What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[Roy]

http://www.westinghouselighting.com/color-temperature.aspx

Kelvin temperature (K). Well, I can understand now why the 3000K are too soft for your workshop. Did you look at anything in the 4600-6500K range?

[chuck]

I can understand the desire for a slightly warmer color over the layout. You may want to get some matching sources for the shop area where you will be doing painting to make color matching easier, maybe goose neck or articulated arm fixture? I would strongly recommend the brightest/whitest light for general purpose work in the shop area.

I just switched out all of the kitchen lighting for LED's. The original Cree bulb I installed in the range vent was a bright white light. It was necessary to go with LED when the incandescent phased out started 5 years ago. CFL was a no go in a food prep area and halogen had too much UV/heat (stove was hot enough already). BTW, that bulb has been running continuously for 5+ years. It cost $12 at the time and was replacing $2 incandescent. I was going though 6 incandescent bulbs a year at that location and the bulbs were only 20% efficient. That bulb paid for itself in less than 1 year and I've been converting everything to LED since.

That one 75 watt light made everything else in the kitchen seem like you were working by candle light or kerosene lantern. I finally replaced the "indirect" fluorescent tubes (rage of the 1970's) with direct LED's and the CFL over the sink. I will be adding a light over one of the counters as the new LED's make that area seem "dim".

[G3750]

http://www.westinghouselighting.com/color-temperature.aspx

Kelvin temperature (K). Well, I can understand now why the 3000K are too soft for your workshop. Did you look at anything in the 4600-6500K range?

Roy,

I haven't yet, but I will. The electric supply place had only offered me a 4000K shoplight. I liked it more, but wonder if I get a higher K rating somewhere locally. That should definitely be possible in the Pittsburgh area. The floods were 3000K and they were definitely out.

This is a subject that I must research extensively before committing to a solution. This is particularly important with the shop lights, as they are likely to be permanent fixtures.

George

[G3750]

I can understand the desire for a slightly warmer color over the layout. You may want to get some matching sources for the shop area where you will be doing painting to make color matching easier, maybe goose neck or articulated arm fixture? I would strongly recommend the brightest/whitest light for general purpose work in the shop area.

I just switched out all of the kitchen lighting for LED's. The original Cree bulb I installed in the range vent was a bright white light. It was necessary to go with LED when the incandescent phased out started 5 years ago. CFL was a no go in a food prep area and halogen had too much UV/heat (stove was hot enough already). BTW, that bulb has been running continuously for 5+ years. It cost $12 at the time and was replacing $2 incandescent. I was going though 6 incandescent bulbs a year at that location and the bulbs were only 20% efficient. That bulb paid for itself in less than 1 year and I've been converting everything to LED since.

That one 75 watt light made everything else in the kitchen seem like you were working by candle light or kerosene lantern. I finally replaced the "indirect" fluorescent tubes (rage of the 1970's) with direct LED's and the CFL over the sink. I will be adding a light over one of the counters as the new LED's make that area seem "dim".

Thanks for all the info, Chuck.

I really dislike the CFL bulbs. They never seem to last as long as advertised, they sometimes have slow start-ups, and then there's that mercury to be disposed of safely. IMO the legislation banning incandescent bulbs was somebody's sweetheart deal. As for fluorescent lights, the buzz, startup behavior, and general fickleness bug me. I want to turn the switch and have dependable, decent illumination. Period.

As far as I'm concerned, LEDs are the way to go. I just have to make the right choices.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

..........and then there's that mercury to be disposed of safely. IMO the legislation banning incandescent bulbs was somebody's sweetheart deal.

Given the foaming at the mouth paranoia and insanity regarding mercury, I have yet to understand that move. And, then we get zero instruction on disposal so the vast majority of them end up in landfills. That's good........

[G3750]

..........and then there's that mercury to be disposed of safely. IMO the legislation banning incandescent bulbs was somebody's sweetheart deal.

Given the foaming at the mouth paranoia and insanity regarding mercury, I have yet to understand that move. And, then we get zero instruction on disposal so the vast majority of them end up in landfills. That's good........

Yeah, I have little doubt this was a sweet heart deal all the way around.

The maker (Chinese) get to sell their junk here (questionable claims about reliability IMHO). The price for this "enhanced" product is pretty high, too.
Responsible disposal involves a fee, so the muncipalities might get some extra revenue. Typically though, people just throw them away, creating a ticking time-bomb wrt water supply, etc.

But as usual, the legislators who accepted lobbyist $ for this cluster-f*** make out the best.

And the environmentalist do-gooders get to beat their chests for a faux event.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

But as usual, the legislators who accepted lobbyist $ for this cluster-f*** make out the best.

And the environmentalist do-gooders get to beat their chests for a faux event.

And, as with many things where any forward thinking fails to materialize, we or our descendants get the clean-up bill.......

[chuck]

I just ziplock bag them (CFL's), store in the garage and then turn them in on household hazardous waste day. I'm not sure that they have any more mercury than a standard tube aka not a "compact".

Even a couple of years ago it was a hard sell to get people to buy LED bulbs. Yes they cost more but they last really long. They also save a lot of electricity and are effectively brighter. The bulb over the stove would have required 36.5 standard bulbs over the 5 year period and saved 2.5KW of electricity over the same time period.

I never bought another CFL after that first LED. The color temp's are getting warmer and now there are LED "decorative" bulbs. I even replaced the exterior floods with LED's. Only lights that are still problematic are three way table lamps. I've tried a few. I consider those to be a "work in progress". I still have some tube florescent in the basement/work shop but most of the basement lights have been switched over as well. The CFL's don't do well when the temp is below 65. I tried a CFL in the porch fixture. It was fine in the summer. When it was 5 degree in Jan the bulb barely glowed.

[Roy]

Don't a lot of new cars use LED headlights and tail lights?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Only lights that are still problematic are three way table lamps. I've tried a few. I consider those to be a "work in progress". I still have some tube florescent in the basement/work shop but most of the basement lights have been switched over as well.

I was wondering about the 3-way lamps - finding a old regular 3-way incandescent is hard. My shop and garage lights will switch over as my stock of zero's out and the existing bulbs fail.

The CFL's don't do well when the temp is below 65. I tried a CFL in the porch fixture. It was fine in the summer. When it was 5 degree in Jan the bulb barely glowed.

Did not know that; they do better in a brown out than incandescents

[chuck]

Don't a lot of new cars use LED headlights and tail lights?

Yes. They are very bright and with the correct lensing they provide excellent illumination without blinding other drivers. Really expensive to replace when something goes wrong. No "bulb" Per Se, just an array of LED's. The light assembly is basically one piece.

The CFL on the porch was so dim I thought it had burned out. I went to shovel the driveway and there was more light spilling out the door than there was from the porch lamp! The same thing for the garage light. The two LED's on the door opener don't care what the temperature is. They just come on nice and bright. I've got to find a 150 watt equivalent, not three way, not dim-able but day light for the last CFL I've got.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I've got to find a 150 watt equivalent, not three way, not dim-able but day light for the last CFL I've got.

Let me know when you do - I had a 400 watt bulb and a 200 watt bulb at my place in PA and they have since gone to pieces.....quite literally,

[robert.]

I'm in the process of changing out 2,300+ bulbs in a chandelier show room. Each one of the 2,300 lights is 15 watts. At any given time almost 30% are blown.They don't last long burning 9 hours a day. All of these are displayed on a second floor of a barn and it gets hot. Above all these chandeliers i have 7 metal Halide lights. Long story made short i contacted Peco energy about leds. They want to set me up with 4 watt led. bulbs. Peco feels if i use Phillip's 4 watt bulbs i'll need less then half the number of bulbs and no Halide bulbs.Each 4 watt equals an old 40 watt bulb. They also feel that i will need to only run 2 of the 4 air conditioners. Peco is trying to get a good price from Phillips and a state energy rebate. As for replacing the Halide bulbs their tech told me i would need to lower each hanging fixture to get good results.He made it sound like leds do not cast light as far as incandescent bulbs. He also claimed leds cover better being wall mounted and with different spacing then Halide bulbs. Plus some of the retro fit halide to led bulbs are big bucks.
Connecticut offers their state rebate on led. lights right at the point of sale. So if your driving through Connecticut buy leds.

[Roy]

The CFL on the porch was so dim I thought it had burned out. I went to shovel the driveway and there was more light spilling out the door than there was from the porch lamp! The same thing for the garage light. The two LED's on the door opener don't care what the temperature is. They just come on nice and bright. I've got to find a 150 watt equivalent, not three way, not dim-able but day light for the last CFL I've got.

Every time I need new bulbs from the store, which isn't often in my circumstance, everything is different. I had a CFL in my bedroom, but they didn't even sell them, by the time it burned out. (I get my bulbs from Walmart). And, I haven't seen anything bigger than 100W for some time.

Is there a fairly easy, painless way to install a two-bulb fixture, in your garage and on your porch?

[chuck]

Porch was an easy swap. Garage is another story. Single ceramic "fixture" dead center up at the peak. if I could get the garage door opener lights to work without raising/lowering the door I'd be all set.