Replacing sodium dawn to dusk with led

[jcummins]

I don't like the harsh white light of LED lighting. I'm curious how long all this consumer LED lighting will last?

Kind of off topic. I was seeing a thing on RFI from LED auxiliary vehicle lighting, that was causing trouble with mobile radios. Why would LED lighting require drivers that work in the RF spectrum?

Early LEDs had a color temp 5000+...don't like that. But they've changed. Offerings now most common 3000 and 4000. I like the 4000 hue. I'm slowly switch most of my lights to that hue.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I have switched nearly all my house lighting to LED in the 4000K to 5000K color temp range. We can see better and less kWh usage. Only one bulb has failed in the past two years.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I worked with LEDs in the 70s. I don't understand why it took that long to use them for lighting.

When I see those CFLs, I am embarrassed! That was a sad phase away from the Edison bulb!

 

[dragoneggs]

For whatever reason I seemed to miss the CFL phase. Went from incandescent and fluorescent lighting to LED. I haven't had any issues with LEDs other than cheapo xmas lighting. I blame my wife for that but we seem to just keep adding to that collection and a bunch of extension cords too!

 

[LD1]

I am a little surprised with those that want to hang on to the old tech heat producing lights vs. moving to LEDs. I admit I don't have experience with the particular ones in question, but the high wattage LED bank lighting I have used is impressive. The heat produced means less energy is being converted to light.

Because HPS isnt really what I would consider "old tech heat producing". Its not like comparing an old incandescent to a LED. The 10k lumens of the LED light this thread is talking about....only uses 20% less power than the HPS. (only reducing heat by 20%)

Or in other words...the HPS only uses 25% more power and makes only 25% more heat than the LED, Which isnt a whole lot all things considered.

I have switched nearly all my house lighting to LED in the 4000K to 5000K color temp range. We can see better and less kWh usage. Only one bulb has failed in the past two years.

Same here. Whole house is an assortment of 5k LED's. Some Cree, some osram, some phillips. Took awhile to find a higher lumen (60w replacement) bulb with 5k temp in a candelabra base. Couldn't find one 4 years ago when I made the switch.

Has been 4 years now, 9 LED's in the basement, 28 main floor, 2 outside porch lights, and 2 in the garage door openers. So 41 or so total. Only had 1 quit so far.

I worked with LEDs in the 70s. I don't understand why it took that long to use them for lighting.

Gov't wanting to push the CFL garbage on us

 

[Diggin It]

I don't mind the bright, bright white in homes or yards, but I hate the purple white coming at me on a dark road. Thankfully I almost never drive after dark any moire, but I see it all too often in broad daylight and it still blinds and distracts me.

 

[JerryK]

I like the 6000K color temp, sort of like normal daylight. A lot of folks like the yellower bands. Especially women that like the yellow warmth of 3500K, plus it is more romantic, makes their skin look nicer, etc. We have been using filament like bulbs forever, rubbing sticks together to make fire, and generals living/being accustomed with the old yeller glow at night for many many moons. But me, mark me down for 6000K... bright white, not blue ... light that my old eyes like when I am actually trying to see something.

 

[TheMan419]

We have motion sensor LED's at various places around the outside of the barn. That bright white looks like day time out light cannot be beat The HPS light is just not the same. They are also instant on regardless of the outside temperature. Not sure what brand they are as the electrician put them in. But they are way better than the old technology they replaced.

 

[bigtiller]

How long will HPS lights last?
I think my electrician told me 20 years ago he installed a 250 watt HPS lamp on pole 23' off the ground.
It sure lights up the place, especially with a little snow on the ground and a full moon.

 

[oosik]

My big 'ol yard light went up October - 1982 and still does its thing every night. Thirty six years and still going strong on the same fixture - same bulb. If it EVER burns out - - ya know, I'll be replacing it with the exact same thing. It's a high pressure sodium(HPS).

 

[Diggin It]

36 years of 250 watts all night?


Not me.

 

[radios1]

I like the 6000K color temp, sort of like normal daylight. A lot of folks like the yellower bands. Especially women that like the yellow warmth of 3500K, plus it is more romantic, makes their skin look nicer, etc. We have been using filament like bulbs forever, rubbing sticks together to make fire, and generals living/being accustomed with the old yeller glow at night for many many moons. But me, mark me down for 6000K... bright white, not blue ... light that my old eyes like when I am actually trying to see something.

when was the last time you had a piece of white paper outside in the sun, and it looked blue?. 6000K has a blue tint, similar to SKYLIGHT, not SUNLIGHT.. a "bright white or natural white" at 3500K has equal amounts of red, green, and blue, and if you hold a white paper to them, it looks perfectly white!.. if the sun ever had a blue tint to it, be scared, be very scared!..

 

[dragoneggs]

My big 'ol yard light went up October - 1982 and still does its thing every night. Thirty six years and still going strong on the same fixture - same bulb. If it EVER burns out - - ya know, I'll be replacing it with the exact same thing. It's a high pressure sodium(HPS).

No issue here... to each his own. True enough, HPS is an efficient form of lighting. You might want to buy it soon and put it in reserve.

I Wonder when the guberment is going to start banning these for environmental reasons (ala incandescents) and you will have to pay to get rid of it?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Are you still paying Ma Bell for a Black Rotary (500) set? Or maybe a little more for a color version? lol

 

[ovrszd]

I think in discussions like these price should be mandatory.

If it's okay to tout kw savings then shouldn't cost be required??? Cause ain't money what we are talking about? So if I say I replaced my kitchen bulb with LED which uses a lot less electricity shouldn't I have to tell you what I paid for that bulb????

The LED folks never, ever want to divulge that information. Why is that?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Actually, I was at a friends, and he had a wack of 100watt (I think) bulbs. Apparently, using some (Gov) coupon, he got them for free, or even made money, from home depot.

That stuff is changing so quickly, that I think, no one wants to get caught with old inventory.

Of course, the cost discussion is meaningless unless you know the actual life of the bulb.

 

[oosik]

No - Industrial Toys - years ago I decided to save the dollars and I did away with a home phone totally. Total bliss - no aggravating phone calls. If I need to communicate I go out in the yard and beat two large rocks together - you should try it some time - ha, ha, ha.

 

[jcummins]

Had a discussion today about this light today with a relative. He said it's probably the sensor, not the light itself, having had to replace the sensor on one they had.

Having said that...these things are difficult to service. I'm going to have and use a man lift of sorts in conjunction with my FEL to get to it....it's up there. When I get up there I want to fix it...not test the sensor...and it's one reason I've just replacing it. Plus the color hue...it's appealing for me to get rid of the yellow cast. AFTER I get it down and do some testing, I may very well install in a different area of the yard, if I determine it still functional enough. Based upon when this house was build...I'd bet this light has been up there for 20 years. So they do a pretty good job in reality.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Pick the right ones and you will even get light, for those night time long distance calls!

 

[Industrial Toys]

I do have a high pressure sodium yard light, but it is on a switch and I only use it very seldom. When the wooden post gets replaced with a metal one in the next few years, I will update the light technology, but not for cost of operation, but for the convenience of instant on when you need it.

It always amazes me when people throw out perfectly good stuff, spending their hard earned money on stuff that is seldom used.