Compact fluorescent light bulbs vs. LEDs?

[guardian]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience using or recommendations in buying LED light bulbs?

I currently use compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout my house and enjoy their cost savings and longer life compared to incandescent bulbs. I was an early adopter of CFLs and found the first generation to not be so good. They tended to burn out quickly, you couldn't use them in enclosed fixtures, sideways/upsidedown orientation, etc. The current generation CFL works fine for me.

I was wondering if the current crop of LED lights are reliable of if I should wait a year for the next generation to come out.

[Greyskye]

1. LEDs are still pretty expensive

I've heard good things about them, although I haven't tried them for myself.

Here's what I got from a LED shopping search: http://www.google.com/products?q=led+bulbs+house&hl=en

[tridim]

2. LED's are still way too white for me.

Much like the early CFL's were

Pure white light with a green or blue cast bugs the hell out of me. White LED's are actually blue with a white phosphor. Yuck.

[MADem]

4. You buy an array of them in a yellowish or bone colored plastic "bulb"

They look great. They're too expensive, still, though.

[mod mom]

6. They must have just come out with warmer bulbs. We completed our Christmas light

transition this year having purchased half last year which were cool (whites were sold out last year). I noticed warm as an option when I started buying them early in the season to make sure we could get enough. (My husband the fanatic puts 18 sets of 60 on our tree) He mixed the cool and warm leds and it has a nice effect.

The prices are coming down-we purchased commercial LEDS (the kind that change color or can be set at one color) about 5 years ago and paid ~$5,000 wholesale. Needless to say, we should have waited.

[hunter]

7. I'm noticing some of the newer, high end, "Christmas lights" have pretty good color.

It also looks like the newer multi-colored lights are all blue LEDs with various phosphors and not different color LEDs. From a distance all the colors blend into the usual LED blue-white.

The least expensive way to light your house with LEDs is to use Christmas light strings, but the 60 cycle flicker of most of them makes me crazy -- it's worse than old magnetic ballast fluorescents.

Some of the newest LED string lights have a more sophisticated electronic power supply with no noticeable flicker.

I have a couple of LED "light bulb" replacements that are perfectly awful. They are dim, flickery, and the old mercury streetlight blue. Fortunately I didn't spend any money for them, they were part of a display that was headed for the trash. (There's some sort of sick irony when "green" promotional materials get tossed into the same rubbish stream as all the other consumer waste.)

[MADem]

3. I LOVE LEDS!!! They're way too expensive, now, though.

I'm waiting until they're truly affordable, and that will be my 'next big thing.' They certainly are cheap to operate.

I was an early adopter of the CFL, too. Can't believe how much I paid for those early bulbs, though.

[Warpy]

5. Wait a few years until they perfect LEDs

Right now, the light is harsh and the bulbs can be fragile.

Having said that, I can say I love my LED head lamp, goes 100+ hours on a AAA battery and bulb life listed as "forever." It's one of those things I never knew I needed until I got it.

[tom_paine]

8. Since Global Warming is a liberal lie, why not buy incandescents?

Why not leave your SUV in the yard running all night as a show of your Bushie Virility?

Compact fluorescent lights? :rofl:

Trying to establish some cred, eh? This new strategy come in your weekly Bushie/Exxon Talking Points e-mail?

You can generate sympathy in your targets by pretending to empathize with their other causes. Studies by Heritage and AEI show a 13% increase in targets' misinformation absorption if one can establish personal sympathy with targets by pretending to adhere to some of their beliefs. This will soften them up for misinformation when you begin your true work.

WE ARE SO FOOLED!

:rofl:

[jpak]

9. 150 watt incandescents and leave them on in the day!!!1111

:rofl:

[OKIsItJustMe]

11. Well, because electricity is expensive, whether or not Global Warming is real

Sheesh!

[Motown_Johnny]

10. Been using LED christmas lights, expensive, but they have a 20 year warrenty

love 'em

they seem like they are not bright enough if you plug them in during the day, but plenty bright at night.

[NYC_SKP]

12. Technology is improving rapidly. I'm waiting on three LED arrays by Bridgelux.

To use in some prototype task lighting.

These are available in three color temperatures, but naturally the warmer ones put out less light, lower lumens/watt.



Manufacturer: BRIDGELUX
Newark Part Number: 45P5611
Manufacturer Part No: BXRA-C2000-00000
LED Array
LED Color:Cool White
Luminous Intensity:2200lm
Viewing Angle:120°
Forward Current:1750mA
Forward Voltage:16.6V
Operating Temperature Range:-40°C to +105°C

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/new-led-aims-to-whack-prices-of-solid-state-lighting-5584.html

http://www.bridgelux.com/products/ledarray.html

[Kablooie]

13. I'm partial to Klieg lights myself.