Just replaced another bulb with an LED

**JoeP** · 03-09-2018, 03:47 PM

Most of ours are switched over. I have a few fixtures, that say 60W max per light receptacle for heat reasons, that I wish could be brighter. With the LEDs, I'm ok putting a 100W equivalent in them for a nice boost.

I put 3 100W equivalents in my garage and I'm no longer stumbling around while a 60W or 100W fCFL tries to warm up in 10 degree cold. Still have to put some in my basement.

**disneysteve** · 03-09-2018, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by JoeP View Post

I have a few fixtures, that say 60W max per light receptacle for heat reasons, that I wish could be brighter. With the LEDs, I'm ok putting a 100W equivalent in them for a nice boost.

That is a nice benefit to CFLs and LEDs especially. They give off far less heat so those warning labels can generally be ignored. I did that with the lamp in our computer room not long ago which helped a lot.

**corn18** · 03-09-2018, 03:59 PM

I switched all of ours over about 2 years ago. I forget how many bulbs it was. I seem to remember it was around 50-60 total. I can’t tell if my electric bill went down but the math says it should. Really like not changing a bulb or very week though.

**creditcardfree** · 03-09-2018, 04:43 PM

I'm doing the same as you are changing to LEDs as current ones, primarily CFLs which don't burn out that fast either.

**TexasHusker** · 03-09-2018, 05:57 PM

LED bulbs pay for themselves pretty quickly.

Additionally, they will likely outlive you: Most are rated for 20-30 years.

**disneysteve** · 03-09-2018, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by TexasHusker View Post

LED bulbs pay for themselves pretty quickly.

Additionally, they will likely outlive you: Most are rated for 20-30 years.

Well I certainly hope they won’t outlive me. I’d like to be around longer than that.

**TexasHusker** · 03-09-2018, 06:36 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Well I certainly hope they won’t outlive me. I’d like to be around longer than that.

Ha! Me too!

**bennkar** · 03-09-2018, 07:39 PM

I changed almost all of mine a number of years ago, and I certainly hope the usage has gone down. My usage is very low already, so hard to say for sure.

One thing to consider, is I have kept any incandescents I removed and will put back in whenever I sell this place. I don't plan on leaving the buyers with great LED bulbs for free. They can buy their own.

**disneysteve** · 03-10-2018, 04:52 AM

I have found 3 light sockets so far that wouldn't accept an LED bulb. I mean I could screw it in but it didn't work so I had to go back to a CFL or incandescent. So apparently there is something slightly different about the contacts on the new bulbs.

**TexasHusker** · 03-10-2018, 05:13 AM

We have three franchise locations. We built them out in 2011, 2012, and 2016 respectively.

The first two, we had to go with the old fluorescent tube style lighting because LED wasn't really an option quite yet. Because those run 12 hours a day, and 360 days a year, we are constantly replacing bulbs, ballasts, dusting out the insides of the covers, etc.

The third store is 100% LED. There is no bulb to change at all - the bulb is integrated into the fixture entirely. That means no bugs, no getting on ladders, etc. The are quite literally maintenance free. The bonus is that they use about one third of the electricity of the fluorescent bulbs, and they will last from 20 to 25 years, per the manufacturer. That's a good deal!

**disneysteve** · 03-10-2018, 05:36 AM

TH have you considered changing over the old fixtures or would that be too big a job?

**Fishindude77** · 03-10-2018, 06:03 AM

I have several large barns on the farm. Started out with the large 400W Metal Halide fixtures which were the hot ticket in the 90's. They were slow to turn on (took ten minutes or more to get fully bright) but they were much better than fluorescent or the sodium vapor.

Replaced those a few years ago with the high efficiency T-8 fluorescent (skinny bulb). They turn on right away, put out better light than the Metal Halide and operate cheaper. Was pretty satisfied with them.

Then built another barn addition last year and put the latest LED's in it. Once again, a huge improvement, cheaper to operate and more light. Have been gradually changing all of my interior bulbs to LED as well. Much better light with a fraction of the electric usage. LED is definitely the way to go, but I'm convinced they will come out with something better as soon as I get all my stuff updated

**TexasHusker** · 03-10-2018, 08:43 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

TH have you considered changing over the old fixtures or would that be too big a job?

It’s crossed my mind! It would run me about $4K per store.

**Gailete** · 03-10-2018, 12:38 PM

We have been changing them over as bulbs burn out. Some of the old kind are still burning over 10 years since we moved in. However for some reason that we have not been able to figure out, we burn out bulbs constantly! Even these new bulbs. One night I was sitting readin and I hear a pop and had glass raining down on me. One of the LED lights had exploded. I wrote the manufacturer and they sent us a coupon for a new bulb and a box to send the pieces back to them, unfortunately, they hadn't bothered to tell us that soon enough and we had thrown it all out. I don't seen any change in our electric bill, but we did get a box of bulbs, surge protectors and nightlights from our electric supplier which was nice. Our hardest thing with switching over initially was the cost, which seems to have come down a lot. So at this point we are a mixture of bulbs.

Just replaced another bulb with an LED