Hello all,
Has anyone installed LED lighting in their homes to replace normal cadescent/low energy bulbs? I've just bought a house that needs completely new kitchen/bathroom/living-dining room and would like to go for low energy lighting. The "normal" stuff on the market gives appalling light, and seeing as how far LED's have come on these days thought about giving it a go.
Is it best to just use an LED "replacement" lamp or go full monty LED specific wiring?? any reccomendations of where to get it as well?
thanks,
Sui
I've instaled 5W LEDs into all the reccessed fitting in the house. These are a direct 50W GU10/12V LV replacement. Not cheap £15 plus each.
I've put 1.5W LEDs in all exterior lights.
Everything else is standard L/E.
I've talked at length with 'experts' about this. Seems that LEDs don't give off a good light for long term domestic use. Soemthing to do with the fact they flicker on and off really fast in use and this isn't a good thing. They are OK for spotlighting etc but no good for wide throw lighting.
Soemthing to do with the fact they flicker on and off really fast in use and this isn't a good thing
?? not unless the power supply is the most cheaply designed pile of junk in the world, or are using PWM to over-power the LED and make it brighter. In the first case - no comment, don't buy cheap ones, in the second the PWM period will be so small (the flicker so fast) you would not notice it, even subconsciously - we're talking thousands of times a second. If you were using some sort of direct-replacement LED where they effectively just use a very large current-reg resistor and it lights on every half-cycle then sure, but do such cheap, poor solutions actually exist?!
Cheers chaps. The direct replacement moduels seem to be a good cheap and efficient way going LED, but also hear concerns about the flickering (although thought this wasn't so much an issue these days). Will still do kitchen just a matter of do i use the 12v versions (with LED driver), or mains version???
@Sui
I'd go for 240V GU10 fittings and retro fit LEDs.
I've had some compatabilty issues with the 12V LEDs and I can't see any reason for fitting transformers when you have no intention of running 12V.
When I converted all the downlights in the house no one noticed. Though make sure you get warm white LEDs Coolwhites are harsh.
@oldgit - thanks for that, i thake it i should just be 'shopping' for GU10 fittings/fixtures and then replace the bulbs with the GU10LED's - have you used exergi??
We have replaced a couple of GU10 with 2W LED's, in 50% the face glass has blown off shattering glass all over the kitchen, I would imagine it is a heat problem where the lamp is fitted into a tight fitting holder.
Teggs, wht make LED's were you using - do you think it might be isolated to a manufacturer??
Phillips, we used 6 & 3 have blown off the lens, light still work.
That's Terrible have you taken them back?
I've only used Deltech and ELD. I like to test ours at home or at work before I let them go to customers.
not good! have you tried any other brand since? Exergi / Megaman??
Can anyone suggest where to get decent ones from at a reasonable price then?, (Oldgit might be a good place by the sounds of it)
I have a load of B&Q ones in my kitchen, and whilst they are good energy savers, <5% of the 50 watt'rs there before, they are pretty dim, very directional and give a very blue white light.
the bay of e appears to be friendly?
i had some GU10 led bulbs, found them to be rubbish (dimmer, much colder light) than the equivilent halogens so I swapped them back.
5lab - Member
i had some GU10 led bulbs, found them to be rubbish (dimmer, much colder light) than the equivilent halogens so I swapped them back.
+1. Got them in the bathroom. Horrible blue-ish light, really dim. Intend to swap back to halogens in the new year.
The retro fit type leds are rubbish.
If you want leds, get a proper fitting, it will cost you however.
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/17918262@N07/4032028735/ ]Here's some I fitted earlier[/url], albeit in a retail environment.
I've just fitted these all over my newly refurbished house.
[url= http://www.litebulbs.co.uk/product/22621/exergi-hyperbright-gu10-led-44-watt-50000h-warm-white-wide-flood.aspx ]LED Bulbs[/url]. They are bright, a nive warm color and only 4.5 watts. Importantly they give a nice spread of light as well.
Yes, 5W "halogen" replacements. They look like an array of about 50 surface mount LEDs, are very bright, and match the colour of halogens. However, there is one minor disadvantage: there's some circuitry in them which emits RF interference right over the FM band. So if you have the lights on, you can't listen to the radio in the same room.
We also fitted LED ribbon tape under all the counters in the kitchen, which again is halogen colour and provides a handy extra downlight.
Think we worked out there were about 1500 LEDs in our kitchen by the end of it all - total consumption about 50W.
My mate uses these as a supplier to his business.[url= http://www.collingwoodlighting.co.uk/cnb/shop/collingwood?op=catalogue-products-null&prodCategoryID=1 ]collingwood lighting[/url]
Can be expensive though!
The lights I fitted were collingwood, but you can also get them from Rexal Senate wholesalers.
Thanks guys, you saved me some hassle and helped me pick my new LED light bulbs for my house. The kitchen was my first project so i've replaced the current 35w GU10's with an equivalent LED bulb, it was quite hard to find a decent looking one with good light. The guys at [url= http://www.ledlightingbulbs.co.uk ]LED Lighting Bulbs[/url] sorted me out, they were 17.99 each. That's this months spending done for me - just purchased a Specialized S-works Enduro SL carbon - but the wife is happy with her LED's 😀
I'd just be worried about the amount of time it'd take to earn back that 18 quid per bulb.