Household LED disappointment

Household LED disappointment

Author
Discussion

contractor

Original Poster:

919 posts

184 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
I've tried quite a few different LEDs for the house via ebay and have generally been pretty disappointed. My experience has been:

G9s tend to be too white, even the softer ones are a lot harsher than halogens. Dimmer too compared to 42w
ses E14 candles tend to be dull and too white
MR11 seem to be peachy in colour and a bit dim for the kitchen

All seem OK if you want white as white can be but they just seem to be too harsh

Are my expectatiions too high, or is ebay just for cheap Chinese ones? Are there any decent ones out there?

Advice appreciated thx.

DanGPR

988 posts

170 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Stop buying cheapo LED lamps.
And too white means you got cool white, try warm white for a more yellow tinge similar to standard lamps.

8-P

2,756 posts

259 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Buy from somewhere like ledhut.co.uk rather than ebay

Im a picky fcker and Ive replaced my entire house, gu10s, candles, normal bayonet jobs the lot. Im happy with them all so they must be alright, I hate it too dim, too white, not white enough you name it

8-P

2,756 posts

259 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Just noticed they get paid via that click too, very good ph

Orchid1

877 posts

107 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Philips LED bulbs are pretty good also believe it or not if you go to Ikea they should have a display of all their LED bulbs so you can see what kind of light they give off.

The_Burg

4,845 posts

213 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Has anyone else tried the Pound Shop ones, oddly enough for £1.
Bought a few to try in the kitchen. Have to admit the work fine. Bit ugly but as long as the backs are hidden by the light fitting so what?

350w consumption down to 7w and light seems fine. Well worth it for £7.

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Orchid1 said:
Philips LED bulbs are pretty good also believe it or not if you go to Ikea they should have a display of all their LED bulbs so you can see what kind of light they give off.
Can't go wrong with Philips in our house, warm White dimmable just hit the spot and they're always on offer every few weeks at b&q

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
G9/MR11's are too small for current LED driver tech, most you'll be looking at is about a 20w equivalent. GU10's quite accomplished but as said there's decent and there's cheap.

Murph7355

37,648 posts

255 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Can't go wrong with Philips in our house, warm White dimmable just hit the spot and they're always on offer every few weeks at b&q
Agree with this. I have some 4.5W and 5.5W jobs and they're great.

contractor said:
...
G9s tend to be too white, even the softer ones are a lot harsher than halogens. Dimmer too compared to 42w
...
Totally agree - really want to find some decent G9s but having tried 3 different types, all are too white (despite saying they are the same colour temp as the Philips - 2700K).

If anyone has found any that match the warmth of halogens, please post up.

gmaz

4,382 posts

209 months

Monday 1st February 2016
quotequote all
Murph7355 said:
Totally agree - really want to find some decent G9s but having tried 3 different types, all are too white (despite saying they are the same colour temp as the Philips - 2700K).

If anyone has found any that match the warmth of halogens, please post up.
I've used these and am happy with them. To my eyes they are identical to the 40w halogens they replaced.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0122N6ONE?psc=...

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
gmaz said:
I've used these and am happy with them. To my eyes they are identical to the 40w halogens they replaced.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0122N6ONE?psc=...
Random question, are the plugs a reasonably tight fit? I ply ak as the ones I've tried are fairly loose and fall out occasionally.

oilydan

2,030 posts

270 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
I bought a load of LED for my kitchen, looking to reduce power consumption from the 16 x 50W halogens to 16 x 5W LEDs.

All they did was flicker and flash.

Apparently something to do with the transformers? Can anyone shed any light? ('scuse the pun!)

ATG

20,480 posts

271 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
oilydan said:
I bought a load of LED for my kitchen, looking to reduce power consumption from the 16 x 50W halogens to 16 x 5W LEDs.

All they did was flicker and flash.

Apparently something to do with the transformers? Can anyone shed any light? ('scuse the pun!)
This won't be very helpful, but the fundamental problem is that you can easily run incandescent bulbs on high voltage A/C supplies which are also efficient for distributing power over a reasonable distance, but LEDs need to run on low voltage DC. This makes them fundamentally badly suited to be made backwardly compatible with conventional light bulbs and their circuits. Each LED bulb ends up with its own integrated voltage regulator, or you have to install a voltage regulator for a run of LED bulbs. Old style dimmer switches are particularly bad news. I'm sure in years to come we'll develop some better standards for low power DC lighting circuits, bit for the time being we're stuck trying to run gas turbines on charcoal.

AB

16,969 posts

194 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
oilydan said:
I bought a load of LED for my kitchen, looking to reduce power consumption from the 16 x 50W halogens to 16 x 5W LEDs.

All they did was flicker and flash.

Apparently something to do with the transformers? Can anyone shed any light? ('scuse the pun!)
A bit more effort but you want to be getting rid of the transformers and replacing your MR16 halogens with GU10 LED.

bigfoot7

340 posts

243 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
Agree with the above. Remove the transformers and replace with some GU10 fly-leads. I bought some 7w LEDs from CPC Farnell and they're amazing. They are 4000k so nice natural light and should save money in the long run.

karona

1,918 posts

185 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
Some disturbing videos on the 'tube about cheap LED lamps, exposed live contacts, volt-drop resisters that get stupid hot etc. It seems you definitely get what you pay for.

Murph7355

37,648 posts

255 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
gmaz said:
I've used these and am happy with them. To my eyes they are identical to the 40w halogens they replaced.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0122N6ONE?psc=...
I don't suppose you have any photos of them on? (Pref. alongside a halogen one)?


Vron

2,528 posts

208 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
ATG said:
oilydan said:
I bought a load of LED for my kitchen, looking to reduce power consumption from the 16 x 50W halogens to 16 x 5W LEDs.

All they did was flicker and flash.

Apparently something to do with the transformers? Can anyone shed any light? ('scuse the pun!)
This won't be very helpful, but the fundamental problem is that you can easily run incandescent bulbs on high voltage A/C supplies which are also efficient for distributing power over a reasonable distance, but LEDs need to run on low voltage DC. This makes them fundamentally badly suited to be made backwardly compatible with conventional light bulbs and their circuits. Each LED bulb ends up with its own integrated voltage regulator, or you have to install a voltage regulator for a run of LED bulbs. Old style dimmer switches are particularly bad news. I'm sure in years to come we'll develop some better standards for low power DC lighting circuits, bit for the time being we're stuck trying to run gas turbines on charcoal.
I've got this problem. 56 led down lights on various 'banks' of varilight dimmer switches on a grid plate. They are infinitely adjustable. When you switch one bank on another bank flicks off then on, they also flick on and off completely by themselves. I've had the (smartarse because he worked in Dubai so he knows EVERYTHING) electrician back several times and he just gives me some excuse that I havent 'set' them properly! I just want to switch them on and off I'm not even bothered about the dimming!

These aren't cheap Chinese either. The bulbs are £7 each.

JulianHJ

8,733 posts

261 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
If you're happy to replace the fittings, I can recommend www.ecoledlight.co.uk . I bought 28 ZEP 1s via PH-er E36GUY who works for the company. They are much better than any retrofit replacement I've tried so far.

weeboot

1,063 posts

98 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2016
quotequote all
8-P said:
Just noticed they get paid via that click too, very good ph
No, Haymarket get paid, skimlinks..