Christian and Beccy

iTrader: (14)

We have a house full of GU10 downlighters.

Infact, we have 10 of the little bastards in our bathroom. A year or so ago I changed all the 35w bulbs for Megaman 11w ones, but, despite them being about the best CFL's on the market, they take too long to warm up. This is tolerable in the bathroom, but no use in any other room in all honesty.

So, where is this all heading? Once these halogen bulbs become obsolete I mean and/or as a GOOD low energy alternative. What are people expected to use?

I've been looking at GX53's, are these a better alternative?

tabetha

LED is where it's at, instantaneous light the colour of your choice(so long as made) not even 1% of the energy used by a CFL bulb, and far less than a std one.
www.dealextreme.com sell loads of things led wise, just ordered a few for here, the normal white led is quite "cold" looking so try to get warm white, can be used with dimmers as well.
tabetha

mackers

Dont go LED yet, they havent been developed enough yet and are crap. They dont give off enough light yet. There isn`t really much choice at the minute, one thing the wholesalers had the other day was a fitting similar size of a GU10 but it takes a mini, 11watt i think BC low energy lamp. The good thing is that lamp can be obtained with instant light up, no warm up time.

rstdave

iTrader: (3)

There's a new range that they've got in the wholesalers down here at the moment on demo, Led's which until now i've steered well clear of! But these come with their own built in ballast pack so not the usual 'replacement' lamp, and i had to admit they were the brightest whitest led downlighters i've seen yet......the downsize was the nigh on £100 pricetag though (each)! If you're interested i could have a look next time and find out the make etc so you could have a look. They will go down in price but they're still in the development stage really imo. Oh and these were whole fittings not just replacement lamps

RSGARETHW

iTrader: (3)

I recommend for your bathroom 1000w metal halide floodlight mounted on a corner bracket in the room.. the downside is there maybe a slight warm up time plus running costs may be higher.. on the upside, it will dry you instantly and you won't need a holiday this year for that golden tan.... cheers gaz

daveandhelenturbo

iTrader: (1)

pmsl

trust gaz!!!!

joe s

iTrader: (16)

LED's are about 2 years off. You cant 2-way switch them due to them working with the slightest voltage present, they're not dimmable and the fact they dont direct/flood the light as well as a halogen down light. I have heard of a bloke who has nearly got an LED to the same luminaire as a 40w bulb!!

james kiely

iTrader: (5)

i put a lutron dimming system in my new housecost 5k plus and now they want to ban the fookin standard bulbs,aaarghhh


cheers james

Christian and Beccy

iTrader: (14)

Shite, sounds like there is no decent answer yet.

When you want to walk from one end your hall to the other, or pop into the kitchen to get a drink, the last thing you want is to have to stand there for 2-3 mins waiting for the lights to warm up.

The Megaman bulbs are supposed to be the fastest CFL's, but with 10 of them, 11w each, in a bathroom that is 4 metres long by just under 2 metres wide, the light level is pathetic for the first 60 seconds after switching on.

RSGARETHW

iTrader: (3)

I've given you a decent answer christian, the halide is the way forward..you could always leave them on constantly.. failing that you could have a torch on standby.. or maybe pleasure yourself for a few brief moments whilst waiting for them to warm up...if u need any more advice then don't hesitate to pm me....

Christian and Beccy

iTrader: (14)

Fuck off you noob.

Cragrat

iTrader: (4)

Have found omnicron do a decent low energy lamp very wide range warm reasonably quick and can do dimmable units
As said leds are a way off atmo so am reccomending customers replace existing tugsten lamps with l/e units atmo till leds are cheaper/better

Nath

Previously had 50w GU's in and now have 5w LED and there fine. There above the reception area at work so it needs to be pretty good.

Paid £16.50 for the led and the new holder. 30k hours life and 5W. Not sure how the £16.50 compares, but I'll be shopping around before I buy a few more hundred or so that are needed.

Changed most of the R64's, GLS, ES, BC, etc to megaman. There expensive but I've been assured there the best out there so time will tell.

Tried halogen in other places and apart from been 3/4 times more in cost and supposedly double the life. I wasn't impressed at all. Not only that but going from 40w to 28w wasn't the saving we were looking for for this wonderful new tax for next year

rstdave

iTrader: (3)

Lol you must have a few quid spare, my boss had to do a weeks course in london just to be allowed access to the software/codes etc! House it all went into was fookin looovely!! Clever stuff

tabetha

I've never heard so much bollocks about what LED's can't do on here in my life.
An led as bright as a 240 volt 40 watt bulb, what a joke, get real, I have a SSC P7-C led here, that is as bright as a 100 watt bulb.
FIY a 40 watt is 430 lumens, the P7 led is 900, but there are led/s that are in excess of 20,000, and military experimental ones massively brighter.
The beauty of led is there is no waste(heat), the OLD problems of led's were as stated, this hasn't been the case for years.
Admittedly household bulb, led replacements are lagging way behind, but it most certainly is NOT due to thier inability, it is due to the manufacturers trying to resist, most led's last well in excess of 100,000 hrs, and are a LOT more robust, so replacement sales of blown ones will be non existent.
LED's as said are VERY sensitive to voltage, and current(amperage), but this is what makes them so easy to dim, this is the reason why you get multiple illumination modes on torches.
http://fonarevka.lux-rc.com
has loads of test shots of led's have a look through, some are shit, some are awsome beyond belief, have a look at
Stasikoff 3 MC-E, the menu of different ones is on the right of the page, need to drag it.
In case this link does not work you can use www.dealextreme.com then look under forums, flashlights, for the Russian beam shots.
tabetha

daz_mk2

I have a lutron system dimming LEDs

Cragrat

iTrader: (4)

not denying the are as bright bud just that they are too bloody expensive too install in a house atmo,was quoted £67+vat for an adjustable (£45+vat for fixed) 9w led fitting compare that to a low energy lamp or for arguments sake low voltage,if you have a lot to fit in a house it doesnt work out worthwhile to spend thousands to only save a couple hundred each year which is why i am advising at the moment to sit and wait for cost to lower as i say i agree they are as bright its just a cost issue.