[fireguy]

This is a 2 part question.
First part
My apartment house is a converted 1890 2 story, and has 2 chandeliers in the entry. One is accessable with a 6 foot ladder. The other is a problem. From the entry, the stairs go right 2 steps and turn left. There are 8 or 10 steps, then a turn to the left , and 6 steps to the landing. I have to use my Little Giant ladder. This is an original Little Giant, heavy. I have to unfold the ladder, Then extend it over the bannister. It take 2 to set up the ladder. One person secures the ladder at the bottom, another steadies at the top. The third person (me) climbs the ladder. Did I mention the footprint of the ladder is wider than the steps?

Any suggestion?

I replaced all the bulbs about 6 months ago. Now some of the bulbs are burnt out. I installed 130V rough service bulbs. I cannot find 130V anymore. I have tried flouresent bulbs and they do not give enough light.

What is the experience with LED bulbs as to the life of bulbs and having enough lights? Do I just change the bulbs every 6 months or do I just wait until most of the bulbs burn out?

 

[oh'mike]

I'm a fan of the new LED bulbs---good color and they are supposed to last for 10 to 15 years.

I've installed many of them--no failures yet.

 

[FrodoOne]

I definitely agree that LED lamps are the way to go.

While the are dearer than incandescent lamps, they should last much longer and you will save on power bills.
These days, LED lamps have 8 to 10 times the light output for a given electrical input that incandescent lamps have.

Make sure that you buy a good "Name" brand. Although the "Name" brands may be made in China, they are likely to be of a better standard than cheaper lamps sourced from there.

 

[paintdrying]

I will never be convinced of those led bulbs. They contribute to many health problems. I was getting calls from tenants that those bulbs gave them headaches after I put them in. The flicker rate is abnormal.
I will go back to oil lamps before I have an led light in my house.

 

[Bud9051]

Well, I'm with the majority. I have replaced almost all of my cfl's, some failed others just annoyed the dickens out of me. No failures with the LEDs and I can select from soft light to daylight. If your fixture uses the candelabra lamps they are more expensive as Frodo said, but I would expect long life.

As for getting up there, if it is only one more time, then do as you are doing. If it will be more often, assemble some wood staging you can take down and save. Being an apartment that may not be possible.

Bud

 

[FrodoOne]

I will never be convinced of those led bulbs. They contribute to many health problems. I was getting calls from tenants that those bulbs gave them headaches after I put them in. The flicker rate is abnormal.
I will go back to oil lamps before I have an led light in my house.

I really wonder what brands of LED you were using as I have NEVER noticed any 'flicker" on any of mine, which are all "Philips".

Do you realize that LEDs incorporate a switch-mode power supply, the high frequency output of which is filtered, so they are (virtually) running on DC?

They need to run on DC, since they contain Light Emitting DIODES - which are one-way (DC) devices and each diode operates with about 2 V to 3 V applied to it.

If a manufacturer tried to make one operate on AC, each individual LED could emit light on only one half cycle. That would be inefficient, giving only half of the possible light output (or, rather, light for half the time). This COULD produce a 60 Hz "flicker" if the said manufacturer did not use two sets of LEDs (one for each half cycle) - Hence my reason for saying it would be inefficient.

 

[ron45]

You do know that they make lights that pull down...
You do know you can install a light lower and on the wall.....

 

[MushCreek]

We invested heavily on LED in our new house. So far (2 years) we love them. I did have one taken out by lightning in my barn. Odd, because the light wasn't on at the time. The surge must have hit the neutral. It also baked a remote-control ceiling fan, but the strike was right in the yard. I have two ceiling lights in my stairwell, and I hope they outlast me!

 

[craig11152]

add me to the LED fan club. I have slowly converted almost all my lights to LED. Only things left are the 3-way lamps (4 total). Still not ready for the $15 price per bulb.
One thing I notice is they can interfere with the reception on a cheap AM/FM radio when they are turned on.

 

[Windows on Wash]

Add me to that club as well. We put them in our new office and they should pay for themselves in the next couple of years in fuel/energy savings.

 

[pjmarkert]

I love them, started replacing CF several years ago. No dim lights when cold. None have failed, and now less than 2 bucks each at the big blue store.

Sent from my LGL41C using Tapatalk

 

[ChuckF.]

Also a fan of LEDs. I mostly passed on CFLs. In a few years hopefully they will be nothing but a museum curiosity.

 

[ddawg16]

I will never be convinced of those led bulbs. They contribute to many health problems. I was getting calls from tenants that those bulbs gave them headaches after I put them in. The flicker rate is abnormal.
I will go back to oil lamps before I have an led light in my house.

I think you need to fix the power issues in your property. LED's don't flicker unless you have power issues.

I just had my 'almost final' final inspection today. The inspector's boss has to come out next week to confirm Title 24 compliance....in other words, do I have enough low wattage lighting and occupancy sensors. I have ONE incandescent bulb in my house.....it's in the oven.

Every bulb in my house is either CFL or LED. I have NO flickering......and, except for installing a new bulb, I have not replaced any bulbs....ok...3....in the last 15 years.

 

[MushCreek]

Wow- You have to have LED's AND occupancy sensors?

All this 'energy savings' cracks me up. People continue to build huge houses, with electric water heaters, heat pumps, ovens, clothes dryers, etc. Yeah, light bulbs are the problem....

While I'm ranting, I wonder what the power bill is on a 5 acre Home Depot store? In the old days, the only heat at a lumberyard was the office- if you were lucky.

 

[craig11152]

I think you need to fix the power issues in your property. LED's don't flicker unless you have power issues. Every bulb in my house is either CFL or LED. I have NO flickering.

You do have flickering you just don't see it. The thing is all those bulbs flicker to some degree. But they often flicker below a threshold that is noticeable. That doesn't mean that they still can't have an adverse health effect on some people.
I liken them to vaccinations in that some small minority of people have adverse reactions but overall they are a good thing.

 

[ddawg16]

Wow- You have to have LED's AND occupancy sensors?

All this 'energy savings' cracks me up. People continue to build huge houses, with electric water heaters, heat pumps, ovens, clothes dryers, etc. Yeah, light bulbs are the problem....

While I'm ranting, I wonder what the power bill is on a 5 acre Home Depot store? In the old days, the only heat at a lumberyard was the office- if you were lucky.

I don't have to have both.....

But the kids and wife in my house know how to 'turn' on lights, but have not figured out how to turn them off. I've come in at 3am, everyone is asleep and half the lights are one. I can't understand why.

As for the 'energy savings'.....I'm not a tree huger....but what I hate more is paying big utility bills.

My house is twice the size now from what it was 5 years ago. My utility bills are the same if not smaller now than they were 5 years ago......so all that 'energy savings'? It's really 'money savings'.

 

[ddawg16]

You do have flickering you just don't see it. The thing is all those bulbs flicker to some degree. But they often flicker below a threshold that is noticeable. That doesn't mean that they still can't have an adverse health effect on some people.
I liken them to vaccinations in that some small minority of people have adverse reactions but overall they are a good thing.

You're going to have to prove that one to me.

CFL's operate in the 50-60Khz range on freq in the solid state ballast...

LED's....AC is converted to DC. If they are flickering, something is wrong.

 

[craig11152]

Here are a couple links I would deem fairly reliable. I can get more.


http://www.archlighting.com/technology/leds-fighting-flicker_o

http://electronicdesign.com/lighting/do-leds-have-dark-side#6

http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/Cree/LED-Components-and-Modules/XLamp/White-Papers/Flicker.pdf

 

[ChuckF.]

Here are a couple links I would deem fairly reliable. I can get more.

http://www.archlighting.com/technology/leds-fighting-flicker_o

http://electronicdesign.com/lighting/do-leds-have-dark-side#6

http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/Cree/LED-Components-and-Modules/XLamp/White-Papers/Flicker.pdf

Great links. If Cree admits that LEDs used in these applications flicker, I have to believe them.

 

[mske390]

LEDs are the way to go, if you are concerned with light levels then keep an eye on the lumens. My house is 100% LED, I personally love the light that LEDs give off and the only ones that I saw flicker are ones that had the wrong dimmer in use.

I'm all for using modern technology and moving into current day rather than living in the past