L E D versus flouresent

[old2soon]

Bout a year and a half or so back I bought a new desk lamp for the computer desk area. The base has what could be considered ample pen and pencil storage and even room for a small flashlight. The other day at wally wurld I picked up 2 of the store brand L E D lights and just fer yuks and giggles changed out the fluorescent light bulb that came with the desk lamp. SHOULD have gotten the L E Ds when I got the desk lamp. Also wanted to be sure BEFORE I posted my findings. Well I am SURE and will post my findings. Has been 6 days since I changed to the L E Ds and the biggest thing I've noticed-my eyes no longer water excessively while using the desk lamp. Also the L E D has a more whiteish yellowish light than the blue of the fluorescent. And the keyboard is MUCH easier too see with the bulb change. And as an added side bonus the L E D is instant on with the switch whereas the fluorescent had to "warm" up before It came full on.  And being as this is WHERE I find out what's happening in OUR Valkyrie world it's now Valkyrie and M/C related!  RIDE SAFE.

[dreamaker]

LED's last longer life than Florescent and uses less energy, I found with florescent bulb, the bulb go for 10K hrs, but the starters go bad before the bulb does. Far as color, that depends on the color temperature of the bulb in kelvin.  So 5000K would be bluish, where 3400K would be more yellowish, the higher you go the blue it gets, the lower you go the yellower it gets.

[Patrick]

I've never been a fan of florescent. I do like LED and they come in different hues.

[Challenger]

We switched the two 4' florescent lights in the kitchen to ballast delete LED's and couldn't be happier, We didn't want to switch out the fixtures due to the shallow space we had to work with, not only do you get a better light, instant on and use less power, but no more annoying ballast noise.  

[Jess Tolbirt]

i bought 133 LED mr-16 type bulbs for a property i manage to get them to last longer because the mr-16 12v. bulbs would last a month and burn out and they cost 2 bucs each,, the led's cost 25 bucs each and supposed to last 25 years,, well they made it about 3 months and are now burning out, these are sylvainia and sposed top be the best,,just think how many MR-16 bulbs i could have bought with the over 3300 dollars i spent on them things,, i like the led's but they lie to ya to get you to buy them

[Gavin_Sons]

We have an 18" florescent fixture above our kitchen sink in the window and it has never been turned off unless of a power outage. I replaced the bulb 7 years ago and is still going strong. I have always read and heard that it is better to fun florescent bulbs all the time becauseturning them on and off will kill them. Same withe the cfl's, they say they will last 5 years but I have yet to have one last even a year.

[_Sheffjs_]

I am the facility manager of a 92,000 square foot performing arts hall and we have changed out every bulb that is outside and the ones that are high up inside that we can to LED over the past 6 years. The areas we can't change them out is on stage and in the hall where dimming must be as low as a glow for some shows.  I am blown away by the fact that in six years we have replaced maybe 3 led bulbs. I know that it is great power savings but it is the safety of the crew and not climbing ladders near as often is what I like with more time to take care of other building needs. Some of the outside lights high up on the side of the building could not be reached and we used the FD to change them out with the ladder truck. They were able to tick off training boxes doing it for us. But now we haven't had the need to have them out in 4-5 years. The 150 LED corn cob bulbs never failed in thoes years now and that means the building lights are always working and I do not have to wait for the FD's availability to change them out.  We do have 28w fluorescent tube bulbs still in various places and they last forever and I don't understand it except that they are 277v.  No matter it has made my work life way better!  

I will add that we used LEDs to replace  Metal Halide,  incandescent, fluorescent  and halogen bulbs.

[_Sheffjs_]

i bought 133 LED mr-16 type bulbs for a property i manage to get them to last longer because the mr-16 12v. bulbs would last a month and burn out and they cost 2 bucs each,, the led's cost 25 bucs each and supposed to last 25 years,, well they made it about 3 months and are now burning out, these are sylvainia and sposed top be the best,,just think how many MR-16 bulbs i could have bought with the over 3300 dollars i spent on them things,, i like the led's but they lie to ya to get you to buy them

Humm

We only have one outside sign with 12v mr16s and we bought the Home Depot brand I'm guessing 4 years ago and 0 failure on those 6. I saved the box if you want I can post tomorrow.  We tried mr16 cf and  mr16 incandescent and used to change them all the time and it was another p-i-t-a place to get to. 

[RP#62]

The "bulbs" probably will last as long as advertised, but the power supplies won't. I've noticed that with CFLs.  On the ones I've dissected the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply were failed and that seems to be typical.  They use cheap components and they just can't handle the heat for any length of time. 

-RP

[Red Diamond]

I've installed LED's in every light outlet in the house, even spotlights, none of which has burnt out yet. I bought the Ecosmart and Cree Daylight bulbs, some 60W equivalent that only draw about 8W's.

[WintrSol]

LED's last longer life than Florescent and uses less energy, I found with florescent bulb, the bulb go for 10K hrs, but the starters go bad before the bulb does. Far as color, that depends on the color temperature of the bulb in kelvin.  So 5000K would be bluish, where 3400K would be more yellowish, the higher you go the blue it gets, the lower you go the yellower it gets.

A good photographer will tell you that all fluorescent types, and all LED types, only approximate a given color temperature, with bits and pieces of that smooth color chart added together, enough to fool the eye, but not a camera. You can see this by creating a rainbow with a prism. That makes for real gaps in the colors that a camera will 'see', especially on good quality color film (which is also known to have gaps). Some people are sensitive to those gaps, and will describe LEDs as harsh, and fluorescents as something other than 'natural'. The only relatively full spectrum light source is a hot wire. That said, I use LEDs in almost all my light fixtures, because of the power savings.

Good color chart, BTW.