The Home Ownership Thread

[VLSI]

Plan to get cameras too. Trying to figure out how to do this without becoming labeled the creepy, paranoid neighbor. I have a connection so stuff won't cost me much at all.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Not sure, but it is listed at 3 hour rating.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]



If the bad guys want in, they're going to get in. It'd be better to invest in a security system.

Very true.

 

[JohnGalt]



If the bad guys want in, they're going to get in. It'd be better to invest in a shotgun.

Ftfy

 

[Douglas]

I have a security system with cameras, and I am about to get a shotgun.

So, there has been LED talk in here but I don't think specifically about floodlights. I saw some supposedly 65W dimmable equivalents in Sam's Club the other day and I was tempted, though the price is still very high. ($25) Our new place has basically no floor or table lamps and is lit in many areas with recessed lighting using 65W floods.

I'm always nervous about these "equivalents." The color temp looked good and I think maybe the "directionality" of a flood (vs. a standard lamp bulb) might help the LED get good light without losing lumens but I really know very little about these.

I suppose I should just try one but wondered if anyone had any experience with them.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

For LED lights I search for consumer reviews before buying. If you like the color of incandescent light (I do) then you need a color temp of 2700k. I like to leave ambient light on, so I can walk through the house without turning on every light, so LED and digital timers has been working well.

I have floods that put off a ton of light that are LED, they are 65w equivalent, but I will eventually replace them with lights with a color of 2700k. Good floods are important in a kitchen, or during the day in a darker room, but I very much prefer lights that are floor/table with shades at night. It's much more comfortable and low lighting is more forgiving to your guests since people look better in low lighting.

 

[Douglas]

These are the ones I saw at Sam's.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/10-watt-led-1-pk-br30-floodlight/prod8620159.ip?sprodId=prod8620159

Advertised at 2700K, 10W (claims 65W equivalency), 700 lumens. The GE brand feels like it ought to be worth something; I'm scared of all the Chinese fly-by-night brands I see on Amazon.

Unfortunately, no reviews I can find.

If they really last and put out enough light and are dimmable then they could be a pretty solid buy for me. We have 10 floods in our kitchen alone, and I have, I think, at least 8 other locations in the house where I would use them.

If I could get about 45 MR16 120V LED bulbs, which are still kind of a longshot I think (need 50W equivalents), and then about 36 candelabra replacements at, dunno, 40W equivalents, I could do my whole house.

First things first - the floods get the heaviest use.

 

[jbarwick]

For a security system my fiancee's grandfather in Germany has this archaic looking trip wire system he insists works and has hurt someone before. It is a trip wire that once the person breaking in the front door trips, it shoots a nail a few inches above the floor and into their foot. I have a picture of it somewhere at home. My fiancee was not allowed to walk around the house as a kid before her grandparents were up due to other possible "security" measures her grandfather may have set. At some point he also had trained German Shepherds as security dogs when he ran his architecture company out of his house.

 

[Douglas]



For a security system my fiancee's grandfather in Germany has this archaic looking trip wire system he insists works and has hurt someone before.  It is a trip wire that once the person breaking in the front door trips, it shoots a nail a few inches above the floor and into their foot.  I have a picture of it somewhere at home.  My fiancee was not allowed to walk around the house as a kid before her grandparents were up due to other possible "security" measures her grandfather may have set.  At some point he also had trained German Shepherds as security dogs when he ran his architecture company out of his house.

I think I know what you intended to mean there but the ambiguity in light of the booby traps he'd set is amusing.

 

[Piobaire]

Doug, I know your house is a bit of a labour of love so if you're serious about LEDs why not spend a couple of hundred and get a consultant with an electrical engineer that specializes in lighting? I happen to be doing a substantial capital project right now and what I'm reading about LED application in healthcare is pretty cool. I would suggest talking to an expert.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]



These are the ones I saw at Sam's.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/10-watt-led-1-pk-br30-floodlight/prod8620159.ip?sprodId=prod8620159

Advertised at 2700K, 10W (claims 65W equivalency), 700 lumens. The GE brand feels like it ought to be worth something; I'm scared of all the Chinese fly-by-night brands I see on Amazon.

Unfortunately, no reviews I can find.

If they really last and put out enough light and are dimmable then they could be a pretty solid buy for me. We have 10 floods in our kitchen alone, and I have, I think, at least 8 other locations in the house where I would use them.

If I could get about 45 MR16 120V LED bulbs, which are still kind of a longshot I think (need 50W equivalents), and then about 36 candelabra replacements at, dunno, 40W equivalents, I could do my whole house.

First things first - the floods get the heaviest use.

From what I've read Philips are one of the best. I have no experience with GE, but I would be tempted to try one of those.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]



Doug, I know your house is a bit of a labour of love so if you're serious about LEDs why not spend a couple of hundred and get a consultant with an electrical engineer that specializes in lighting? I happen to be doing a substantial capital project right now and what I'm reading about LED application in healthcare is pretty cool. I would suggest talking to an expert.

Pio, I know that I don't qualify as an expert and my process occasionally requires both trial and error. However, I've had good success with LED's by doing a little research on the Kelvin temp I want and testing the amount of light through the intuitive method.

 

[Douglas]



Doug, I know your house is a bit of a labour of love so if you're serious about LEDs why not spend a couple of hundred and get a consultant with an electrical engineer that specializes in lighting? I happen to be doing a substantial capital project right now and what I'm reading about LED application in healthcare is pretty cool. I would suggest talking to an expert.

When we did our reno I tried coaxing, cajoling, begging our architect (who is supposed to be some kind of lighting expert; he's done numerous museum buildings and installations), our GC, and our electrician into recommending LED lighting. In particular, our main gallery space, which has a ton of relatively concealed track lighting tucked up underneath the rafters, seemed a perfect fit for a low-voltage system. But I couldn't get anyone to bite. I think at the time (2 years ago was when we were making decisions) it was all still a little bit unclear, or it was too far out there for these guys, who were admittedly all a little old-school.

At one point, the architect had even mentioned some kind of centralized fiber-optic system, where you'd have a "light cube" somewhere in the attic or whatever with a mega-bright bulb and then fiber-optic cable run through the house to spot certain areas, but I think that was just something he'd heard about and he started shying away when I asked serious questions. I think it's more for decorative stuff than real useful light.

I finally resigned myself to a "standard" installation and figured I could eventually just buy the transformered LED bulbs when the tech got good enough.

If I hired a consultant now, they'd probably make all the recommendations I was looking for two years ago but the ship has already sailed.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Why not just go to an art gallery or museum and ask about their lighting? Then report back, so that the learning experience goes in the opposite direction for us for once

My research in that regard also pointed me toward LED due to the fact that they produce much less UV radiation.

 

[Ataturk]



I have a security system with cameras, and I am about to get a shotgun.

So, there has been LED talk in here but I don't think specifically about floodlights. I saw some supposedly 65W dimmable equivalents in Sam's Club the other day and I was tempted, though the price is still very high. ($25) Our new place has basically no floor or table lamps and is lit in many areas with recessed lighting using 65W floods.

I'm always nervous about these "equivalents." The color temp looked good and I think maybe the "directionality" of a flood (vs. a standard lamp bulb) might help the LED get good light without losing lumens but I really know very little about these.

I suppose I should just try one but wondered if anyone had any experience with them.

You should definitely read the reviews online first. GE is not a big name in LEDs and their bulbs seem overpriced and underwhelming to me. I saw them in Sam's and wasn't impressed.

I would look into the Feit floodlights from Costco (also available online). I have a lot of the BR40s, which are close to 100W equivalents. I talked about them a lot earlier in the thread. Feit also makes Lowes store brand LEDs, and most of Home Depot's too, I think.

As was said earlier Philips is a big name in LEDs, and most of the ones they sell are well regarded (but expensive). Make sure you check up on the individual model # before you buy them. There is a lot of variation. Consider buying them in bulk online after you find one you like. They come in cases of four or six and can be had a discount. Also keep in mind you want to use a compatible dimmer for the specific LED bulb you use. The makers publish lists.