Diversion 2.0 : Lightbulbs

[bluecoupe30!]

So, is it just me, or is anyone else frustrated by the wide range of lightbulbs that are needed to produce light around our homes. I mean there are A19s, PAR38s, LED upgrades, new thinner fouorescents, squiggly bulbs with pin connectors, plus many others. New wattage ratings....and so on. All these new bulbs with the inflated prices, promise to last SO much longer and SAVE so much $$$, but they still fail. Am I alone? Does anyone else struggle at the "Wall of bulbs" at the home improvement store? Bulbs and batteries, I wish I had invested years ago.

 

[Arde]

I was frustrated when we built a spec house here in California. The code required all new construction to use low energy bulbs, and to make sure nobody cheats and uses incandescents the sockets are deliberately incompatible. Else builders would install low energy and replace with incandescents after passing inspection. But then there are many socket types and white light colors so we were constantly going to the store replacing bulbs. I think the power savings are real.

 

[jmackro]

I think the power savings are real.

Oh, I'm sure the power savings are real. And I haven't had problems with LED bulbs failing.

One thing it took me a while to figure out: LED bulbs' color temperature rating. LED bulbs rated at 2700K give off light similar in color to old-time incandescent bulbs. But they're a little harder to find; my local supermarket just carries the 6000K bulbs, which have a color similar to fluorescent tubes. The 6000K's might be OK for garages and laundry rooms, but make living spaces feel sort of institutional.

 

[Gransin]

Maybe everyone knows the importance of this, but for anything LED inside the house, make sure it's a high CRI 90+ bulb/light. I usually don't buy anything under 92, and try hard to find those rated 97. My eyes bleed everytime I go somewhere they use cheap LEDs (CRI 70-80) that gives dull and washed out colors.
I run almost everything at 2700K, bathroom is at 3500K.
The LEDs in the kitchen goes colder when dimming up, and warmer when dimming down - perfect.
There still no substitute for the four big 100W dimmable reflector incandescent bulbs I have hanging over the kitchen table, but hopefully sometime in the future.

 

[Arde]

There is no substitute to Edison filament incandescents, well candles and a crystal cup of Merlot may be a good substitute if you need ambiance...

There still no substitute for the four big 100W dimmable reflector incandescent bulbs I have hanging over the kitchen table, but hopefully sometime in the future.

 

[jmackro]

Maybe everyone knows the importance of this, but for anything LED inside the house, make sure it's a high CRI 90+ bulb/light.

I had never heard of CRI, so thanks for pointing this out. I had naively thought that the color temperature in degrees kelvin was all there was to it. But after researching CRI, I learned that:

Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the measurement of how colors look under a light source when compared with sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, with a perfect 100 indicating that colors under the light source appear the same as they would under natural sunlight. Typically, light sources with a CRI of 80 to 90 are regarded as good and those with a CRI of 90+ are excellent! The general rule is: The higher the CRI, the better the color rendering capacity. CRI is independent of color temperature. These are two different things.

 

[Gransin]

There is no substitute to Edison filament incandescents, well candles and a crystal cup of Merlot may be a good substitute if you need ambiance...

I totally agree, but LED lighting have come a long way over the last couple of years. The price is of course very high when you go for the top of the line LEDs, so there's no way to justify it by pointing towards electricity costs, and in some applications there's just no way of replacing the filament incandescents - yet.

I don't know how difficult it is for you to get the real deal filament incandescents bulbs 'over there', but here it's getting real difficult at least for the higher wattage versions - I've had to ship in from international sellers on Ebay. This has forced me in the direction of LEDs, and as long as they have high or very high CRI - I've been pretty pleased with them as replacements.

I had never heard of CRI, so thanks for pointing this out. I had naively thought that the color temperature in degrees kelvin was all there was to it. But after researching CRI, I learned that: Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the measurement of how colors look under a light source when compared with sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, with a perfect 100 indicating that colors under the light source appear the same as they would under natural sunlight. Typically, light sources with a CRI of 80 to 90 are regarded as good and those with a CRI of 90+ are excellent! The general rule is: The higher the CRI, the better the color rendering capacity. CRI is independent of color temperature. These are two different things.

Yes, but I don't agree with what you quoted in your post, in my opinion with LEDs, anything under CRI 90 you will be able to easily notice dull and washed out colors, CRI 90-95 is good, CRI 97 is close to excellent.

And a general rule - if a LED bulb/light doesn't list the CRI - it's a crappy LED.

 

[Bmachine]

Color Rendering Index (CRI)

On the iPhone you can select those words and then choose Lookup from the options that appear (right next to Copy). It then offers several links including one to Wikipedia for more info.

 

[bluecoupe30!]

Wow, what an education gentlemen. I am on my way to approach "the wall of lightbulbs" at my local home improvement centre now, but with much more confidence, and actual, interest!