At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

[mooncliff]

I have been looking for something like this in the US for two years.

I got bulbs like this by Toshiba and Sharp two years ago in Japan. They have been $15 for more than a year when on sale. At a mere 7 watts, I leave one or two on whenever I am out so it looks like someone is home. I have ten of them in my apartment, so when it is dark and rainy, I turn them all on, and the whole apartment is lit up with ten lights for a total of 70 watts. And 90% less unwanted heat.

It is most worthwhile to replace incandescent lights that are on all the time, such as the porch light, kitchen and hallway lights.
They are best in a ceiling light that points downward. If you put it facing upright in a lamp, most of the light will go upward toward the ceiling rather than downward. You will have to try this out for yourself to see where it is most advantageous.

The size of the screw in base is E26, which is the size of a "regular" incandescent light bulb. 120 volts. Indoor use only.

You cannot use these with a dimmer. They will flicker.

The color (temperature) of the bulb is 2700K, which is the same as the color of light you get out of an incandescent bulb. The amount of light that comes out is 450 lumens, which is about the brightness of a 60 watt incandescent light bulb.

It uses only 7 watts per hour, so if you leave it on all night, the electricity will be less than one cent. If you leave a light on 10 hours a day, the LED will pay for itself in about six months, and thereafter, each one will save you about $30 per year.

I think it is worth ordering 2 so you can get FREE Supersaver Shipping. Then, you are going to have to test them out. They do not behave exactly like incandescent light bulbs.

The reason you need to try them out is that over the next three years, almost all lights will change to LEDs because the price will drop to about $5 each.

This particular LED bulb is for use in the US ONLY.

http://www.amazon.com/EarthLED-ZetaL...9039069&sr=8-1

There is a huge variety of LEDs in Japan. Fluorescent tube replacements have come out, and the prices are dropping.
http://www.yodobashi.com/ec/promotio...22C/index.html

[Fiat Currency]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

The color (temperature) of the bulb is 2700K, which is the same as the color of light you get out of an incandescent bulb. The amount of light that comes out is 450 lumens, which is about the brightness of a 60 watt incandescent light bulb.

Most people consider a 60W bulb to be about 800 lumens.

EarthLED also sells the following ($17.99) ...

ThetaLux - 9 Watt LED Light Bulb - Warm White (2700K) - 550 Lumens

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...cm_cd_asin_lnk

... which some people may find "closer" to a 60W in brightness (it is subjective to some degree). Obviously it is a 9W bulb.

[mooncliff]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

Yes, the problem is that a 60W incandescent puts out 800 lumens in all directions, whereas the LED puts out less overall light, but directs it downward. Anyway, it is time to start experimenting with them so you will be prepared to change over most of your lights in a few years. You can't look at them in the store and really envision what they will be like in your lamp at home.

For some uses, I found the 9 watt ones too bright. I have a desk lamp with a 4 watt, 250 lumens, and it is just right. Have a 1 watt, 70 lumen one above the toilet, and it is just right so as to be able to see but not be blinded when you go in the middle of the night.

The Toshiba ones are so good, I swapped out an incandescent in the hallway of a friend's apartment and asked him which was the incandescent and which the LED, and he couldn't tell.

I hate bluish daylight ones, but now it seems that during the day, we need very bright blue light, like you would get from a blue sky, so some of my lamps have both and I switch them on as appropriate. There are excellent, but very pricey ceiling lights that will brighten at dawn and produce blueskylike light during the day, and then automatically switch to dimmer and dimmer candlelight as the evening passes. They have come down to $300, so am looking at them.

[Mega]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

Perhaps Laser lights will be here soon:-
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...ght-technology

[wayiwalk]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

I've been selecting lamps and light fixtures at home for bulb upgrades based on those which my wife and kids are congenitally incapable of shutting off when they leave a room!

I guess you can tell who the "electricity cop" is in my home.

I"ll definitely be going for more LEDs rather than CFLs as the prices continue to drop.

[mooncliff]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

There are motion sensors you can screw into the socket and then screw the LED into. They work great, though fairly new in Japan and about $40. Still, better than having a fight.

The LEDs use so little electricity, that I can leave a couple of them on most of the time without worrying about it since it costs about a cent per day to do so.

Some friends had a particular problem: they were a large family, and the lobby in front of their door was completely dark, and since people were coming and going all day, they just left a 60 watt bulb by the door on all the time. The worst thing was they were always having to replace the bulb, and the mom almost fell off the chair the last time she was replacing the bulb. I bought an LED with a sensor built in for $40.
http://www.yodobashi.com/ヤザワ-S-LED40...0001001303366/
When you open the door or the elevator opens, the LED at 250 lumens goes on for a minute. Problem solved. Bulb need not be replaced for a long time. I think this cut the electricity used by 99%, saving $150 a year, and more important, avoiding someone falling off the chair. So I guess this investment returns 300% a year, no tax.

The roll out of products continues, and after about a year, the price often drops by half, so this will be solved soon.

Example of ceiling fixture, about $300, 2,000 lumens
http://www.yodobashi.com/シャープ-DL-C20...0001001395087/

[touchring]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

Thanks Moon, how do they compare with energy saver fluorescent lamps?

[mooncliff]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

It is difficult to say because it depends on the brand, how well they are made, etc., but in general the LEDs I have use about half the electricity of the compact fluorescent bulbs I used to use. I used to buy top of the line compact fluorescents (they have been standard in Japan for a decade now) at $10 to $20 each.

Another problem is that usually most fluorescents lose 20% of light output in just a few months. In general, LEDs lose only about 2% per year.

You might want to use compact fluorescents in the meantime and wait for the cost of LEDs to drop further. But on the other hand, at $15 each for the one at Amazon, I think it is worth getting them so you can test them out for yourself. I just sent some to my cousin and she said they are great and indistinguishable from the incandescents she had in her dark hallway and the porch lights she leaves on all night, so right off the bat she will cut her electric bill by about 100 kwh per month.

[Guest]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

I have added about a dozen recently, mostly higher powered ones not for regular household use. But here's what I found. Get the 2700k "warmer" temp/color rated ones so that it isn't too harsh or bluish for reading, regular house illumination, etc. They are really close to incandescent in terms of appearance. Their wattage will be 1/4 of a roughly equivalent incandescent bulb. LED's bring diminishing returns from there of course so may be a better choice in a few years after prices come down and reliability/quality is confirmed.

FYI, keeping a light on all the time outside or inside is claimed to be worse than no light when it comes to intruder deterrence. Use a motion sensor or timer if possible. You'll save enough energy to pay for a new fixture most likely.

[Shakespear]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

Mooncliff, what about the light spectrum for these LED's?

I read somewhere that those super duper Phillips energy saver light bulbs (full of mercury) have a light spectrum that is not healthy for our eyes. I have a couple in my house and I hate them. The light they give has a dead feeling.

You got me curious now to check these LED's.

[globaleconomicollaps]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

I bought one of these recently. It was 26 F-ing euros and it didn't work when I got it home. I also lost the receipt so I couldn't return it. After I got it home and screwed it in I understood the problem with the light angle that you pointed out above. I don't think it would have worked in any of my fixtures anyways. Checking on line it looks like I can buy new fixtures that will work with smaller LED bulbs. This should deal with the heat problem and be cheaper to replace:


http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...=SPM2608950402
http://www.techlighting.com/ProductD...6Yrzr976d+bW0c

[globaleconomicollaps]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

thinking about it now... Wouldn't it be nice to have a full lighted ceiling or ... like ... a whole lighted wall:

http://www.hibino.co.jp/english/chro...hromaled3.html

;-)

[shiny!]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

Mooncliff, what about the light spectrum for these LED's?

I read somewhere that those super duper Phillips energy saver light bulbs (full of mercury) have a light spectrum that is not healthy for our eyes. I have a couple in my house and I hate them. The light they give has a dead feeling.

You got me curious now to check these LED's.

I'm not mooncliff but perhaps I can answer your question. The light from the compact fluorescent bulbs was hideous and made me feel sickly. But Philips makes a 60-watt equivalent LED bulb with beautiful light. It uses 12.5 watts and puts out 800 lumens:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Ambien...9119964&sr=8-1

A lot of LED bulbs have the problem of focusing the light in a relatively narrow beam compared to regular incandescent bulbs. The Philips LED throws the light out at a wide angle. I put one in my bathroom to replace the 60-watt incandescent bulb. It's much brighter than the old bulb and the light is very pretty, very comfortable.

There are two downsides: The cost, and the fact that you can't put them inside an enclosed light cover. They need airflow.

I think they're worth it, but that's something each person has to decide for themselves.

[shiny!]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

FYI, keeping a light on all the time outside or inside is claimed to be worse than no light when it comes to intruder deterrence. Use a motion sensor or timer if possible. You'll save enough energy to pay for a new fixture most likely.

I got a nifty light sensor from Home Depot for my outside porch light. It screws into the light fixture, then you screw the bulb into it. You leave the light switch "on". As the sun goes down, it turns the light on automatically. As the sun comes up, it turns the bulb off. I put a 40-watt LED light in it. I think it was only about $10 (the sensor, not the bulb).

[Slimprofits]

Re: At last! A decent LED light bulb in the US!

I've been selecting lamps and light fixtures at home for bulb upgrades based on those which my wife and kids are congenitally incapable of shutting off when they leave a room!

I guess you can tell who the "electricity cop" is in my home.

I"ll definitely be going for more LEDs rather than CFLs as the prices continue to drop.

Do you have a rule for when they are allowed to turn on the heat? Is it November 1st? That was my dad's.