LED Lighting

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#618562 2-May-2012 20:06

mattwnz:
timmmay: This thread is quite funny. You guys are going on about the small savings going from CFL to LED, ignoring the much much greater cost of lost heat through having incredibly inefficient downlights.

If you really want to save money get rid of the downlights, or replace them with sealed units you can insulate over.

My downlights are insulated over, as they had special heat cans that allow this. But I acknowledge that many people have had cheap or older recessed lights installed that can't have insulation near or over them. Pendant lights are really the best in my opinion, when it comes to getting the most light, and no heat loss though the ceiling.

The main advantage for me with LEDs, is lifespan, as I will be installing them in very high ceilings, where it is difficult to keep replacing the bulbs. Halogens don't last long, CFLs, havea better life, but LEDs should be the best.

In my research heat cans weren't something that were a good option, only if the light was designed for them. My CFL downlights (which are gone now) produced little heat but I still couldn't use heat cans.

richms

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#618567 2-May-2012 20:15

Ok, not tried dimming on the viribrights yet as I dont think I have any sockets with a dimmer still on them around the house that are ES, just a couple of BC wall lights, but no flicker at all from the light when running but the brightness did seem a little unstable. Elto power meter flicks between 7 8 and 9 watts running it in my bedside lamp.

Will put one in the downlight by the frontdoor that has a sensor on it that didnt like a CFL and did the whole slow blink thing when it was off. If the leakage current just makes the lamp stable but dim then I am fine with it. Flicker or flashing when "off" I am not so keen on.

Richard rich.ms

Skolink

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#618575 2-May-2012 20:38

Thanks for the info on the Virilights Niel, slightly disappointed the output isn't 900 lm but that seemed unrealistic anyway. I'll have to see if I can get some neutral white 8W in E14 fitting.

Niel: So more photos to take tonight but I still do not have a solution for posting photos here (been too lazy to find out).

You do realise you can upload photos to Geekzone? Just use the proper reply window, not the 'post quick reply' box.

richms

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#618592 2-May-2012 20:54

Skolink:
You do realise you can upload photos to Geekzone? Just use the proper reply window, not the 'post quick reply' box.

Does that work for you on your phone tho? Thats where my photos are. Tried it earlier to put a photo up of my basket at bunnings and the upload page just reloads. Even tried cropping it to under 200kB just incase that woefully low limit was an actual limit still.

I would say that the "cool white" viribright is quite close to a neutral white. Its certainly not anywhere up near to daylight, and the white of it looks pretty close to my monitor, whereas a daylight one is noticibly more blue, and a warm white anything is revoltingly orange compared to the white on a laptop or phone.

Put it this way, its not as blue as the screen on the SGS2 ;)

Richard rich.ms

Niel

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#618602 2-May-2012 21:23

Thanks Skolink, I never use the full reply button. Will get those photos up.

Richms, you should see all the plastic lamp fittings and lamp shades I've had failing due to UV exposure from CFLs, not to mention the yellowed books that were on a shelf under CFL wall fittings. Virtually no UV through windows due to window treatments (mylar film if a great UV block).

You can never have enough Volvos!

Niel

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#618616 2-May-2012 21:37

Comparing with Philips Softone 100W. The white balance in the first 2 "5W" photos are off, but the other 3 are representative.

5.5W eBay bulbs:

8W Viribright warm white:

You can never have enough Volvos!

mattwnz

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#618642 2-May-2012 23:00

They look pretty impressive. Almost a halogen type of light colour.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Niel

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#618675 3-May-2012 06:06

Yes, I'm happy with the lights in my fittings. Even though the heat sinks are plastic, it is still thermally conductive and ventilated. These lights actually comply with standards, which is hard/expensive to do with a metal body. I'm taking both the LED and the incandescent to work today to measure their actual power consumption.

You can never have enough Volvos!

Oubadah

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#618990 3-May-2012 17:42

Has anyone had any experience with these: http://www.electricaldirectltd.co.nz/ecommerce.php?func=14&DCI=158&DPT=p&DPI=3401&S=c30a52c4911175d72e169ec76d2b4731

morrisk

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#619029 3-May-2012 19:47

Yes I have used these to replace halogen lamps in all the main living areas - about 16 in all. In the kitchen area I used the cool white ones as they give a good light to work under. The arm white ones look the same as the halogen they replaced and when looked at side by side it was difficult to see the difference. Unfortunately I also has to replace the transformers to get them to work but they claim they work with 80% of halogen transformers.

I have had them for a couple of months now and I am very pleased with them.

richms

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#619084 3-May-2012 21:46

I am very happy with the viribright lamps, have swapped my eBay "9w" 9 emitter lamps with a horrid yellow circle around the beam out for the viribrights and the room is now brighter, and not lit only in a circle on the floor with a yellow band around it making it look like I have spilled something.

Not tried the warm white ones and probably wont since I only use warm white in table lamps and they really need a lamp with a 360" spread, but in batten holders and recessed GLS downlights they are a definite winner.

Richard rich.ms

Oubadah

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#619090 3-May-2012 21:56

morrisk: Yes I have used these to replace halogen lamps in all the main living areas - about 16 in all. In the kitchen area I used the cool white ones as they give a good light to work under. The arm white ones look the same as the halogen they replaced and when looked at side by side it was difficult to see the difference. Unfortunately I also has to replace the transformers to get them to work but they claim they work with 80% of halogen transformers.

I have had them for a couple of months now and I am very pleased with them.

What transformer did you put in? Do you use a dimmer, and if so, how well do they work with dimming?

richms

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#619097 3-May-2012 22:06

What I have done is pull out my single fixed halogens and swap them for a 4 way gimble mount one that I got cheap because of the may 10 compliance and that they didnt comply, all 4 holders paralleled up to the one standard 20-60watt transformer, with just a single 50w lamp in it at the moment. That way when I get my dimmer LED replacements I only need to have 5 watt ones to meet the minimum load for the transformer, and that I have more of them means I have more aiming oppertunities.

Just have to remember not to go sticking 3 more halogens into the holder in the meantime ;) Actually I think they are 35w lamps anyway.

Richard rich.ms

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#619100 3-May-2012 22:12

I have three huge pendants that take 10x 240v 40w G9 incandescent. I've seen 12v LED arrays on a G9 base like so: http://www.ledhut.co.nz/spot-lights/g9-bulbs/g4-led-bulb-2.html

The shades on these pendants are frosted and upwards facing, so I could put anything in there as long as the light distribution was even.

Would it be legal if I converted the pendants to 12v LEDs (driving with a transformer/s)?

richms

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#619123 3-May-2012 23:24

G9 bases are supposed to be line voltage, as those lamps you linked to are. While there are many dumb lamps available out of asia like gu5.3 based mr16s that run on 230, I wouldnt go rewiring the fixture based on a possibly unavailable in the future lamp

Richard rich.ms

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