12/26/2007 12:26:24 AM
What stores sell LED bulbs? Circuit City? I was thinking about buying one or two.
12/26/2007 6:27:01 PM
12/26/2007 7:22:39 PM
^cfl's save you 20-30% over the life of the bulb, not including the post-life costs (disposal and waste, which are MUCH higher over time, and would be noticeably larger if everyone switched)LED's save you 50-80% over the life of the bulb NOW, and even more as volume increases and prices lower. They also produce much cleaner light and are better on the eyes. They can be used in more conditions, indoor and out, and last MUCH longer in lights that are constantly turned on and off.Not only that, but CFL's also produce a LOT of heat, which in warmer climates will raise your cooling bills in the summer noticeably.
12/26/2007 8:02:19 PM
I don't know what the exact term is, but LED lights don't seem to "spread" like incandescents, and i've never seen one that I thought was suitable for regular lighting. Even LED flashlights, despite a cleaner and seemingly brighter (when looking directly at it) light seem inferior to plain, ol' incandescent flashlights to me.
12/26/2007 8:35:12 PM
its called directional or point lights.versus traditional bulbs and cfl's that are omnidirectional.You can now get LED lights that are omnidirectional and are direct replacements for 15-70w incandescent bulbshttp://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchDetail.asp?productID=11880&ta=detail_img&pi=Y&st=3That one produces (im told) right at 600 lumens output and is fully omnidirectional.The real shit thing about LED bulbs still is the wild-west nature of the industry. The money is in industrial applications, so there havent been many US companies who have put the effort into a consumer Edison-socket bulb.The key differences between CFL and LED are:Pro's for LED:Cleaner light (aka NO UV)5-10 times the lifespan of the bulb (10k hours versus 50-100k)Fully analog dimmableNo life shortening for turning lights on and offNo heat outputThey fail gracefullyServiceable (once a bulb does run out, replacing the diodes is a fraction of the total bulb cost)Pros for CFL:Cheaper up front.
12/27/2007 2:18:27 AM