CFL's - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cullennewsom · #31 09-10-2012, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubyagee

Forced technology will always fall short. The volt comes to mind.

Galvani and Volta disagreed a bit about the volt, but that's been settled and there hasn't been a serious disagreement about it since at least 1908.

raymr · #32 09-10-2012, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel

Not a fan of the CFL, and I believe (hopefully) that I have purchased my last one. (still have a dozen or more on the shelf)
I am trying LED, and so far (only a couple bulbs) I am fairly impressed.
I have been seeing LED lamps and fixtures in the entertainment field for some time now, and anyone who sees the difference in the size cable being used to power them (compared to incandescent PAR lamps) will have no problem understanding how much less juice they require.
So, the technology is there, but unfortunately so is the price.
Having legislation forcing a change is not good for the consumers bottom line... But I do like the light, and at the current prices, I am keeping a log with all receipts and locations of the bulbs. I will be getting my advertised lifespan out of them, or I will be getting a refund.
Bringing back a $2 CFL is a nuisance, but a $10~$20 LED... that I will do.

The LEDs have a bright glare that I can't deal with indoors. But I have them installed in the exterior garage and entry fixtures and they are great for that. Supposedly they never fail suddenly, but gradually lose their brightness.

cullennewsom · #33 09-10-2012, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymr

The LEDs have a bright glare that I can't deal with indoors. But I have them installed in the exterior garage and entry fixtures and they are great for that. Supposedly they never fail suddenly, but gradually lose their brightness.

That's a lie. The LED's do lose brightness. The curve for that is not linear. Typical lifetime is tens of thousands of hours. But, more common is the failure of electrolytic capacitors in the 10,000-20,000 hrs time period. I had one factory defect that failed after a few thousand hours. That's annoying at $25 bucks a pop.

raymr · #34 09-10-2012, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cullennewsom

That's a lie. The LED's do lose brightness. The curve for that is not linear. Typical lifetime is tens of thousands of hours. But, more common is the failure of electrolytic capacitors in the 10,000-20,000 hrs time period. I had one factory defect that failed after a few thousand hours. That's annoying at $25 bucks a pop.

So if they're on for 12 hours a day, that's ~3 years. Not so great I guess. Hopefully, by that time their replacements will be a lot cheaper.

cmbdiesel · #35 09-10-2012, 09:34 PM

LED's are getting warmer in color temp. Some are very close to incandescent. And the reflectors that looks like something Bose dreamt up help as well...

cullennewsom · #36 09-10-2012, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymr

So if they're on for 12 hours a day, that's ~3 years. Not so great I guess. Hopefully, by that time their replacements will be a lot cheaper.

Yes, they will get cheaper. Here's some good* reading for you.

LEDs Magazine - DOE recommends new approach to LED luminaire lifetime ratings
Capacitor selection helps achieve long lifetimes for LED lights | LEDs

* You know, like claw your own eyes out fun-time reading.

cullennewsom · #37 09-10-2012, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel

LED's are getting warmer in color temp. Some are very close to incandescent. And the reflectors that looks like something Bose dreamt up help as well...

Tungsten incandescent are broad spectrum. They emit from UV all the way to IR. Any LED device you're likely to buy is either a tri color led, blue or UV with a phosphor.

MS Fowler · #38 09-10-2012, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

Lawn darts . . .

I was just a kid when Lawn Darts first came out, and I immediately saw them as a hazard. I didn't need a governmental agency to protect me. Are we that stupid as a people? If so, maybe we ought to give everyone a set of Lawn Darts, and see who survives. If lawn Darts are criminalized, only criminals will have lawn darts.

Dubyagee · #39 09-10-2012, 10:26 PM

All hail the nanny state. Should I have capitalized nanny?

cmbdiesel · #40 09-10-2012, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cullennewsom

Tungsten incandescent are broad spectrum. They emit from UV all the way to IR. Any LED device you're likely to buy is either a tri color led, blue or UV with a phosphor.

What the hell do I know about it? I'm an audio guy... You want lights, call a lighting guy...

Just making a basic observation that the LED bulbs available for home use are warmer in color temp than their predecessors which received many complaints about being too white/blue/cold....
Not sure how they do it, but apparently they are.

Maybe later I'll tackle some of that 'light' reading you linked to earlier...

t walgamuth · #41 09-10-2012, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

I was just a kid when Lawn Darts first came out, and I immediately saw them as a hazard. I didn't need a governmental agency to protect me. Are we that stupid as a people? If so, maybe we ought to give everyone a set of Lawn Darts, and see who survives. If lawn Darts are criminalized, only criminals will have lawn darts.

Whats wrong with lawn darts? We always play catch with them!

cmbdiesel · #42 09-10-2012, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Whats wrong with lawn darts? We always play catch with them!

My brother stuck one through the windshield of a Lincoln....

We were playing 'Long Distance' Lawn Darts...

raymr · #43 09-11-2012, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgburg

I changed my whole place over to CFLs...saw a better-than $40.00 drop in the electric bill the first month I was at/near 99.999% (refrigerator and oven bulb are still incadescent).

The front door lamps (26Watt/100Watt equivelant) are on an 8P-4A timer and have both been working for over 3 years @ 8 hr/day, 7 days/week...(I date each CFL, with a Sharpie, when they 1st go into service), I have a pair of 23 watt CFL spirals in can-fixtures pointing into the shower/tub area, 4 - 13watt/60Watt equive CFL-spirals in the fixture above the bathroom sink, single 13watt/60watt equives spirals, in the 2 bedrooms, a three-way CFL spiral in the living room, a 23watt/100watt equive circular by the front-door closet, a 23watt/100watt equive over the kitchen sink, 3 - 16watt/100watt equives in the kitchen/dining room lamp/fan unit and in the basement, there are 4 - 26watt/100watt equive circulars...and the garage has a massive 45watt/200watt equive spiral in it.

And they all (even the ones outdoor) light up and within 1-2 minutes, full lightage...no problems with "yellow" or sub-white light.

And the best part?

I got the 23watt units about 5 years ago...they're GE-brand, and I picked 'em up at a grocery store in Eau Claire for a buck a piece. I bought four cases with 8 bulbs per case.

I'm lighting right and lovin' it.

I also like em for the drop lights in my garage. No more burnt arms and fingers!

retmil46 · #44 09-11-2012, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgburg

I changed my whole place over to CFLs...saw a better-than $40.00 drop in the electric bill the first month I was at/near 99.999% (refrigerator and oven bulb are still incadescent).

I'm surprised no one has mentioned as yet the easiest way to save money with CFL's, or any type bulb for that matter - turn the blasted things off when they're not needed.

And if you're stuck with an electric water heater, if you can stand to tweak it down even just a few degrees, the savings from that would easily equal that from the CFL's in this case.

When I retired from the Navy 15 years ago, my father was complaining that the electric bill for the house was always close to $100 or better. Part of the problem was the water heater - whoever had done the installation had cranked the thermostat up between 155 to 160 F!!

After adjusting the water heater to a more reasonable range, CFL's where practical, and a couple other small items, it essentially cut their power bill in half.

rscurtis · #45 09-11-2012, 11:33 AM

A hybrid water heater will cut your water heating cost in half.