The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

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tadamsmar
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The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by tadamsmar »

Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs and installed them in our master bath over the mirror over the double sink.

I now look like the walking dead.

My wife (unaware of the changed bulbs) started putting on more make-up like she was prepping for her viewing at a funeral parlor.

I figure lots of Bogleheads may do the same thing.

Not sure how to balance price vs quality with these new-fangled bulbs.
Last edited by tadamsmar on Thu Feb 04, 2016 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
marquette
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse

Post by marquette »

The thing I never had to think of before with traditional light bulbs was the temperature of the bulb. In un-scientific terms, the temperature determines the color you are seeing. Here is a link to an image that explains it better. Generally you will want to find lights in the 2k-3k range to use in areas like that. The temperature should be in the fine print / specs of all LEDs bulbs. I have a lot of the hyperikon's on amazon for various needs and have been happy.


http://www.seesmartled.com/images/gener ... rature.jpg
dbr
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by dbr »

tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs and installed them in our master bath over the mirror over the double sink.

I now look like the walking dead.

My wife (unaware of the changed bulbs) started putting on more make-up like she was prepping for her viewing at a funeral parlor.

I figure lots of Bogleheads may do it the same thing.

Not sure how to balance price vs quality with these new-fangled bulbs.
Two things:

1. Pay attention to the color temperature. You probably want warmer bulbs than you got. It could be you are just getting more brightness than you had. That is usually preferred in a bathroom.

2. LED bulbs are available in dimmable versions, needing the right dimmers to function correctly. That allows more flexibility in use. It is true that one "weird" effect is that when LEDs dim the color temperature does not change and that does produce a different effect from dimming an incandescent bulb.

Out house is pretty nearly 100% changed over, including T-8 bulbs in the workshop. It is one of the best home improvements I have made for only a few hundred dollars all in.

A good source of information if not necessarily for purchase is https://www.earthled.com/pages/find-the ... nt-wattage
sls239
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by sls239 »

Buy your wife a nice make-up mirror that is lit all the way around.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by lightheir »

Interestingly, I replaced 8 vanity bulbs over my bathroom mirror with LEDs.

The light and color is exactly the same, as far as I can tell. Nice warm yellow. I was expecting some cold harshness (that you get with fluorescents) but that wasn't the case.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by SmileyFace »

tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs and installed them in our master bath over the mirror over the double sink.

I now look like the walking dead.

My wife (unaware of the changed bulbs) started putting on more make-up like she was prepping for her viewing at a funeral parlor.

I figure lots of Bogleheads may do it the same thing.

Not sure how to balance price vs quality with these new-fangled bulbs.
LOL - our Master Bathroom is the only room that still has standard Incandescent bulbs. Years ago I started moving all rooms over to CFLs/LEDs but the DW said "Don't touch the bathroom" and I haven't ("Happy Wife Happy Life "as the saying goes). I think you need to change them back and find a different place for the LEDs.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by Bustoff »

tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs ... I now look like the walking dead.
I gotta have some of those...where did you get them?
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by David Jay »

Bustoff wrote:
tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs ... I now look like the walking dead.
I gotta have some of those...where did you get them?
Use a 4700K (or there-abouts)
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by tadamsmar »

Bustoff wrote:
tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs ... I now look like the walking dead.
I gotta have some of those...where did you get them?
Lowes. They were 40 watt, less than $3 for a 2-pack if I recall correctly.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by hand »

Possibly more important than bulb color in many applications is the bulb's Color Rendering Index (CRI).
An incandescent bulb has a CRI of 100, typical low cost LED is 80 or below CRI, but for a modest upcharge higher quality LED can be found with 92+ CRI.

For interior lighting, I've been pleased with 92 CRI where 80 CRI was unacceptable.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by katzmandu »

2700-3000k should provide light that doesn't make you look zombiesque.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by telemark »

tadamsmar wrote:
Bustoff wrote:
tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs ... I now look like the walking dead.
I gotta have some of those...where did you get them?
Lowes. They were 40 watt, less than $3 for a 2-pack if I recall correctly.
And now we know why they were on sale :)
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by BlueEars »

hand wrote:Possibly more important than bulb color in many applications is the bulb's Color Rendering Index (CRI).
An incandescent bulb has a CRI of 100, typical low cost LED is 80 or below CRI, but for a modest upcharge higher quality LED can be found with 92+ CRI.

For interior lighting, I've been pleased with 92 CRI where 80 CRI was unacceptable.
The led bulbs I recently bought are 2700 and appear cool compared to the incandescent floods they are meant to replace. There is no CRI on the box. Where does one look for a high CRI bulb? Home Depot?
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by nisiprius »

Pay attention to color temperature (and color rendering index). I've been thrilled with the LED bulbs I've bought--first Philips when they cost like $30, then Utilitech (Lowe's house brand) then Cree when prices really started dropping. All around 2700°K color temperature. I haven't paid a lot of attention but I find the LEDs we've bought to be considerably better than the best CFL's, and probably "just as good as" incandescent.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by protagonist »

Bustoff wrote:
tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs ... I now look like the walking dead.
I gotta have some of those...where did you get them?
Google your state energy program.

Where I live (MA), consumers of MA energy are entitled to buy 12 bulbs per year at significantly reduced prices, and they offer a wide range of highly rated products. Other states have similar programs.

In addition, in my state Home Depot has an arrangement whereby they receive many Cree bulbs to sell at a subsidized price that is very reasonable.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by Mudpuppy »

BlueEars wrote:
hand wrote:Possibly more important than bulb color in many applications is the bulb's Color Rendering Index (CRI).
An incandescent bulb has a CRI of 100, typical low cost LED is 80 or below CRI, but for a modest upcharge higher quality LED can be found with 92+ CRI.

For interior lighting, I've been pleased with 92 CRI where 80 CRI was unacceptable.
The led bulbs I recently bought are 2700 and appear cool compared to the incandescent floods they are meant to replace. There is no CRI on the box. Where does one look for a high CRI bulb? Home Depot?
If the CRI is not listed on the box, then it's likely a low CRI bulb. The high CRI bulbs advertise as such. But you can also check the manufacturer's website for the full specifications. This should, for major manufacturers at least, give you the CRI.

And I'd double hand's recommendation to stick to high CRI bulbs where appearance is important, such as the bathroom vanity. A low CRI bulb will not only make your face look "ghastly", but it also makes your clothing colors look worse than they actually are under the light of day. So if you want to put your best face and foot forward, using high CRI bulbs in the master bathroom is a good investment.

Although I suppose one could make the argument to match your bathroom bulbs to your workplace's bulbs, so you can match the color rendering of the lighting in the office. Just don't go out to lunch with your co-workers at an outdoor cafe :)
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by drawpoker »

tadamsmar wrote:.....
My wife (unaware of the changed bulbs) started putting on more make-up like she was prepping for her viewing at a funeral parlor.....
No woman should be applying her makeup in any form of artificial light (only exception is if you spring for the special, very pricey mirrors manufactured to replicate natural daylight)

Tell her to take her makeup bag, a big mirror & whatever else needed to a comfy chair & table in front of a window and put on her face that way. She will be immensely pleased with the results!

FYI, this is why high-end dept stores put the expensive makeup counters (Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancôme etc) directly inside the entrance doors. So the customer can take a few short steps to view herself (or maybe himself as the case may be) in natural light to see how the makeup looks.

:) :) :)

FWIW, last year I sprang for pricey LED bulbs for the extremely hard-to-reach sockets in main bathroom. They are supposed to last 16-18 years. If they do, I will be ecstatic (if still living :? ) and won't give a good fig about what I look like in the light. :P
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by Mingus »

Meh, LEDs are certainly better than the compact flourescents people have been salivating over, but they still aren't that great. So much of the color spectrum is missing compared to a tungsten bulb, the light they put off is like staring into a black hole.

For my tastes, a single light fixture needs a real light bulb. A two light fixture can have one LED, one tungsten. A three light fixture can handle one LED. And the only five light fixture in the house seems to be okay with three LEDs/2 traditional bulbs.

Bedrooms and bathrooms are probably better served with the old style bulbs.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by mhalley »

GE is going to discontinue the CFL, so hopefully led prices will continue to drop.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by user5027 »

Since retiring, a floor lamp in the home office is on a lot more. I was going through 60 watt incandescents like crazy. We hate the corkscrew cfl bulbs and how they are slow to be full bright, especially the outside lamps when it is cold. Just by chance a few weeks ago, I decided to try a led bulb and stopped in the local Ace Hardware to see what they had.

They had a whole table full of leds as you walked in the door. 99 cents each subsidized by the local utility company. I bought two. Popped them in a couple places to try. Wife loves them and they are so cool you can actually touch them while on. Went back to Ace and bought 30 more, asked how long the deal runs and was told until they are gone.

Now I am waiting for the rest of the incandescents to burn out.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by clutchied »

tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs and installed them in our master bath over the mirror over the double sink.

I now look like the walking dead.

My wife (unaware of the changed bulbs) started putting on more make-up like she was prepping for her viewing at a funeral parlor.

I figure lots of Bogleheads may do the same thing.

Not sure how to balance price vs quality with these new-fangled bulbs.

If I may since people seem not to understand LED's at all.

Instant on!

LED's do NOT put out UV light like CFL's. They do not have a refresh rate and thus no flicker.

DO NOT BUY CFL's. They are toxic to the environment and contain mercury. LED's are far superior in almost every regard except initial price.


1. Color temperature. 2700k is considered warm and similar to an incandescent. If you want warmish light buy this temp. Anything above 3000k and you're moving too far away from the traditional light color you're used to.

2. CRI; color rendering index. Many LED's now are up to 93+ CRI which is great. They used to be terrible. The lower the CRI the more grey and less vibrant everything around you will look.

3. Lumens; I tend to look for lumens per watt. On a 13 watt Feit LED spot light you get about 770. The CRI is 93+. They say it's a 75 watt equivalent. I tend to put these in places where I want great light. My coffee station. Where my mother in law sews or knits. Spotting a favorite item. I had one over the stove but my wife complained. This and the 90 Watt equivalent spot are my favorite lightbulbs currently. Albeit for specific purposes.


DO NOT buy 5000k "daylight" lightbulbs. They look terrible indoors and will make you hate yourself. They are good for the garage.


Just a plug for the FEIT bulbs at costco; they are really great as far as CRI and watts/lumen. I like them over the Cree bulbs right now. Better performance, light quality and CRI.

I hope this helps!
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by clutchied »

BlueEars wrote:
hand wrote:Possibly more important than bulb color in many applications is the bulb's Color Rendering Index (CRI).
An incandescent bulb has a CRI of 100, typical low cost LED is 80 or below CRI, but for a modest upcharge higher quality LED can be found with 92+ CRI.

For interior lighting, I've been pleased with 92 CRI where 80 CRI was unacceptable.
The led bulbs I recently bought are 2700 and appear cool compared to the incandescent floods they are meant to replace. There is no CRI on the box. Where does one look for a high CRI bulb? Home Depot?
costco has a ton of 93+ CRI led's. FEIT bulbs. They are extremely nice.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by exoilman »

reference
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by BlueEars »

clutchied wrote:...
Just a plug for the FEIT bulbs at costco; they are really great as far as CRI and watts/lumen. I like them over the Cree bulbs right now. Better performance, light quality and CRI.
...
I did not know about CRI until this thread. The Feit Flood bulbs I bought at ACE have no CRI printed on the package. For us they can only be used in certain areas as the colors are bad in some areas of our house using these bulbs.

I called Feit up and those ACE floods are only CRI = 82. We're not Costco members but apparently one can buy the CRI=93 bulbs at Amazon and Home Depot. The ones I'm referring to are coded: BR30/927/LED
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by clutchied »

BlueEars wrote:
clutchied wrote:...
Just a plug for the FEIT bulbs at costco; they are really great as far as CRI and watts/lumen. I like them over the Cree bulbs right now. Better performance, light quality and CRI.
...
I did not know about CRI until this thread. The Feit Flood bulbs I bought at ACE have no CRI printed on the package. For us they can only be used in certain areas as the colors are bad in some areas of our house using these bulbs.

I called Feit up and those ACE floods are only CRI = 82. We're not Costco members but apparently one can buy the CRI=93 bulbs at Amazon and Home Depot. The ones I'm referring to are coded: BR30/927/LED
Yeah so my costco works w/ the local utility and offers instant rebates. Those bulbs are $4/each right now $8 for the 2 pack.

I've gone nuts over the last 2 weeks and bought close to $300 worth of bulbs.

As a general rule if there is no CRI on the box I don't buy them. I generally won't buy anything under 92+

http://www.feit.com/led-lamps/enhance_l ... 0l-930-led. I think these are what I get at costco $6-$7/per


good luck, but be aware amazon over prices their LED's significantly.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by barnaclebob »

Good thing this thread came up today because I had installed some LED fixtures that were way too white and made our kitchen look like an operating room. After following the instructions on the following link and using 1/4 CTO sheets I no longer cringe when the lights get turned on:

http://www.diyphotography.net/ikea-hack ... aphy-gels/

Glad my house now consumes about 300 watts less now that the halogen lights are replaced.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by BlueEars »

clutchied wrote:...
good luck, but be aware amazon over prices their LED's significantly.
Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G5 ... ailpages00
About $7.50 per bulb for 4 pack.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by acanthurus »

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Old versus New

Post by daveatca »

The "traditional" way of buying light bulbs.
  • Look at wattage. Buy. Higher meant more light.
We ignored: life and lumens. They were on the package, but we just did not care as every brand was the same.
We ignored: brand and price. All were so close. After all, they were the culmination of 100+ years of manufacturing expertise.
We ignored "dimmable" as they all were.
There was no warranty. After all, they cost a buck.

The new way of buying LED light bulbs.
  • Lumens - The amount of light being emitted. But, sometimes, the vendors use candelas. Annoying as what we want to know is: is it bright enough? So, 800 lumens is similar to the old 60-watt incandescent bulb. 1100 lumens = 75-watt. 1600 lumens = 100-watt. Look at this number first.
    Color temperature - measured in degrees Kelvin. 2700K is similar to old incandescent bulbs and is considered warm white. 3000K is a tad whiter/cooler and was found in most halogen bulbs. Anything hotter is really harsh. Look at this number second.
    CRI (Color Rendering Index) - How faithful is the color. Higher is better. HIgher usually costs more. For "regular" bulbs, above 90 is very good.
    Life - Big change from the old 1,000 hours to 20,000+ hours. They are all lying about the hours, but more is usually better.
    Wattage - Around 20% of an equivalent incandescent bulb. This number does not matter unless you plan to run the light 24x7. A light bulb that consumes 5 more watts and is on for 4 hours each day will cost an additional $1/year.
    Energy Star - Your tax dollars at work. This is good as it means there is a bit less lying about the performance.
    Warranty - Something we care about now as the price of bulbs is way more than a buck. You have to be anal retentive to collect on the warranty and you hope the manufacturer stays in business.
    Price - varies dramatically. Is Home Depot having a sale? Or is Lowe's or Ace? Is your utility subsidizing the cost? Are you paying more for a certain brand name? Yes, you are a Boglehead, but focus on the first 3 attributes because you will probably live with your decision for 20 years.
    Dimmable - either it is or not. May be critical or not.
You can spend many hours researching light bulbs. Some of us are nerd engineers as we love to dig into the details and read Wikipedia. But, you don't have to.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by sk.dolcevita »

Very timely post. I ordered 6 globe LED bulbs for bathroom vanity from Walmart yesterday (Walmart's Good Value LED line). I did not know about CRI when I did this. Well, these bulbs have a temperature of 2700K and CRI of 82. I guess I should cancel the order. :oops:
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Life is complicated

Post by daveatca »

sk.dolcevita wrote:ordered 6 globe LED bulbs for bathroom vanity from Walmart...did not know about CRI when I did this. Well, these bulbs have a temperature of 2700K and CRI of 82.
You may find this useful
https://www.earthled.com/collections/hi ... d-lighting
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by Toons »

I just counted ,,,,36 led bulbs in the house,,,,,whoops ,
forgot 2 outside 38. :happy
I gradually switched over all the bulbs in the house,,chandelier lights included.
I purchase Walmart Brand,lowes and Ge.
The prices are dropping fast.
Yes I am leaving lights on longer and I have noticed less electricity being used(without going into all the math). :happy
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by amd2135 »

I agree with other posters that the Costco Feit bulbs are a reasonable balance of price and color quality. The light is a bit "off" compared to my older Philips L-Prize bulbs though.

I do have my doubts about their quality. Feit has never been known to make the longest lasting products. They also have a bit of 120Hz flicker- enough that I only use them in bathrooms. I would probably get a headache from using them in living areas.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by 123 »

There are a number of "gotcha's" when dealing with LED bulbs. Early-on I decided that a soft-white color temperature of 2700 would work best for our classic style home since that temperature is a good match for incandescent, it makes the transition less jarring.

Dimable LEDs tend to be more expensive. But if the light switch includes dimming that's the easiest way to go. It didn't take us long to adjust to the way that LEDs do dimming. At least with our dimmers they don't "dim" on the way. They dim most of the way and then they just go off suddenly. Initially that bothered us but now we're used to it.

The size of LEDs makes a difference in some fixtures. Size A19 seems the same as classic incandescent bulbs, Size A21 is somewhat bigger (but the screw threads into the socket are the same). We have some ceiling fixtures where only A19 will fit. If we try to use A21 they will not fit in the fixture because the bulb diameter is too large and interferes with the fixture itself. Generally you can get up to the old 60 watt equivalent LED in A19. If you're looking for an equivalent 75 watt or larger LED you'll likely find it comes in A21. I've got one 3-bulb overhead living room fixture that I'm still running from a stockpile of old 100 watt incandescents because I haven't found a 100 watt equivalent LED in A19 size yet. I have seen some 75 watt in A19 so I may have to settle for those if my old bulb stockpile runs out before 100 watt becomes available in A19.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by BTDT »

It's not over until the fat lady sings :oops: :

All Hail The New Incandescent Light Bulb, Efficient As An LED Bulb
Incandescent light is more pleasing, but LEDs waste less energy. One day you might not have to choose.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3055440/all- ... n-led-bulb
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by Allixi »

I bought some dimmable LEDs a few months ago; my only complaint is that they buzz VERY loudly unless the dimmer is turned up to the max.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by cherijoh »

tadamsmar wrote:Being a Boglehead, I bought the cheapest LED light bulbs and installed them in our master bath over the mirror over the double sink.

I now look like the walking dead.

My wife (unaware of the changed bulbs) started putting on more make-up like she was prepping for her viewing at a funeral parlor.

I figure lots of Bogleheads may do the same thing.

Not sure how to balance price vs quality with these new-fangled bulbs.
Thanks for the chuckle! :D
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by dbr »

Allixi wrote:I bought some dimmable LEDs a few months ago; my only complaint is that they buzz VERY loudly unless the dimmer is turned up to the max.
Should not be. Have you checked that you are using a dimmer that is compatible with those bulbs. If it was a pre-existing dimmer there is an excellent chance it is not an updated model designed for the bulbs you are using.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by Allixi »

dbr wrote:
Allixi wrote:I bought some dimmable LEDs a few months ago; my only complaint is that they buzz VERY loudly unless the dimmer is turned up to the max.
Should not be. Have you checked that you are using a dimmer that is compatible with those bulbs. If it was a pre-existing dimmer there is an excellent chance it is not an updated model designed for the bulbs you are using.
Probably; I used them to replace some dimmable incandescent bulbs. I'm not too comfortable doing electrical work but maybe I'll try figuring that out and replacing the dimmer.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by mrc »

nisiprius wrote:Pay attention to color temperature (and color rendering index). I've been thrilled with the LED bulbs I've bought--first Philips when they cost like $30, then Utilitech (Lowe's house brand) then Cree when prices really started dropping. All around 2700°K color temperature. I haven't paid a lot of attention but I find the LEDs we've bought to be considerably better than the best CFL's, and probably "just as good as" incandescent.
Exactly our experience. The 2700-3000K (soft white) from Cree and Phillips 100W and 60W eq. have been great. Some are dimable. They don't get more yellow on dimming. A little less romantic in the DR chandelier. But they put out a lot of light, good color rendering, and we don't look green in the mirror. These have come a long way in the last couple years. These LEDs are head and shoulders above any CF we tried.
Last edited by mrc on Fri Feb 05, 2016 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by JLJL »

exoilman wrote:reference
+1 thanks guys
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by 69chevy »

Costco has a great deal on 10pack of 60w equivalent LED bulbs that are 5000k (daylight) for only $20!
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by takeshi »

nisiprius wrote:Pay attention to color temperature (and color rendering index).
^ This.

For reference and, IIRC, incandescents have a CRI of 100.

As for color temp here's a simplified guide:
"Soft White" 2700K - 3000K
"Bright/Cool White" 3500K - 4100K
"Daylight" 5000K - 6000K (surface temp of the sun is ~5800K, IIRC)
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Re: Old versus New

Post by batpot »

daveatca wrote: The new way of buying LED light bulbs.
  • Lumens - The amount of light being emitted. But, sometimes, the vendors use candelas. Annoying as what we want to know is: is it bright enough? So, 800 lumens is similar to the old 60-watt incandescent bulb. 1100 lumens = 75-watt. 1600 lumens = 100-watt. Look at this number first.
    Color temperature - measured in degrees Kelvin. 2700K is similar to old incandescent bulbs and is considered warm white. 3000K is a tad whiter/cooler and was found in most halogen bulbs. Anything hotter is really harsh. Look at this number second.
    CRI (Color Rendering Index) - How faithful is the color. Higher is better. HIgher usually costs more. For "regular" bulbs, above 90 is very good.
    Life - Big change from the old 1,000 hours to 20,000+ hours. They are all lying about the hours, but more is usually better.
    Wattage - Around 20% of an equivalent incandescent bulb. This number does not matter unless you plan to run the light 24x7. A light bulb that consumes 5 more watts and is on for 4 hours each day will cost an additional $1/year.
    Energy Star - Your tax dollars at work. This is good as it means there is a bit less lying about the performance.
    Warranty - Something we care about now as the price of bulbs is way more than a buck. You have to be anal retentive to collect on the warranty and you hope the manufacturer stays in business.
    Price - varies dramatically. Is Home Depot having a sale? Or is Lowe's or Ace? Is your utility subsidizing the cost? Are you paying more for a certain brand name? Yes, you are a Boglehead, but focus on the first 3 attributes because you will probably live with your decision for 20 years.
    Dimmable - either it is or not. May be critical or not.
You can spend many hours researching light bulbs. Some of us are nerd engineers as we love to dig into the details and read Wikipedia. But, you don't have to.
Great post, but I will add my $0.02 to the lumens and wattage:
I have found an "60W equivalent" bulbs will range from ~8W to ~11W (from memory), and the 8W ones appeared too dim.
For this reason, I would encourage buying the highest wattage LED bulb you can find that is the right incandescent wattage equivalency.
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A new way of thinking

Post by daveatca »

batpot wrote:I have found an "60W equivalent" bulbs will range from ~8W to ~11W (from memory), and the 8W ones appeared too dim.
For this reason, I would encourage buying the highest wattage LED bulb you can find that is the right incandescent wattage equivalency.
1. You have to purge "xx Watt equivalent" from your brain.
You have to start with: I need a xxx lumen bulb.

I know it is painful because:
we have many years of buying by the watt
and
the manufacturers make "xx Watt equivalent" the LARGEST words on the packaging

2. You are correct for "60 watt" :
a. 9 watts, 800 lumens http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QATT5L0
b. 9.8 watt, 800 lumens http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KDZGBM8
c. 8.0 watt, 800 lumens http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143925WY
d. 7 watt, 500 lumens https://www.earthled.com/collections/a1 ... dm-500-led
e. 11 watts, 815 lumens https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/17296 ... 27OMB.html
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by dbr »

I don't know if it is still true but there may be a distinction between bulbs designed for enclosed fixtures and those not enclosed.
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batpot
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Re: A new way of thinking

Post by batpot »

daveatca wrote:
batpot wrote:I have found an "60W equivalent" bulbs will range from ~8W to ~11W (from memory), and the 8W ones appeared too dim.
For this reason, I would encourage buying the highest wattage LED bulb you can find that is the right incandescent wattage equivalency.
1. You have to purge "xx Watt equivalent" from your brain.
You have to start with: I need a xxx lumen bulb.

I know it is painful because:
we have many years of buying by the watt
and
the manufacturers make "xx Watt equivalent" the LARGEST words on the packaging

2. You are correct for "60 watt" :
a. 9 watts, 800 lumens http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QATT5L0
b. 9.8 watt, 800 lumens http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KDZGBM8
c. 8.0 watt, 800 lumens http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143925WY
d. 7 watt, 500 lumens https://www.earthled.com/collections/a1 ... dm-500-led
e. 11 watts, 815 lumens https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/17296 ... 27OMB.html
My point is this: I think you will find that the 8 watt 800 lumen bulb is nowhere near as bright as the 9.8 watt, 800 lumen bulb.
As you said w/ regards to life, they also lie about how they measure "a lumen".
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FuyuKei
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by FuyuKei »

Had the same problem. Bought a bunch of cheap energy saving bulbs at Home Depot and everything looks horrible.

But the worst part of it is the lights take about 5 minutes to really turn on. When you hit the switch it's almost like nothing has happened. They verrrry slowly become brighter.

Thought about replacing them but we're probably going to move before too long...so kind of oh well about it.
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by likegarden »

We are behind the times, have no LED bulbs, have no problems.
dbr
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Re: The Coming Boglehead Zombie Apocalypse (LED bulbs)

Post by dbr »

FuyuKei wrote:Had the same problem. Bought a bunch of cheap energy saving bulbs at Home Depot and everything looks horrible.

But the worst part of it is the lights take about 5 minutes to really turn on. When you hit the switch it's almost like nothing has happened. They verrrry slowly become brighter.

Thought about replacing them but we're probably going to move before too long...so kind of oh well about it.
Those would be CFLs not LEDs.
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