The definitive low-energy GU10 lighting thread
Discussion
Chaps,
We have a number of GU10 halogen bulbs in zcacogp-towers. And some of them are used a lot. The kitchen has four lighting circuits, one of which comprises six 50w GU10s, which are on a lot of the time. That's 300w ... assume they are on for 4 hours a day, that's 1.2kWH = 436 kWH / year. At 12p a unit for electricity (and it may be more now), that's £52 a year to run the things.
Bad piccie here:
Low energy bulbs would seem to be the solution. Question is, which ones to choose? There seem to be four fundamentally different types, as follows. (I have listed as much as I can tell about each option, with an idea of how long it will take to recoup the purchase price - this is about saving money, after all.)
1. CFL. Like this:
Megaman seem to be the biggest brand, and opinion is very divided on whether they are any good or not. Here is a long discussion between people who love them and people who slate them. These claim to be 440lux, are 11w and cost £8.50p each. Comes out at £11.56p/year to run my 6 lights. Payback in around a year and 3 months.
2. Multiple small LEDs, like this:
A fiver from toolstation and I've tried them - the light output is minimal and the quality of light is very cold. No lumen listed, but they claim to use (approx) 1.8 watts. Not really an option for us, but annual cost is a mere £1.90p, paying back in around 7 months.
3. Fewer, brighter LED's. Like this:
Claimed to be 200 or 240lm (presumably lumens), and come in at nine quid from Toolstation. 5.4 watts, 35000 hour working life. Annual cost £5.67p, paying back in around 14 months.
These appear to be the branded (Sylvania) equivalent, and have different specs again - 1200cd (whatever that is), cost twice as much and are 3.5w for 15000 hours of life (annual cost £3.67p, paying back in 2 yrs 4 months or so). By comparison a poor option, but I am guessing the previous ones may well be a bit hit-and-miss quality-wise. (Still, if they have a half-decent warranty then they may yet be the better choice.)
For comparison there is a Halolite one here as well. 4w, £19, 180lumens, 30000 hour life. Annual cost £4.20p, payback in just under 2 1/2 years.
4. Very bright, possibly single LED. Like this:
3w, £10, not much more detail from toolstation. Annual cost £3.15p, payback in a year and a couple of months.
5. Even more expensive, 3-LED thing, like this:
Available here, they cost a whopping £50 each, and claim to be 3x3w (so presumably 9w, giving an annual cost of £9.46p, payback in 7 years.)
So, that's the background. The question is obvious and simple - which one is the best bet? They vary hugely in output and price. On a simple cost analysis the multiple-LED ones are the clear choice, but I've tried one of these and the light output is woeful. Finding comparable facts (and figures) about each one is not that simple, and I simply don't know which to choose.
Opinions (and particularly ones backed up by experience) welcomed - thanks.
Oli.
We have a number of GU10 halogen bulbs in zcacogp-towers. And some of them are used a lot. The kitchen has four lighting circuits, one of which comprises six 50w GU10s, which are on a lot of the time. That's 300w ... assume they are on for 4 hours a day, that's 1.2kWH = 436 kWH / year. At 12p a unit for electricity (and it may be more now), that's £52 a year to run the things.
Bad piccie here:
Low energy bulbs would seem to be the solution. Question is, which ones to choose? There seem to be four fundamentally different types, as follows. (I have listed as much as I can tell about each option, with an idea of how long it will take to recoup the purchase price - this is about saving money, after all.)
1. CFL. Like this:
Megaman seem to be the biggest brand, and opinion is very divided on whether they are any good or not. Here is a long discussion between people who love them and people who slate them. These claim to be 440lux, are 11w and cost £8.50p each. Comes out at £11.56p/year to run my 6 lights. Payback in around a year and 3 months.
2. Multiple small LEDs, like this:
A fiver from toolstation and I've tried them - the light output is minimal and the quality of light is very cold. No lumen listed, but they claim to use (approx) 1.8 watts. Not really an option for us, but annual cost is a mere £1.90p, paying back in around 7 months.
3. Fewer, brighter LED's. Like this:
Claimed to be 200 or 240lm (presumably lumens), and come in at nine quid from Toolstation. 5.4 watts, 35000 hour working life. Annual cost £5.67p, paying back in around 14 months.
These appear to be the branded (Sylvania) equivalent, and have different specs again - 1200cd (whatever that is), cost twice as much and are 3.5w for 15000 hours of life (annual cost £3.67p, paying back in 2 yrs 4 months or so). By comparison a poor option, but I am guessing the previous ones may well be a bit hit-and-miss quality-wise. (Still, if they have a half-decent warranty then they may yet be the better choice.)
For comparison there is a Halolite one here as well. 4w, £19, 180lumens, 30000 hour life. Annual cost £4.20p, payback in just under 2 1/2 years.
4. Very bright, possibly single LED. Like this:
3w, £10, not much more detail from toolstation. Annual cost £3.15p, payback in a year and a couple of months.
5. Even more expensive, 3-LED thing, like this:
Available here, they cost a whopping £50 each, and claim to be 3x3w (so presumably 9w, giving an annual cost of £9.46p, payback in 7 years.)
So, that's the background. The question is obvious and simple - which one is the best bet? They vary hugely in output and price. On a simple cost analysis the multiple-LED ones are the clear choice, but I've tried one of these and the light output is woeful. Finding comparable facts (and figures) about each one is not that simple, and I simply don't know which to choose.
Opinions (and particularly ones backed up by experience) welcomed - thanks.
Oli.
Badgerade,
Yes, I know that shop is run by E36GUY - I didn't want to say in my post but you have saved me the dilemma - thanks.
I guess my reluctance to identify him comes from the fact that the bulbs he sells seem to be such a poor bet (on paper) compared with the competition, and I don't want to appear to be dismissive of him. The question is how much better they possibly can be for such a massively much higher price (and higher power consumption as well.)
Oli.
Yes, I know that shop is run by E36GUY - I didn't want to say in my post but you have saved me the dilemma - thanks.
I guess my reluctance to identify him comes from the fact that the bulbs he sells seem to be such a poor bet (on paper) compared with the competition, and I don't want to appear to be dismissive of him. The question is how much better they possibly can be for such a massively much higher price (and higher power consumption as well.)
Oli.
Rex - thanks. Codes would be good.
Dave, thanks also. I may try that.
Bored S2upid - there are actually 14 (three strings of 6, 4 and 4 respectively. The last string isn't visible in that picture. There is also a single CFL bayonet-fit lamp over the table - also not visible in the picture.) Why so many? Because we use the kitchen a lot and enjoy cooking, and the quality of lighting is key to this. I designed the lighting when I built the kitchen and it works very, very well indeed - just a bit heavy on the 'ol leccy bills! A mix could be a good idea, but the most-used string is the ones 'round the outside (which are on in the picture), as they are over the worksurfaces. We only very occasionally turn on the four in a square pattern in the middle. On this basis, I'd probably start by changing the six around the outside, and maybe leave the four in the centre for a while.
Oli.
ETA: R2R - You've updated it, but are right - they are 240v.
Dave, thanks also. I may try that.
Bored S2upid - there are actually 14 (three strings of 6, 4 and 4 respectively. The last string isn't visible in that picture. There is also a single CFL bayonet-fit lamp over the table - also not visible in the picture.) Why so many? Because we use the kitchen a lot and enjoy cooking, and the quality of lighting is key to this. I designed the lighting when I built the kitchen and it works very, very well indeed - just a bit heavy on the 'ol leccy bills! A mix could be a good idea, but the most-used string is the ones 'round the outside (which are on in the picture), as they are over the worksurfaces. We only very occasionally turn on the four in a square pattern in the middle. On this basis, I'd probably start by changing the six around the outside, and maybe leave the four in the centre for a while.
Oli.
ETA: R2R - You've updated it, but are right - they are 240v.
E36GUY,
Thanks for your reply. I was hoping you would see this thread. Thanks for not getting the wrong end of the stick from my post; it wasn't intended to be critical of you, but I am aware it could have been read as such.
The ZEP1 seems to be a monster. That's a chunky 'ol heatsink on the back of it (I've seen cylinder heads with smaller fins!) How big is it, and how big a cut-out does it need in the ceiling? Do you need to put fire hoods behind them? And how is the wire terminated - I notice that dirty boy has already asked about fitting, but I presume the feed to it is a pretty regular 240v thing? Do I need a transformer for it (they won't be on a dimmer circuit)?
And, OK then, can you PM me some prices? For 6, initially ... in fact, I'll PM you to get the conversation going.
Thanks again for your input on this thread.
Oli.
Thanks for your reply. I was hoping you would see this thread. Thanks for not getting the wrong end of the stick from my post; it wasn't intended to be critical of you, but I am aware it could have been read as such.
The ZEP1 seems to be a monster. That's a chunky 'ol heatsink on the back of it (I've seen cylinder heads with smaller fins!) How big is it, and how big a cut-out does it need in the ceiling? Do you need to put fire hoods behind them? And how is the wire terminated - I notice that dirty boy has already asked about fitting, but I presume the feed to it is a pretty regular 240v thing? Do I need a transformer for it (they won't be on a dimmer circuit)?
And, OK then, can you PM me some prices? For 6, initially ... in fact, I'll PM you to get the conversation going.
Thanks again for your input on this thread.
Oli.
Good thread resurrection - I'm the OP and was wondering whether to bring it back from the dead the other day.
I noticed that toolstation had an offer on LED replacement GU10 bulbs. Lots of different models available, for between £8 and £20 each. I bought one of each, took them home and fitted one in each light position in the kitchen.
Several of them were very good. One of them stood out as being softer and warmer in light than the rest (and the Mrs particularly liked it) - that was the Phillips Ecoled 4W. So I took the rest of them back and ordered another 10 of the Phillips. Not cheap at £10 each, but going down from 50W each to 4W each I reckon they'll pay for themselves within 18months in energy savings.
We're very pleased with them indeed. The light is imperceptibly different from the halogens they replaced; I fitted the new bulbs without telling the Mrs and she didn't notice the difference at all. I guess this is the highest compliment I can give them; you simply don't notice any difference between them and the outgoing Halogens.
Oli.
I noticed that toolstation had an offer on LED replacement GU10 bulbs. Lots of different models available, for between £8 and £20 each. I bought one of each, took them home and fitted one in each light position in the kitchen.
Several of them were very good. One of them stood out as being softer and warmer in light than the rest (and the Mrs particularly liked it) - that was the Phillips Ecoled 4W. So I took the rest of them back and ordered another 10 of the Phillips. Not cheap at £10 each, but going down from 50W each to 4W each I reckon they'll pay for themselves within 18months in energy savings.
We're very pleased with them indeed. The light is imperceptibly different from the halogens they replaced; I fitted the new bulbs without telling the Mrs and she didn't notice the difference at all. I guess this is the highest compliment I can give them; you simply don't notice any difference between them and the outgoing Halogens.
Oli.
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