led lights

[kool55]

I found this site called led liquidators that carries all types of household led lighting. I wish I could insert that name in this post so you could just click on it but I don't know how. Anyway, they carry a par 38 led version at 12 watts that I could put in my barn and shop overhang eyeball fixtures. Right now I have been leaving the lights off at night because the existing lamps at 60 watts each x 8 is too expensive. Any body using these lamps?

[boiler7904]

Not using any myself but they are being used more and more in commercial settings all the time. LED lighting is continuously evolving. New generations of LEDs come out every few months that are more reliable and have a stronger light output at a lower cost. They also be made into more lamp types as the technology evolves.

[ddawg16]

LED's have come along way...but to put things in perspective....

LED's have about the same output/watt as fluorescents....or, both use about 1/5 th energy for the same amount of lite....but it's the light that is different.

It has taken them 20+ years to get LED's to produce the colors they do now.....the hardest was blue and some colors of white. But just like the fluorescents....they are still working on colors.

With that said....the main advantage of LED's over fluorescents is size and life....LED's typically last 100K hours or more...or, over 11.4 years of constant operation.

So, if you consider the cost difference of fluorescents vs LED, LED's for large lighting are over 10x the cost of fluorescents...but have about 10x the life.....but if you wait a few more years, the price difference might be a lot less.

Right now, LED's are a good option for things like night lights and areas hard to get to or where size is an issue. One negative is the light direction....LED's are VERY directional....

For general lighting, fluorescents have better light at a cheaper cost.

[kool55]

Right now I replaced two of the 60 watt lamps with 27 watt (100 watt equivalent) compact flourecent bulbs.I unscrewed the remaining four lamps in the barn overhang. The light output seems ok but the color shade is too white. Even so, I thought using LED'S at 12 watts would be better yet,since I have 12 on the barn and 3 on the shop overhang.

[Torque1st]

Compact fluorescents (CF) come in various colors.

Many of the CF and LED lights do not last nearly as long as they are advertised.

A quick way to ruin a CF or shorten it's life considerably is to screw it into a powered socket. The arcing when it starts to contact the center contact blows some components in the electronic ballast. Even some mechanical wall switches cause them to arc. :(

[rsanter]

CFLs for now are the better deal for life and light output/watt
I work for a utility and we have tested many LED replacement lights. some of the cheaper made ones have lost as much as 50% of their lumen output within 20-50 hours of operation. the life of the LED are longest when used in cooler/cold enviroments and their lumen output maintains better in a cooler enviroment

bob

[Kevin54]

I wish I could insert that name in this post so you could just click on it but I don't know how.

Go to the address bar at the top of the page when you are on that site, put your cursor on it, then right click, then copy. In your reply box on here, right click, then Paste. The address is now inserted.

[kool55]

Thanks Kevin54,I need all the computer help I can get.Tonight I will take a picture of the barn and shop with the 60 watt incandescent bulbs and then with the flourescents in and then post the pics as soon as I can. If it shows up ok it might help others decide what to do.

[Dragster Racer]

In my residence, I have used CFL's extensively. The color output has come a long way, and they really put out the light. They also are cool running. The daylight versions are a bit intense for a lot of indoor applications. A big drawback has been their inability to fire at low temps and the low light they put out at first even indoors. They are working on that. I now have some outdoor fixtures with CFL's that are just terrific. They have fired so far at 10 degrees F, and I will test when it gets colder.

I tried LED's at work for an inspection appllication. We use spot lights to inspect for scratches on kitchen cabinet doors before finishing. It is time intensive, and the heat from the spot lights can make them unpleasant to work near. I wanted to try LED's because they are cooler, and the diretional light could be better for highlighting scratches when shown at steep angles to the surface. The light intensity could also make inspection easier. Well, they were $40 each, and really didn't work as well as I had hoped. They are much heavier then the incadescants, which was a problem for the fixtures we use. They did run cooler, but really didn't show the scratches they way I had hoped. Seemed like a good idea! I think the sample will make its way into my barn at home. The LED's seem to light no matter what the temperature.

[Torque1st]

... I think the sample will make its way into my barn at home. ...
A lot of unused samples made it into my "projects" also. :D

[kool55]

Thanks Kevin54,I need all the computer help I can get.Tonight I will take a picture of the barn and shop with the 60 watt incandescent bulbs and then with the flourescents in and then post the pics as soon as I can. If it shows up ok it might help others decide what to do.

Having trouble loading HP Photoshoot program on Vistas here in va. Will upload pics on the XP computer in pa this week,then post em. :headscrat

[NRChopshop]

I use LEDs every day. Im a Sign Fabricator and many of the clients out there are opting for the higher initial cost of LEDs over the lower initial/higher longterm cost or Neon and Flourescent. Long term energy usage is lower. However, maintaining lighting consistency and over all deflection to increase brightness is a challenge sometimes.

[rinny_tin_tin]

I'm also thinking of LED Lights for my gaarge - I'm evaluating several candidates - including this one from:

http://www.nbledlight.com/LED-High-Bay-Light-302.html

[Torque1st]

With that many LED's I wonder how it works in hot weather???

[W-Cummins]

The hi bay led's look interesting but the max of 260v is really stupid as it cuts off the use at the more common 277+ volts that most places use..... They should have spec'ed the power supply at 90-300V

William...

[rinny_tin_tin]

With that many LED's I wonder how it works in hot weather???

In theory, hot weather should be less of a problem for LEDs than incandescent or even CFLs because of better power efficiencies. However, I see your point given there are so many LEDS in close proximity to one another.

[Dragster Racer]

I don't see a cost on those. I would have some concern about proper coverage since LED's are so directional. Very interesting. I would like to hear more.

[rinny_tin_tin]

A quote I got on the hi-bay LEDs was $412 US each for a $100. That is too much USD for China - favored trading status or not.