Comments on: From Filaments to Semiconductors

By: Peter Murray

Peter Murray — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:31:38 +0000

Echoing the comment about hanging onto proofs of purchase for LED lighting. I has a Philips LED light go out after 3 weeks of use. They provided a postage-paid label for return and then sent me a check for the full retail price. The phone rep said they wanted failed bulbs back so they can test them.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:58:17 +0000

I have been using an LED lamp over my desk for several months. It seems to generate more heat than an incandescent bulb. I suppose that future homes will require a separate low voltage system to fully utilize LEDs without wasting power generating heat.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:44:48 +0000

The lower color temperatures are more difficult to make. The market is being flooded right now with cheap LEDs from the Pacific Rim, including China. I understand the better LEDs are being made in the US. Look for Cree (Raleigh, NC) or Phillips Lumileds (CA, originally an HP spinoff). I have noticed the Cree name on a lot of packages lately, probably to dissociate themselves from the cheaper Asian competition.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:25:54 +0000

Nothing really to add, just a thanks.

I have been trying and experimenting with a few of the flood lights in the house, I had been holding off on LED lights due to the price tag on them. I have spent hours standing in Lowes reading the back of the box and surfing the web on my phone only to walk out with another CFL. I got 2 more I need to replace so going to give it a go with LED. Thanks again for another extremely useful post.

By: Michael Pierce

Michael Pierce — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:57:38 +0000

Thanks for the post. I’ve been holding off on CFLs for our lights in the kitchen like this. These sound like a much better approach. Time to hit up Lowes.

Interestingly, some of the longest lasting bulbs we have had are the original freebies from the builder. The final bulb finally gave it up after 6 years of use…after other lights had gone through multiple generations. Crazy.

By: mika

mika — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:59:12 +0000

“knew I wanted to part of that scene”

Thanks for this post. I am eager to replace my centered line 3-pot kitchen light fixture with something that is positioned better since most of the work space becomes shadowed by the person attempting to use it, but I can’t tolerate CFLs and am waiting for LED prices to hurt less.

By: ben

ben — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:49:13 +0000

When I moved into this apartment five years ago, I went to the store and bought CFLs for every indoor fixture and lamp. It CAN be hard to find the lower-color-temp bulbs, regardless of which tech you’re using.

Meanwhile, I’ve yet to replace any of those bulbs, and I abuse three in particular – one is on 24/7, two others are cycled several times a day.

By: Steve Thornton

Steve Thornton — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:42:22 +0000

You can go to a theatrical supply store or a grip rental house and buy colored gels, warming. CTO, 1/2 CTO, 1/4 CTO etc. Or something close to a Wratten 81, 81A, 81B 85, 85=C etc.

They are all amber in color.

You can cut these with scissors and put them into the fixtures so the light shines through.

This will remove the blue cast but will not add the missing part of the color spectrum.

Your next best choice will be a “Full Spectrum” LED lamp. I do not know if they are made as yet. It took years before someone discovered how to make them in fluorescents and that will bring you to 5000-5500 degrees Kelvin, which is close to daylight. Then you would use a full CTO gel (filter) to get it to 3200 K. This way you will get the color temp you are looking for but still have (most) of the full color spectrum which will get you very close to the real color you want without looking ghoulish.

By: Irene

Irene — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:29:31 +0000

Keep your receipts and the part of the packaging that lists the 5 year warranty. I bought the Ecosmart PAR30 bulbs for my kitchen can lights and had one bulb quit working. I called the warranty number, they told me to take it back to Home Depot, and they replaced the bulb, no charge.