40 watt candle type bulbs blowing my wire fuses.

[nickblake]

as marvo has said LED are beast CFL take time to warm up , don't buy cheap on ebay tel has given you a link to led hut have a look there yes they maybe expensive but they do come with a 5 year warranty from led hut so if they do fail in this time they will replace them free of charge

 

[nickjaxe]

I will have another look at the led hut...

With the compact fluorescent type am I correct in thinking that most of the energy used is in the inital startup/switch on and that switching on off is wasteful.

 

[Marvo]

No, LED's are far more efficient than CFL's even ignoring the high start current, generally LED's cost less than 50% of compact fluorescents in running costs plus LED's generally have a far higher service life expectancy.

 

[nickjaxe]

even ignoring the high start current

Does that just apply to fluorescents or LEDs as well...if thats the case are they best left switched on rather than on just to find a book for instance?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

The start-up / inrush current has no practical effect on your leccy bill, only on the choice of circuit protection. It might be a high current but it lasts only a tiny fraction of a second, so each start adds perhaps the same energy usage as one second of normal operation.

 

[Marvo]

You get a surge current when you start both LED and CFL lamps, most of the better quality ballast and driver designs limit this current with a soft-start type circuit but as a domestic end user the initial surge current isn't a consideration when making a purchase, it only occurs for a few milliseconds and it's something that would only be taken into account by a designer of a large lighting system.

No, they're not better if left on, the running cost will be much higher and you'll be wasting energy.

**edit** beaten by Lucien. I think he cheats by using more than one finger when typing

 

[nickjaxe]

All becoming clear now....thanks so much guys really appreciated,

Made my mind up...going for all LED after xmas....as they say...seems a no brainer,

Thats 15 candle type and 8 GU10 spots.

 

[nickjaxe]

Ok bought and fitted as a test our first batch of 5 candle type led bulbs....very pleased with them,

I now need 14 GU10 spots...the one I have at the moment are 50w halogen...Am I correct in thinking 4w in LED is the same as out old 50w,

Also I dont know which type of GU10 bulb to order...I see some with many little square LEDs on the face of the bulb and also some bulbs that seem to have around 4 or 6 LEDs on the face of the bulb whats the difference,

I want to get the type beast suited for us...they will be in a kitchen and bathroom so the vivid white sound better...also would like a wide beam,

I wonder does the quality vary much...some quite cheap ones on ebay.

Sorry for so many questions.

Nick.

 

[Marvo]

Ok bought and fitted as a test our first batch of 5 candle type led bulbs....very pleased with them,

Glad you went the LED route, it was money well spent.

I now need 14 GU10 spots...the one I have at the moment are 50w halogen...Am I correct in thinking 4w in LED is the same as out old 50w,

I'm not an expert on domestic lighting but I think you'll be a bit disappointed with the light output of the 4watt. I'd suggest maybe a 6 or 7 watt wuld be a better replacement for a 50w halogen.

Also I dont know which type of GU10 bulb to order...I see some with many little square LEDs on the face of the bulb and also some bulbs that seem to have around 4 or 6 LEDs on the face of the bulb whats the difference,

I want to get the type beast suited for us...they will be in a kitchen and bathroom so the vivid white sound better...also would like a wide beam,

I'm not sure about the best UK brands I'm afraid.

I wonder does the quality vary much...some quite cheap ones on ebay.

Sorry for so many questions.

Nick.

I would suggest you avoid EBay unless you're 100% certain about the product you're buying. You would be better gong to Meteor or LED Hut where they will honour warranties and you can probably get them to demo the lamp before you buy them.

 

[nickjaxe]

So what is the difference between these two...one with many light emiters one with not many.

10x Glass Cover GU10 60 SMD 4W LED Day White Spot Light Bulbs Lamp Spotlight UK | eBay

4W LED Bulbs 10pcs X High Power GU10 Light Warm White Spot Lamp Bright | eBay

 

[telectrix]

generally the LEDs with 3 or 4 spotlight LEDs in them are narrow beam, whereas the SMD ones ( 20 or more yellow LEDs) are a wider beam.

 

[nickjaxe]

Makes sense...thanks.

 

[nickjaxe]

One more question I hope guys.

I have seen GU10 LED 5w 48smd which I think mean it has 48 light segments...I have also seen 6w GU10 LED 60SMD with 60 lighting segments..see links.

Is it just that the one with 60 segment is slightly brighter or is there more to it.

5W 48 SMD GU10 LED Bulbs High Power Warm Day White Light Energy Saving Lamps New | eBay

4x GU10 6W 60SMD LED Bulbs Warm/Day White Light High Power Spot Lamp Glass Cover | eBay

 

[Marvo]

In theory the one with 60 segments will be brighter but the wattage isn't always the best indication of light output. Some of the cheaper LED lamps give less lumens per watt output than the the better brands so you may even find a 5 watt that gives more light than a 6 watt. This was the main reason I previously suggested you went to a shop where you can see the different lamps running side by side. I realise they're cheap but both of those links are no-name/unbranded lamps so you might be buying something that's decidedly second rate in performance and reliability, it's a bit of a lottery where there's a few winners and a lot of losers.

 

[telectrix]

i always advise buying LED lamps/bulbs from a local supplier. far easier to get a faulty one replaced under warranty than ones obtained my mail order.