Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

xiphias
xiphias Solar Expert Posts: 52 ✭✭✭✭
in Energy Use & Conservation #1
I have 6 recessed 6" cans on two dimmer switches (3 on each switch). Looking for R30 LED floods that have similar lumens and color temperature to the standard 65W incandescents that are there now.

This is a heavily-used room. I have heard mixed reviews on the dimmable CFLs regarding dimmability, hum, etc.

Have rummaged around the web but not found too much.

Any leads would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Comments

  • n3qik
    n3qik Solar Expert Posts: 741 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    The ones you will find may be not as bright as you want and will cost $$$$$. I would hold off a year or two as LED lighting is still growing and there will be better and cheaper LEDs soon.
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  • xiphias
    xiphias Solar Expert Posts: 52 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    I've run the numbers and the $$$ don't bother me. Mostly, it's matching the output and color temp.

    These
    http://www.ledtronics.com/ds/r30-123/
    have good color temp, but way low lumens.

    These
    http://www.lsgc.com/products/lamps/r30/
    appear to be for commercial applications.

    Others worth looking at? Thanks.
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  • lamplight
    lamplight Solar Expert Posts: 368 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    not sure if it would fit:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/PAR38-LED-CREE-Equivalent-14w-WHITE-850-LUMENS-Bulb-AC_W0QQitemZ190202991318QQihZ009QQcategoryZ20706QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

    if you end up with CFL's some are clearly labelled as dimmable, just be sure to use those
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  • xiphias
    xiphias Solar Expert Posts: 52 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    Don't think it'll fit. Also not dimmable and looks like enclosed housing is a no-no. Same with the other offerings at that site.

    Might have to wait a while....

    Thanks.
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  • Telco
    Telco Solar Expert Posts: 201 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    While you are waiting on an LED option, try running just the regular coily CFLs in your can light housings. I switched from incandescent can light bulbss to the CFL can light bulbs (looked just like the incandescents, with the coily CFL inside) and didn't much care for them. They ran hot, didn't last long, and took 5 minutes to warm up to full brightness (pretty nice at 5AM, sucked the rest of the day) but they did save the power.

    When one burned out when I didn't have a replacement I decided to try a regular CFL in its place, and the one bulb provided almost as much light as the other 5 can styles did. I switched out all the can style CFLs for regular CFLs, then wound up removing 3 of them because the kitchen was too bright with all 6 on. The regular CFLs are smaller wattage units than the can lights were, and running half of them means even less power used with plenty of light. The CFLs I use are the whiter light ones, not the yellowish or bluish light ones. If I had white paint on the walls instead of the drab dirt-like tan brown the stupid contractor painted in all the houses in my Nazi McMansion Wonderland (stupid high cost HOA controlled neighborhood) I'd only need 2 of the bulbs. The house would be less depressing inside too.
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  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    I have bought some other LED lamps from this place but not any of the R-30's. I wish they would say what LED's are in them.

    http://www.1000bulbs.com/LED-PAR-Lights/
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI
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  • lamplight
    lamplight Solar Expert Posts: 368 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    more exciting news:
    http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/nanocrystal-coating-led-lightbulbs.php

    300 lumens per watt breakthrough in leds, soon my friends soon
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  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    I can't imagine they will be out soon. I saw a Cree 100w die in early Feb mounted in a standard med base socket. Soul also had a 100w chip. They were running about 100 lumens per watt, which beats most everything else making light right now with the possible exception of arc (HID) or sodium lights, both with really slow start times.
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI
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  • xiphias
    xiphias Solar Expert Posts: 52 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    Had an energy audit the other day, and received (free!) six (6) GE 15W dimmable R30 CFLs. Initial performance results are quite good. Much better than I would have thought. The auditor preferred these to other recent brands they have carried, e.g., Sylvania.

    Anticipated energy reduction around 500-550 kWh/yr. Nice!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #11
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    Don't know if you have A/C where you live--but even in my neck of the woods (average highs around 80), the CFL's really help keep our home much cooler in summer.

    I even managed to jam some into our bedroom ceiling fans--Could not understand why manufacturers would design ceiling fans that used 4x60 watt bulbs which ended up being a 240 watt heater just exactly when you wanted cool air movement in the summer.

    And got some for my In-Laws for their place in Taipei Taiwan years ago, and it really helped lower their air conditioning bill/usage too. Originally, they had large light fixtures with 4-6 full size 60-100 watt bulbs in almost every room. In the winter, I found that ~200 watts (TV and a couple lights) was more than enough to keep our bedroom nice and warm without central heat being on.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • PhilS
    PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods
    BB. wrote: »
    --Could not understand why manufacturers would design ceiling fans that used 4x60 watt bulbs which ended up being a 240 watt heater just exactly when you wanted cool air movement in the summer.
    -Bill

    Not quite as drastic, but our new Kenmore fridge came with "enhanced lighting". Nobody could tell me what exactly that was before I ordered.

    TWO 40 watt lights in the fridge and a 25 watt in the freezer! Sure, the lights aren't on a lot, but I did a lot of research and also got a lot of help here to find the most solar-friendly unit, so it seemed counterintuitive to have 80 watts of heat in the box I'm using solar power to keep cold.

    I got three of these for less than $23 ($5 of which was shipping): http://superbrightleds.com/specs/e27-w8.htm

    They don't generate any heat and look kinda 'cool' too. I had noticed some of the high-end reefers came with LED lighting but those all had energy star ratings WAY higher than my panels could support.

    I guess I've enhanced my enhanced lighting.

    Phil
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  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Looking for LED option to replace indoor floods

    Phil we changed all three of ours as well with the same LED lamps. They are really nice, much better opening the fridge in the middle of the night ;)
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI
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