CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

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fine-tune
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CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by fine-tune »

My eyeglasses are very expensive because the prescription is complex. The lense includes
a prism. Many years ago eyeglasses with prisms looked and felt horrible because the lense
was thick and heavy. Modern (and costly) plastic lenses are remarkably thin and the prism
is not visible.

In my house I've always used Bright White CFLs. With plenty of bright lighting I can do most
everything without eyeglasses. As you all know, CFLs are rapidly vanishing from brick and
mortar home centers. They're almost gone from the web too. I must transition to LED bulbs.

Obviously, I want to buy Bright White LED bulbs. Several manufacturers are selling "Natural
Bright White" LED bulbs. Here is a good deal on eBay for 10 Natural Bright White LED bulbs.
9w = 75w equivalent.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-LED-Light-B ... SwInxXMCpB

Before I start buying, is a Natural Bright White LED bulb similar to a Bright White CFL?

Unlike most people who insist on soft white bulbs, I really need those extra "bright white"
bulbs. My home is the only place on earth where I can walk safely without eyeglasses. That's
why I must buy LED bulbs similar to Bright White CFLs.
sghioto
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by sghioto »

Depends on the light appearance number. If they are the same then the color should be similar. The ones on Ebay you mentioned are listed as 4000-4500K which is commonly called "natural white", 5000K are usually listed as "bright white".

Steve G
fine-tune
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by fine-tune »

Yes, you're correct sghioto.

Because Soft White CFLs were manufactured in huge quantities they were cheap. Bright White
CFLs were always more expensive.

That low eBay price for 10 "Natural Bright White" LED bulbs was too good to be true. If I want
Bright White LED bulbs they are going to cost more.

I realize CFLs are being discontinued because they contain mercury. I should have purchased
a truck load of Bright White CFLs a couple of years ago!
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haklesup
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by haklesup »

yes, you probably want 4000k or 5000k bulbs but even those are not all equal. If the prism in the eyeglass makes you sensitive to uneven spectral lighting, you might need to do some experimenting, I doubt you can get what you want based on spec alone. Some of these bulbs mix several LED of different light colors and others are more pure. Since the light is made in a semiconductor, it tends to be less broad spectrum as incandescent.

What you probably want to look for is a bulb with high CRI (Color Rendering Index) I think you might like the Cree bulbs over the Walmart or Home depot 10 pack cheaper bulbs. Some brands do publish the spectrum on their websites and more rarely on the packaging. http://creebulb.com/ , http://creebulb.com/media/document/file ... t_0716.pdf

While CFL are going out of style, you can still get other types of fluorescent fixtures.
solar3000
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by solar3000 »

super duper bright leds sells LEDs by color. Natural white is easier on your eyes and its white enough. Warm white emulates Edison bulbs. Cool white is what you are thinking. its a little on the blue side. That looks the brightest, but its also a little bit uncomfortable for some people.

In the bathroom, I use cool white so I can see all the details. In the living room I use Natural White. In the bedroom, I use the warm light because blue and white light wakes you up. In my car's dome cabin light, I use red LEDs because I'm weird and creepy.
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Lenp
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by Lenp »

The color of light from lamps, incandescent, cfl, led all should have a CRI number. (Color Rendering Index). This can be critical if color matching is important.
Here's Wikipedia's take on the matter if you want all the details https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_rendering_index
And specifically, towards LED's is http://www.eaglelight.com/category/ligh ... ing_index/

I hope this sheds some 'light' on the matter!
Len

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a big pile of junk.” (T. Edison)
"I must be on the way to success since I already have the junk". (Me)
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Ronaldlees
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by Ronaldlees »

We were holdouts on CFL. Never bought them. But, with regular bulbs being taken off the shelf, we relinquished and purchased LED "bulbs". After awhile, my eyes began to hurt in the evening. I found on the internet some article saying that the narrow spectrum light was not particularly good for the eyes.

So, what my wife and I decided to do is put a low wattage regular bulb in each room, to supplement the LEDs. So, our power consumption is not exorbitant relative to lighting, but my eyes don't hurt (as much).

BTW: nice forum.

- Ron
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haklesup
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by haklesup »

Try other brands and other color temperatures too, they are not all equal especially with respect to phosphor coatings that help to spread the spectrum.

.
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dacflyer
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by dacflyer »

i went to home depot last night to try and get some more of their store brand CFL's i have had great luck with them, and they last a long time..
i was going to get a few boxes but to my shock n horror they do not carry them any more WTF ! i asked about them, and they said they were being phased out for LEDS.. but i can't see buying them, they are still crazy priced.. but yet they still sell incandescent / halogen bulbs.. go figure..
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haklesup
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by haklesup »

LED Bulbs are $2 to $7. Sure its more than Incandescent but not unreasonable considering they last longer than both (CFL break easy and the ballast often burned out) In the 4 to 10 pack (1.66 ea or $3.75 for dimmable, 60W equiv), I wouldn't call that Crazy priced. That was when they were over $15 each a few years ago. CFLs have mercury, that probably fostered a faster phase out than incandescent which are required in some applications (appliance, oven, easy bake etc.) Also some sensor switches don't like LED and you may be forced back to incandescent until you can change the switch. For halogens, you often need to change the whole fixture, so their bulbs would be grandfathered. I'll agree though that 100 W equiv and anything with a candelabra base are still pricey.
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Externet
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by Externet »

Last week found $1 - 9W- 800 lumen - (60W equivalent) LED bulbs at a "Dollar tree" store, single packs. Got a few. At that price, seems the reluctance to buy them is gone. Brand is Sunbeam, model 30414613.

Look like ----> http://limagehomeproducts.com/en/a19-le ... s-30414613

So manufacturing cost is around $0.55
- Abolish the deciBel ! -
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MrAl
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by MrAl »

Hi,

The thing about LED bulbs and CFL bulbs is that they have some color variance.
This means it is best to try one model and if you like it stick with it, and if not go to another model.

A guide would be that 5000k bulbs are like natural light, and 6000k bulbs are a bit more blueish, but you never know if you like the slight blueishness or not until you try it because it renders some scenes better.

I like something similar to 5000k for cooking because it renders the meat color better, but i like closer to 6000k for electronic work because it seems to light up the subject matter better.

So dont be afraid to experiment a little by buying one bulb first and see if you like it. Dont buy it if it does not have the color temperature rating though, make sure it has that, so you know which way to go from there.

Also, if you have that much trouble seeing things then you really should go with the 100 watt equivalents not 60 or 75. They use a little more energy but it's worth it.
LEDs vs Bulbs, LEDs are winning.
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Lenp
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by Lenp »

Indeed there are variations, and if you go back two weeks later, the big box store may not be selling the same product.
Yes, there may be an 'equivalent' product on the shelf but there can be differences due to production times or the manufacturer. I once bought some prefinished shelving, then a few weeks later needed a couple of extra shelves...They changed vendors and gone were the wood grain shelves, and in was black and white.
I suggest if you really like it, get a 'lifetime' supply as soon as possible. That's why I buy storage boxes and wire shelving units to store all those things, I will never use! :sad:
Len

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a big pile of junk.” (T. Edison)
"I must be on the way to success since I already have the junk". (Me)
vision
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by vision »

CFL bulbs use 25%-35% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Residential LED's can use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.
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haklesup
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Re: CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs

Post by haklesup »

"and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting"

Remember how the light bulb cartel colluded to have a maximum lifetime of 1000 hrs by design so we had to replace bulbs at a predictable rate. If that spec had not existed, who knows how long bulbs could have lasted. I've heard about bulbs that predate that cartel lasting to the present, the centennial bulb now boasts 1 million hours lit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel, http://www.centennialbulb.org/
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