LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

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frequentT
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LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by frequentT »

I have gradually been converting my home lighting over to LEDs. LEDs have been very impressive in those areas where a particularly bright light is needed, ie. kitchen and baths.

My outdoor lights that I have recently put on timers for convenience and security are next to be upgraded since they are on over night.

Has anyone found a good supplier with better prices than the big box retailers?

Thanks!
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SSSS
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by SSSS »

I'm interested in this too. The best value I could find was the Cree bulbs at Home Depot, but I assume you know about those already.
hicabob
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by hicabob »

I picked up some 75 watt replacement dimmable recessed type bulbs from costco for about $10 each (on special) - very nice. The HD Cree ones are very decent too. One thing to look for carefully is "dimmability" if you need it since some led bulbs are not dimmable.
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Epsilon Delta
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by Epsilon Delta »

frequentT wrote: My outdoor lights that I have recently put on timers for convenience and security are next to be upgraded since they are on over night.
You may find that you have to replace the timer when you switch to LED bulbs, since some LED lights won't work properly with some timers, light sensors, motion sensors and other gizmos. It's still worth switching to LEDs but it is an extra annoyance if you have to replace the controller as well.
Stonebr
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by Stonebr »

Lowest price I've found is big boxes -- namely, Home Depot. Like SSSS says, CREE is on sale at HD right now.

I've had trouble finding soft white/warm white. Lots of bright and cool on the market, but they look overly harsh indoors. The CREE on sale is 9.97 for a dimmable 6w (40w equivalent) warm white.
"have more than thou showest, | speak less than thou knowest" -- The Fool in King Lear
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SSSS
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by SSSS »

For those considering the Cree lightbulbs at Home Depot, they come in two color temperatures -- "warm white" 2700K, and "daylight" 5000K. The 2700K is probably closest to what you're used to, regardless of whether you're used to incandescents or compact florescents, but I recommend at least trying one of the 5000K to see if you lik eit. I got two of each to compare, and I'm really digging the 5000K. It's a little bit weird at first, and casts a slight blue tint, but after a week I'm liking it better than the 2700K & much better than my old CFL bulbs.
WhyNotUs
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by WhyNotUs »

Also, check with your local utility for rebates. I get 50% rebate on the $10 Utilitech 7.5 watt LEDs that I bought at Lowes. They are 3000 kelvin, which I find to be pleasant.
Without the rebate, I would stick with CFLs other than lights that are very hard to get to or that are on more than 1500 hours per year. Going from incandescent to LED is about a 75% reduction, cfl to led is less than 20% so it would take a while to get even. For people with high ceilings with lights, the 25,000 hour bulb life makes the case for LEDs.
It is great to see the advancement in these technologies- they use less electricity, create less heat, and last longer- all pluses.
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frequentT
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by frequentT »

For the outdoor application, we have 'coach lanterns' that require the small threaded stems with the candle globes (not the flickering type).

I purchased a 3 pack for about $18 about 4 months ago. Went back and it looks like Costco has discontinued. Maybe not a fast enough mover....... I put 2 in one lantern and they are great. Have one leftover and 4 more to upgrade to LED

Lowes has for $9.99ea, HD ~$14/ea.
motorob
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by motorob »

I've had good luck with 1000bulbs.com. Good source for hard-to-find bulbs, good prices, fair shipping. Sometimes a little slow to ship. Much better selection than big box stores, much better prices than specialist retailers or wholesalers who often won't sell to the general public.
apex84
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by apex84 »

In the Chicago area, the local Home Depot's are closing out the Philips L-prize bulbs for $15. These were originally $50 & I bought some when they were $30 & more at $15. These bulbs have a nicer color spectrum than any other LED bulb I've found. In the race to reduce prices (like the new Cree bulb or the less expensive Philips bulbs), the light isn't as nice, although still better than any CFL I've seen.
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Ice-9
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by Ice-9 »

I find that Earth LED has the best selection:
http://store.earthled.com/pages/find-th ... nt-wattage

I usually look for a bulb there, then compare with anything similar I find at Home Depot or Lowes. Sometimes they have good sales on certain bulbs too. I noticed the more common bulbs, if you don't happen to catch them on sale, are usually a better deal at Home Depot, but it's great for bulbs the big box stores don't have.
MathWizard
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by MathWizard »

I got mine from the local FIRST FRC Robotics team. They sell them to support the team.
Kind iof like Girl Scout Cookies.

Two 60W equiv. for under $50 with tax. This year is even better, the local electric utility is
giving a $10 per bulb rebate (assuming they more than $10).

Disclosure: My son was on the team and I mentored the first year, my wife the second, so
I may be biased.
malloc
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by malloc »

We have been converting our house to LED's and have been very pleased with the result.

There is one problem we have had, and that is RF interference.
In a bathroom, after replacing the bulbs with LED's the RF interference was too much for the radio in the room.
We bought those bulbs from costco - and they just told us to bring them back.
Other brands seem to emit much less interference.

We are now installing a new light near some stairs, and the light is between a router and TV/computers.
We asked at "the store which is supposed to know" - recommended by an electrician - and they called the company.
The official response was "We have no official information from the head office, but they do emit RF noise, so we can not eliminate the possibility"

Which brings up the question I would like to include in the mix here:

"Have any of you had difficulty with routers/radios/computers or any other electronic devices after installing LED's?
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tc101
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by tc101 »

"A 2014 study found that LEDs cause retinal damage even in settings where they are used indirectly, such as household light bulbs."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-energy_visible_light

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-A81/
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texasdiver
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by texasdiver »

Costco has the best online prices that I've found

http://www.costco.com/led-light-bulbs.html
Valuethinker
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by Valuethinker »

tc101 wrote:"A 2014 study found that LEDs cause retinal damage even in settings where they are used indirectly, such as household light bulbs."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-energy_visible_light

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-A81/
OK this is a long way from conclusive. Test on albino rats.
However, the retinas of rats exposed to either blue or cool white9 LED light showed evidence of retinal damage and cell death after 9 days of exposure. Although rats exposed to cool or warm white10 CFL lights also showed some evidence of damage relative to unexposed controls, in general differences were much less pronounced than those observed in the LED-exposed rats. The authors suggest the observed injuries may have been a consequence of oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species that were generated in retinal tissue.3
Blue-light hazard[edit]
Blue-light hazard is defined as the potential for a photochemical induced retinal injury resulting from electromagnetic radiation exposure at wavelengths primarily between 400–500 nm. This has not been shown to occur in humans, only inconclusively in some rodent, primate and in vitro studies.[4] The mechanisms for photochemical induced retinal injury are caused by the absorption of light by photoreceptors in the eye. Under normal conditions when light hits a photoreceptor, the cell bleaches and becomes useless until it has recovered through a metabolic process called the visual cycle.[5][6]

Absorption of blue light, however, has been shown in rats and a susceptible strain of mice to cause a reversal of the process where cells become unbleached and responsive again to light before they are ready. At wavelengths of blue light below 430 nm this greatly increases the potential for oxidative damage.[7] For blue-light circadian therapy, harm is minimized by employing blue light at the near-green end of the blue spectrum. "1-2 min of 408 nm and 25 minutes of 430 nm are sufficient to cause irreversible death of photoreceptors and lesions of the retinal pigment epithelium. ... The action spectrum of light-sensitive retinal ganglion cells was found to peak at 470-480 nm, a range with lower damage potential, yet not completely outside the damaging range."[8] A 2014 study found that LEDs cause retinal damage even in settings where they are used indirectly, such as household light bulbs.[9]

A 2013 in vitro study using shorter blue band spectrum LED lights indicated that prolonged exposure may permanently damage the pigment epithelial cells of the retina. The test conditions were the equivalent of staring at a 100 watt blue incandescent source from 20 cm (8 in) for 12 hours.[10][11]
Note the problem seems to be more around the 5000K blue or cool lights, not the 2700K ones, where the effect appeared to be less.

It's one to keep an eye on ( ;-) ) but as a user of the 2700k bulbs I am less worried.
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tc101
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by tc101 »

I agree that it is not at all conclusive.

I only have 1 LED bulb at this time and it will be at least two years before all my older CFL bulbs have been used. I had planned to start buying LEDs then. By posting this on Bogleheads I will alert lots of people and we will all keep an eye on it together. If it is really a problem there will be more about it in the next few years.
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VictoriaF
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by VictoriaF »

I have been using the light bulbs that were in my apartment when I moved in. Now, they started dying and I have to replace them.

Conditions and Requirements:
1. I am renting.
2. All lights are indoors.
3. Ceiling fixtures have a relatively narrow space for the bulbs (some CFL bulbs I've purchased did not fit).
4. I like bright lights.

Questions:
1. Are there any reasons for buying LED bulbs instead of CFL bulbs?
2. When buying either LED or CFL, are there any reasons for buying bulbs that are less than 100W comparable?
3. Can I go with the store brand (e.g., Target's Up), or there are some good reasons to choose GE?

Thank you,
Victoria
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theduke
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Re: LED light bulbs: on line shopping destination

Post by theduke »

I ordered a 3 way LED bulb from Amazon. I just received it, but so far so good.
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