after doing the LED conversion on my car i bought a pack of LED bulbs from Costco for $20.00 and thought they were expensive, but would save energy. i was right, but wrong about purchasing them without researching first.







do not get Lights of America products. they're super cheap and one of the bulbs stopped working.



then i was hit with the LED craze! to cut to the chase faithofadragon style, i will just say RESEARCH your bulbs before you buy them! These are the ones i bought and highly recommend.





standard bulb replacements



excellent quality. i bought 10, each of them works top notch. good color and bright. you can even use them in your standard base candelabras and produce a comparable amount of lumens. the drawback to these is that they're not waterproof so you can't use them in rain and can't use them in fully enclosed fixtures (overheat).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i01



these are 7-watt bulbs for a good price. they're good but have a yellow tint and have a half-second delay. perfect for the bathroom or halls if you don't want to spend a lot of money on more expensive 9-watt bulbs.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i01



these are candelabra bulbs, but more for bathrooms or lamps. they're clear which give off a glare. the color is pure white. led's are shaped in three triangles which is effective. don't produce a whole lot of lumens compared to a 45W standard, but it does the job.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00



flood light bulbs. i HIGHLY recommend these. they're only 12 watts each (compared to 120 standard) and are just as bright. nice color. good quality. i ordered 6 and all are wonderful. drawback is they're not waterproof, so you need a motion light with covers like this: Zenith Motion Light

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o02_s00_i00



candelabra bulbs. best i've seen. i purchased about 24. they all work wonderfully. good color. bright, although just a hair off standard color. but it's nice if your candelabra has 3 working standard bulbs and 3 missing ones. add these and you'll never have to replace them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o01_s00_i00



kitchen GU10 replacements. took me a LONG time to choose the best one and i think i did. perfect GU10 replacement! great color and comparatively bright.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o05_s00_i00



solar LED motion lights



motion-activated nightlight. SUPERIOR product. good quality, works like a wonder.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o05_s00_i00



you can replace the crummy night light bulbs with this here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o01_s00_i00



this is an outdoor solar motion light for sheds and walkways. it's small, but good quality and works very well. color is a little on the 6500k side but what can you do.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o03_s00_i01



this one is very good. good quality. the solar panel can be positioned outside and the cord is around 8 or 9 feet long. incredibly sensitive and works very well. color is a little on the 6500-ish.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o02_s01_i00



just ordered this one so i haven't tested it yet

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o05_s00_i00



i just finished replacing almost all of the bulbs at home. they are very expensive, but i've watched my electric bill go down incrementally. when i first began, it went down by $20.00/month. i will post a comparison of how much i have saved at the end of next month.

 

random HKC thread is random

 

if i feel something is good i will promote it. if something is really good, i'll post it up here.



i've been waiting for this for years! they will get cheaper, but by then you'll have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on electricity. i'll prove it soon.

 

Halogen is as far from incandescent as I care to go. Some of us care more about the quality of lighting than the cost of lighting - especially when electricity is dirt cheap.

 

You're right it also depends on your budget and needs. It depends on what you're willing to trade-off. None of these are as bright as incandescents, but none of these will ever have to be replaced, they're not a fire hazard, they are not a toxic hazard, and lower bill. Pretty decent trade.



I used halogens or incandescents in separate lamps or candelabras when I need them (which is very rarely). You can do that in workshops or garages too.



I wouldn't put any of these as the main source of light in my library study, but the 9W is very comfortable for dining rooms and the floodlights offer an impressive amount of light. There is minimal glare (more than incandescent) and a lot of shadow with any LED which is why they're not the best bulb for kitchens or bathrooms but I have them installed anyways and don't have big complaints.

 

I prefer the ultra-bright "daylight" bulbs, they just seem to work better for my eyes.



We have 12V under-cabinet LED lighting that I designed and installed when the kitchen was expanded, so far it's been on close to 24/7 for 2 years with no issues.













There's another segment out of frame to the left, and another for the coffee nook.

It's pulling about the same wattage as a regualr night light when only the back strips are on, and is more than enough light to work with at night when the fronts are also on.



It's also a hell of a lot cooler than the florescent "puck" lamps that we had in the coffee nook...

 

We have under-cabinet LEDs in the kitchen also and I think that is THE perfect application for them (when properly implimented)

 

When I bought my house new 7 years ago, it came with light bulbs, they still work, I see no reason to change them out.

 

My house is 100% LED and CCFL. The LED flood bulbs I have are easily as bright as halogen, but cost less to run and don't generate anywhere near as much heat.

 

LEDs will typically last longer than CFLs. Either way you go, you'll save money. It's incredible how much it DOES save. This is EXACTLY what my wife does for a living: manages energy efficiency programs for Power Distributors to help consumers use less electricity so the power companies don't have to pay a premium to borrow from neighboring distributors (which causes them to lose money).



LEDs or CFLS are worth the cost. Pay attention locally, some power distributors team up with Home Depot or Lowe's to provide free light bulbs. Our local power distributor will send you a "gift" package for filling out a survey online which includes 4 free CFLs, efficient shower heads, insulation for hot water heater piping, etc.



Additional insulation, weather stripping, and efficient light bulbs are by far the cheapest and one of the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption in your home.