Duff led tubes.

[brightspark]

fitted hundreds of gu10 downlighter bulbs and led floodlights and had no bother whatsoever . the flood lights are fitted all round a school and on photocells and most are over 8 years old fitted before covid

 

[knighty]

I have found that LED tubes use almost exactly the same amount of energy as the old fluorescent ones for the same light output.
When it comes to high bay lighting my old metal halide bulbs actually out perform the best LED ones. I am using 400W units - I replaced 5 with quality expensive LED ones - they put out 40,000 lumens each. The old bulb ones are also 400w for 46,000 lumens.
The metal halide lasted for about 20 years - I very much doubt the LED will last that long. The only advantage of the LED ones is instant on.

feel the heat coming off an LED light and then the heat coming off any other type

all that heat is wasted energy

 

[fizzy]

feel the heat coming off an LED light and then the heat coming off any other type

all that heat is wasted energy

Watts per lumen is watts per lumen.
My 400w high bay led lights have massive heat sinks. Some brands are fan cooled!

 

[knighty]

Watts per lumen is watts per lumen.
My 400w high bay led lights have massive heat sinks. Some brands are fan cooled!
View attachment 535883

with LEDs the cooler they are the more efficient they are, hence the big heat sinks

I think your watts per lumen numbers are wrong

 

[fizzy]

I will dig out the old bulb boxes and the led ones. In fairness they are 2 years old now so not cutting edge.

 

[aesmith]

I think it was @knighty that recommended some years back sourced via CPC. Not swaps for the tubes but they're cheap and so far I haven't had a single failure in 6 years and about 30 of them fitted.

I followed the same recommendation and I'm happy with the result. My old garage has had two 58W tubes for 3m x 5.5m area, not that bright but OK. New shed has three of those CPC lights in each 3m x 6m bay, definitely brighter and less power.

 

[minimutly]

feel the heat coming off an LED light and then the heat coming off any other type

all that heat is wasted energy

Depends on the time of year - you could argue that if you are using your heating then the tubes actually offset some of that.

 

[minimutly]

fitted hundreds of gu10 downlighter bulbs and led floodlights and had no bother whatsoever . the flood lights are fitted all round a school and on photocells and most are over 8 years old fitted before covid

I fitted daughter's kitchen, and ours out with B&Q gu10s, they were cheap as chips, 10 in a box. No failures in 5, maybe 6 years.

 

[Nick DV]

........................these days full unit replacement usually cheaper

Definitely, and much quicker

 

[fizzy]

Depends on the time of year - you could argue that if you are using your heating then the tubes actually offset some of that.

Exactly - for houses with electric heating it doesnt make a difference except perhaps in summer - which are few and far between in Wales

 

[indykid]

Or they could spend the extra 50p on better components and have them last 5 times as long, but there is no profit in that of course.

You only need to look at the Philips Dubai lamps to see the issue. Most LED lamp manufacturers are over driving the LEDs to get the light out of the minimum component count. The Dubai lamps have about two or three times the LED chips of a 'normal spec' lamp so they're run at lower current, cooler and more efficiently.

Buying better components won't get you that much more life if you continue to flog them to death. As has been said, I don't know the Dubai lamps make for a very compelling product on an open market, though.

 

[fizzy]

You only need to look at the Philips Dubai lamps to see the issue. Most LED lamp manufacturers are over driving the LEDs to get the light out of the minimum component count. The Dubai lamps have about two or three times the LED chips of a 'normal spec' lamp so they're run at lower current, cooler and more efficiently.

Buying better components won't get you that much more life if you continue to flog them to death. As has been said, I don't know the Dubai lamps make for a very compelling product on an open market, though.

Do they make chocolate as well

 

[indykid]

Do they make chocolate as well

No, but some of the warm white bulbs have a bit of a pistachio green tint

 

[MetalMonkey]

You only need to look at the Philips Dubai lamps to see the issue. Most LED lamp manufacturers are over driving the LEDs to get the light out of the minimum component count. The Dubai lamps have about two or three times the LED chips of a 'normal spec' lamp so they're run at lower current, cooler and more efficiently.

Buying better components won't get you that much more life if you continue to flog them to death. As has been said, I don't know the Dubai lamps make for a very compelling product on an open market, though.

The Dubai bulb was what I was thinking about as I typed that actually. Also the drivers themselves are often a point of failure - using poor quality caps for example.
I've repaired a couple of floodlights using just a generic driver, but only because they had a separate casing which you could unscrew - when they are all integrated and sealed up it is just not worth the effort.

I just find it very annoying that it is totally possible to make these things last, which should be a priority given the amount of resources tied up in them vs a piece of easily recycled glass. Even the early LED units were built much better IMO.
Same pretty much extends to any item you buy now – enshitifcation at its finest.