The 25 year dimmable 6w LED lightbulb comes to the US- $49

[Ichingcarpenter]

Lemnis Lighting said that its Pharox60 LED light is now available in the U.S. online and soon will be for sale on Amazon. The dimmable bulb, shaped like a traditional incandescent bulb, consumes 6 watts of power and can replace a 60-watt bulb.

That dramatic drop in electricity use comes at the cost of $39.95. The premium can be recouped in three years, or as little as one year for consumers with time-of-day pricing tariffs, according to the company. The current price is a special offer; the bulb will cost $49.95 after the beginning of next year.

"Compared to the entry price for solar panels, we feel this is a more accessible energy saving investment," said Warner Philips, founder of the Netherlands-based company whose great-grandfather founded the Dutch lighting giant Philips.


http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/products/336-six-watt-dimmable-led-bulb-comes-to-us

[imdjh]

1. I'll believe it when I f'in see it. Seriously, none of the "long life" bulbs seem to last.

And lately I have been going through the incandescents like crazy. The three ways go fastest.

I swear, I'm going to replace all the ceiling fixtures with bare hanging bulbs I can replace without climbing.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. I have two LED bulbs where I live but they are not dimmable

They put out a better light than the fluorescent replacement for incandescent I think.


You can't even buy incandescent bulbs where I live

[ingac70]

3. I had one of those "long life" bulbs catch fire.

Do not leave them on when you aren't home.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. LEDs won't do that

So don't change the subject and use scare tactics.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wroberts189]

9. Catch fire !? What kind of bulbs? cfls? nt

[ingac70]

31. Yes, a cfls.

DO NOT leave them on unattended.

[wroberts189]

34. thanks for the heads up... nt

[NYC_SKP]

4. You can believe it every time you pass a traffic light, pedestrian signal, truck lights on the hwy..

LEDs have been used there for years and years precisely because of their durability and longevity.

You are right about 3-way bulbs and some CFLs.

LEDs are the future and the future in now.

[imdjh]

5. I always wondered why we use so much wattage to light real houses.

I lived in a travel trailer for a couple of summers and those low wattage DC bulbs put out plenty of light, and never burned out. Seriously, I never replaced a single one of them.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Low voltage DC rocks. More efficient and you can run anything with it.

The boating and RV industries supply any number of appliances that run on it.

I know of some really efficient homes running 12VDC throughout, including LED lighting.

There even used to be full size incandescents for 12VDC, they look just the same but screw in counterclockwise.

[mopinko]

21. i want pv and dc wiring. computers would run so much better.

one of the hardest things on computers is cooling the power converters. it would be so much better to just use the dc from your pv without the waste of converting to ac.

[OKIsItJustMe]

19. OK, so all types of bulbs are going fast. "The three ways go fastest"

When you say "ceiling fixtures" are you talking about recessed lighting (where heat builds up?) Are they enclosed fixtures? (If so, not all CFL's are rated for use in enclosed fixtures.)

(It sounds like your bulbs may be overheating.)

Or, perhaps you have dirty current.

[imdjh]

25. Dirty current? This is the weirdest house I have ever lived in.

And that's saying something, when you consider that I have lived in some very old houses. This house is only 70 years old, but once, when the power went out, only half of the power went out and it wasn't because of fuses. Apparently there are two power lines running into the house? Anyway, when you call Florida Power outage line, and you talk to the automated operator, one of the things she asks is if the power is off in every room and outlet.

When I went to put an outlet in the bathroom light switch, it wouldn't work. An electrician told me that was because it's not a "hot switch", it's a switch that breaks the ground not the hot wire. So I recharge my shaver in the dining room.

[OKIsItJustMe]

27. Oh my!

I think you’ve identified your problem. (It’s not the bulbs.)

If I were you, I’d seriously consider rewiring the whole house.

[Wilms]

28. "...it's not a "hot switch, it's a switch that breaks the ground...""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is potentially REALLY dangerous.

[conscious evolution]

35. I agree with OK

Sounds like you have wiring that is very old and not up to current codes.Most electrical wiring and equipment has a 50 year lifespan.And that is with ideal conditions.If you still have an edison model 1 system it is in serious need of replacement.

[lapfog_1]

10. Cool beans.

Unfortunately, I replaces all incandescents with CFLs about 18 months ago. So far, they work great and no burn outs. So I will wait to switch to LEDs... maybe the price will come down in another couple of years.

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. The dimming technology for the new bulbs is the breakthrough

you can get LED bulbs without that possibility right now and cheaper.

I like the ability to dim a bulb to your main lighting source in a room
because it makes it cozy depending on what you are doing, plus it saves energy.

[pnorman]

11. I have a tiny pocket sized LED flashlight, that's rated at 6w, and runs on 3 AAA batteries.

It's about the BRIGHTEST flashlight that I have ever owned, and lasts for a very long time on those batteries. I've accidentally left it on in my pocket for quite a while, and had noticed no appreciable heat build up. It isn't quite the same as these domestic lamps, so common sense caution is indicated. But i'm quite impressed as it is, and expect even better in the future.

pnorman

[Lochloosa]

13. And no mecury.

As an electrician, estimator and project manager, I have been seeing the technology being used more and more. I'll be replacing all of my lamps in the house. Three year pay off is nothing. LED's just don't burn out.

[formercia]

14. Arsenic

LEDs use an alloy of Gallium and Arsenic. In a fire, the Arsenic could pose a hazard.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. The pressure treated wood in most homes have 10,000 times the amount of arsenic

than a LED bulb.... if you have a fire that would be the real hazard vs some bulbs.....

Pressure treated wood is and was used on decks, bottom plates, some wall plates and beams in most homes. It even seeps out from the wood

[conscious evolution]

36. In a fire

fire is the bigger hazard.And smoke is a hazard with or without the arsenic.

[wuvuj]

15. CFLs are OK...

kilowatt hours > 1 kW·h = 1000 W·h


* a regular bulb uses 60W per hour

* a 60W equivalent CFL uses 13W per hour


* a 24 pack of 60W incandescent can be found for $.60 each

* a 3 pack of 13W (60W equiv) CLFs can be found for $1.50 each (Aldi's)


A typical cost for electricity is around $.10 per kilowatt hour


Using a 60W bulb for 1000 hours costs ~$6.00

Using a 13W CFL for 1000 hours costs ~$1.30


So...using a 60W bulb for 1000 hours costs around $6.60

and using the 13W CFL for 1000 hours costs around $2.80

And so it follows...that EVEN IF the CFL only last 1000 hours...you are still ahead by $3.80. So don't wonder why they are fazing out incandescents.


Things to consider:

* I know from experience that the CFL bulbs will last 4 to 5 years IF they are on for long periods of time...say overnight each night...say a porch light

* If you want a CFL that puts out light that is like a regular light bulb...you want SOFT WHITE....BRIGHT WHITE will be more like a typical florescent tube light

* Its a good idea to write the date on the base of the bulb...so you know exactly how long they last

* In my experience...even though I only recently started putting dates on them...the CFLs I've used in constant on-off situations usually last maybe 2 years or so.

* I'd buy recognized brands...though they will all be made in China?

* Don't overpay for CFLs

* As far as recycling them...just had 2 bulbs go out...not sure WHAT to do with them.

* I have heard that you can replace the capacitors inside them...which is apparently what goes out most often...though they aren't so easy to get apart...pry.

[Wilms]

24. CFL Disposal

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/index.htm

http://www.greenactionproject.com/compak.html

[OKIsItJustMe]

26. All Home Depot stores accept CFL's for recycling

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/pdf/CFL-RecyclingProgramRevised.pdf

[Wilms]

29. That's right. Though you may embarass a manager informing him.

That happened to me.

He was polite about it once he realized I was correct.

[DCKit]

38. Constant on/off burns out the electrodes.

On the bulbs that are on for long periods, the mercury is slowly absorbed by the glass and THEN it "burns out". In parctice, there's just not enough mercury left to carry the current.

Because I knew that constant, short periods of use burned out the electrodes quickly, I had a fit when CA announced they were arbitrarily banning all incandescents. Until we have inexpensive LEDs, I don't want to HAVE to put a CFL in my closets.

Just an FYI.

BTW, I've got one in my three-light kitchen fixture that's over ten years old. One of the original big/long ones that wouldn't fit anywhere else. One other has burned out once or twice and the third has a bad socket which kills them almost immediately (so I don't put a bulb in there any more).

[jtrockville]

17. Anyone know if this is white light?

[Lochloosa]

20. Short anser. Yes

[jtrockville]

23. Excellent! I will get some of these.

[OneBlueSky]

18. if this is really as advertised, there will be a large demand and the price will drop . . .

significantly over time . . . think I'll wait awhile rather than spend that kind of cash on a single bulb . . .

[mopinko]

22. ok, i just bought 3

i have 3 lights on a dimmer in my bathroom. they are on frequently. i tried the "dimmable" cf's and it is bs. i burn out regular bulbs all the time there. so, we shall see. i know they will be sold for a few bucks once they get popular, but i figure i can afford a few buck to reward innovation.

[starroute]

30. Can you put them all the places you can't put CFLs?

I got really enthusiastic about CFLs after a couple of threads here a few years ago. But then I started ruling out all the places I *couldn't* use them -- the recessed fixture, the enclosed fixtures -- plus places like the bathroom where the light is turned on and off 20 times a day. I wound up with a CFL in one lamp in the corner of my workroom that I keep on all day and nowhere else.

Then I thought that I'd try replacing the halogen floor lamp in my living room with an ordinary two-bulb lamp and use CFL's in it. The store clerk assured me that should work. But the two bulbs were angled past one another in such a way that there was no room to screw in the CFL's, which are just a bit bigger around than incandescents. So I ended up taking the lamp back.

I need an alternative to incandescents that will fit the house I already have -- but so far, I'm still waiting.

[Ichingcarpenter]

32. I live in Europe now and the technology will reach the US soon

Nobody has incandescence here, CFL dimmers bulbs came in 2 year ago I think but LEDs rock on power consumption and quality of light.

[wuvuj]

39. I use CFL's in enclosed glass globes...

...and don't know that there is any issue of overheating...but I only use 13W bulbs.

http://technologyexpert.blogspot.com/2008/12/incandescent-bulb-phase-out-most.html

While many Americans know many of the advantages of compact florescent bulbs, 78% are unaware that standard incandescent bulbs will be phased out beginning in the year 2012.

Some less expensive LED bulbs:

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/item.asp?product=miracle-led-bulb-recessed-light---pair&PIN=83617&GUID=7BB77DBC-9092-460A-AFA6-6455EE9005FC&BC=S&DL=SEH3


Make your own super LED light?

Just use a 6V wall transformer (wallwart) to power it?

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/item.asp?product=100-led-flashlight&PIN=48181&GUID=2F9F927B-2438-411B-8DF1-992FFFCD67B1&DL=IVU2

[kestrel91316]

33. Have they fixed the problem that LED's are bright as hell to look at, but

do not cast usable light to the area around them? They ILLUMINATE very poorly in my experience.

[conscious evolution]

37. The directional type

used in recessed and directional fixtures seem to illuminate fairly well.The ones shaped like traditional bulbs still need some work,imo.I think the difference is because they can use lenses that intensify the light in directional bulbs.

Lowes sells LED bulbs now.Unfortunately they are not that great at providing good illumination.They seem to work best in places like halls or stairways and other places were all you need is enough light to walk through without tripping or falling over something.
One neat feature they have though.They sell a LED bulb that cycles through colors.Its pretty neat, actually.Unfortunately,it is more of a novelty item then a serious lightbulb

[wuvuj]

40. Must be better...

...I used this light camping this summer...

http://petzl.com/us/outdoor/headlamps/tactikka-series/tactikka-plus

...really amazing the amount of light 3 AAA batts can put out...extremely useful..since where you look there is light. Will last 150 hrs on low.

You can buy small flashlights and lanterns out of China that work OK...Walmart, etc

The light is a sort of bluish white...actually easier to distinguish detail than incandescent light.