. He

r more conventional domestic fittings.

valent to what I was replacing, so I could best

47784
5

light is WHITE Not yellow and are wide spread

23w) LED and much better result...

ack thingo...

While it sounds great (and Im sure the technology is well on the way to being standard for most lighting) I would be careful with any of these Chinese 240v LED lights.

A friend had some sample Chinese LED lights for various types of fitting and from different manufacturers brought to him by a guy in the same industrial complex, having plans to import and sell them. One type was intended to replace those warehouse type high wattage fittings with the funnel shaped reflector on front that give a very bright white light (I don't know what type of bulb these use or what they are called in the trade).

One of them the internal PCB caught fire after a few hours, and after this, all were cut open and inspected. In every case they were poorly designed, would not pass any electrical safety, and in the ones with the metal back, there was serious risk of mains contacting the unearthed metal. The plans at importing were scrapped as a result. The units looked very well made and good quality from the outside.

After that PCB fire - I would advise taking at least one sample unit apart and giving them the once over before installing a lot of them in your house.

Reply to
kreed

and that is the main reason I purchased 3 for a trial, and not a house full. :-)

Like most people that buy direct out of China these days, I have had some real rubbish, and dealextreme goods are no exception. I half expect 1 or more to be unserviceable. If all 3 work, it will be a bonus.

If these prove successful in principal, and I believe they will, then we will eventually get some quality controlled units landed here, but with middlemen prices of course.

Then with popularity, as manufacturing prices go down, and quality goes up, hopefully we will see a decent range of LED lighting products at reasonable prices. So the cycle goes on to then next big technology change.

Cheers Don...

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Reply to
Don McKenzie

y

ll. :-)

real rubbish, and dealextreme goods are no

will be a bonus.

will eventually get some quality controlled

p, hopefully we will see a decent range of LED

big technology change.

That is how the cycle seems to go.

Give it another 5 years and we will probably see racks of these LED lights at every supermarket for a few bucks each - just like how CFL have evolved to where they are now.

BTW a friend has a couple of those early CFL's that sound like what you mention.

The tube is not exposed like modern CFL but is inside what looks like a glass jar, and takes a couple of minutes to come on properly.

22 or so years on both still work well.

Reply to
kreed

Yep, they are the ones. You basically had to be in the trade initially, as you could only get them at places like Middendorfs (now middys

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trade counter.

I threw a working one out about a month ago to save the grand kids doing it when I fall off the perch. Possibly a mistake. But you can't hoard everything.

I reckon it was between 22 and 25 years ago when I got mine, as I know who I was with at the time of purchase, and he (Fred) has been retired for 22+ years now.

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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Reply to
Don McKenzie

Sounds like the expensive Phillips units I had 20 years ago. Didn't last long at all for me however. I'm astounded that any lasted 22 years, are they ever actually turned on, or were they stored for 20 of those 22 years perhaps?

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

Phillips, correct :-)

Had one outside for a little while, but it was replaced by one of those movement sensor 2 by 500w fittings, so it didn't see a lot of service, and put on the shelf until I binned it a month or two back.

I must admit, the others I had, expired very quickly. What a disappointment. Sounds like most people at that time would have had a similar experience with them.

Cheers Don...

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Don McKenzie

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Reply to
Don McKenzie

hey

These ones would have been about 1986-7, were Philips and he got them through his workplace out of technical interest as they were a new thing, they weren't retail.

I remember thinking at the time that it was a silly idea compared to just installing a standard fluro batten which at the time was around $10 including tube (which could be replaced for a couple of bucks when it failed)

There was also a mentality at the time that things were to be repaired when they failed too and throwing away the entire CFL rather than change the tube was 'ridiculous' :)

At least one the lights would be used daily, one is in the garage and turned on at night (probably not for a long time) and the other is at the front door outside light.

Reply to
kreed

Yeah, I have one of those Phillips, been on the front light from the garage door operator for about 25 years now. Would be turned on daily at least. Ahhh ! they just don't make 'em like they used ta !!

Cheers ........... Rheillt P

Reply to
Rheilly Phoull

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