LED Lighting

[Valve Bounce]

OK! so this is the latest lighting to replace the tungsten downlights. They are supposed to use less electricity and last many, many times longer.

Does anyone have any reliable information on these claimed advantages? They are more expensive than ordinary downlights, but saw an advert last week where they are only around double the price of tungsten downlights - but you must purchase them online.

[Mark]

I have some in my kitchen but they put out next to no light . They are coupled with flourescent versions which are well bright.

By downlights do you mean these: http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/m/m9Ix...eA4rCQ/140.jpg

Or if you want to splash out, get these: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/4820...homes-lighting

[Dave B]

I've got quite a bit of LED lighting in the house, mainly as mood lighting because as Mark says it's not really bright enough for replacing room lights yet. It's dead handy for the bathroom - saves your retinas in the wee small hours!

[Valve Bounce]

I've got quite a bit of LED lighting in the house, mainly as mood lighting because as Mark says it's not really bright enough for replacing room lights yet. It's dead handy for the bathroom - saves your retinas in the wee small hours!

I do have great night light which is in the shape of a clear shield which I can buy from Coles or Woolworths. They worked perfectly well when I was staying at Byron Bay hinterlands where there was no lighting from streetlights etc.

Mark, I am talking about option 1 in your post; our new townhouse being built comes with halogen downlights - I have specified gimbal mountings for mine, and have located them 2 feet from the walls. The lights will be turned towards the walls where I will hang paintings so the rooms will be lit with lighting off my paintings or light colored walls.

I will wait untilI know more about LED lighting; maybe just replacing one halogen downlight with LED just to see the difference. I will report on this in about 4 months time.

[Daniel]

I do have great night light which is in the shape of a clear shield which I can buy from Coles or Woolworths. They worked perfectly well when I was staying at Byron Bay hinterlands where there was no lighting from streetlights etc.

Mark, I am talking about option 1 in your post; our new townhouse being built comes with halogen downlights - I have specified gimbal mountings for mine, and have located them 2 feet from the walls. The lights will be turned towards the walls where I will hang paintings so the rooms will be lit with lighting off my paintings or light colored walls.

I will wait untilI know more about LED lighting; maybe just replacing one halogen downlight with LED just to see the difference. I will report on this in about 4 months time.

We replaced a halogen downlight with a LED one and found the results to be less than ideal.

[Valve Bounce]

We replaced a halogen downlight with a LED one and found the results to be less than ideal.

Not Good! How much did the LED cost you?

[Daniel]

Not Good! How much did the LED cost you?

It was years ago, whatever it cost us was too much.

[ioan]

It was years ago, whatever it cost us was too much.

They've got better and cheaper nowadays.
As far as I can say LED's are great for where you need less diffuse light, as the lighting angles are rather small (mostly under 45 degrees).

[Valve Bounce]

They've got better and cheaper nowadays.
As far as I can say LED's are great for where you need less diffuse light, as the lighting angles are rather small (mostly under 45 degrees).

What I'll do is keep a eye on prices and maybe check an LED out when one of the halogen downloads is kaput.

[ioan]

What I'll do is keep a eye on prices and maybe check an LED out when one of the halogen downloads is kaput.

Good idea.
While prices are dropping steadily, the big names (OSRAM, Philips, Toshiba etc...) are still rather expensive, especially if you need several of them.
For the first LED lamp that I bought I went with IKEA, they are well priced and for now all of them worked OK. The tech specs, especially amount of light delivered, are not the same but close and the price is also under the 50% mark.
Bottom line, when you think you want to change try an Ikea LED and see how you like it, knowing that it is not the top performer, and if you don't like it you are free to bring it back withing the first 30 days after purchase.