But this weekend another light in my kitchen blew out. Incandescent spots are cheap, and the light they put out is perfect. The CFL spots? Expensive and shitty light quality, plus I’ve yet to get the lifespan out of a CFL that they promise.
So instead, I spent $180 and bought 6 LED lights.
WOW.
Not only do the casings on these things look better than the contractor grade cans we had, the light is SUPERB. The color is perfect, it’s even a little bit brighter than the 65W incandescent lights we had, and they only use 9.5W. Even after being on for hours on end, you can reach up and touch them – they remain just *slightly* tepid in temperature. This means less waste heat that the AC has to combat for an additional energy savings.
If the longevity of these bulbs work (5 years), then the additional cost is *well* worth it both in energy savings and replacement costs. I’m glad to see LED lighting come down in price somewhat (there are still über-expensive models out there that don’t make financial sense) and I’d be even happier if I could make the decision on my own rather than having the government force me to purchase something I may not want. However, if the LED lights stand up to the test of time, then there would be no need for Uncle Sam to demand I give up incandescents as I’d do it voluntarily.
Comments
We're about to buy cans for our kitchen remodel and I wasn't ready to jump into new tech. Now I'll have to take another look at those.
For what it's worth, I still have the first CFL bulb I ever bought - mainly as a novelty back when they first came out about 10 or so years ago. That bulb has thousands of hours on it and still runs today in a timer-connected living room lamp that stays on 8 hours a day. I paid around $30 for it back then before the race to the bottom started and everybody wanted to make CFLs as cheap as possible. I'm hoping to get a similar life span out of the $40 Philips LED bulbs I've been buying lately.
Time will tell.
I don't know what I'll do when it finally dies.
That said, yeah, the LEDs are looking better and better. Another year, and I'll make the switch.
Next on the list: LED sparkle lights for Christmas decorations that don't have that icy blue tint. I much prefer the candle-warm yellow of incandescents.
Saw the 65 watt-equivalent recessed LED at Home Despot, the same ones you got. Got one, installed it, quite pleased with it. As the CFLs in the ceiling recessed lights fail I'll replace them with the LEDs. Hopefully they'll continue to get cheaper.
If you've got track lighting or recessed lighting, it's not usually necessary to replace the whole fixture - there are LED bulbs for most of those, now. In fact, they're easier to find than the standard screw-in type.
PUT THE YOGHURT DOWN, AND STEP AWAY FROM THE GRANOLA!!
I did notice that the LEDs are not to be used in restrictive enclosures as excessive heat can shorten the life expectancy. The packaging recommends use in open 'lumaires' only. For now the glass is off my light fixtures, leaving the LED bulbs exposed. I will be changing to light fixtures that allow air flow as I renovate.
It surely doesn't: enlightened self-interest is a vastly under-rated (possibly denigrated) force in regulating economic activity.
Here in Oz, one state government is promising to "reduce demand, and prices, for electricity" - and apparently saying it with a straight face.
Sometimes I despair for human-kind.