Best Source for LED Bulbs?

Question

Hey Guys -

I've done the math and it is time to switch the bulbs in my home to LED.  Does anyone have a recommendation for good pricing on these?  I like the Philips bulbs best.

Any and all feedback would be great!

Jon Holdman · Answer

LEDs don't run directly on 110 volt AC in any case.  There's always some circuitry that converts to the proper voltage, typically 5 volt DC.  The actual LEDs are not dimmable.  They're either on or off.

We deal with LEDs on boards we design for my day job.  The corporate human factors folks specify both the color (wavelength) and intensity for the plethora of indicators we have to put on these boards.  If you've ever had some device that had a bright indicator you ended up covering with tape you'll understand why this does really matter.  Unfortunately, off the shelf LEDs with the correct color are much brighter than the standard.   To control the brightness, we use PWM (pulse width modulation).  That is, we simply turn it on and off very quickly so the perceived brightness is reduced.  You vary the intensity by adjusting the on time vs. the off time.   The same technique is used to control fan speed in many devices.  I do see many bulbs that state they are dimmable.  I assume they're doing something similar.

Jon Holdman · Answer

I'm about to try some, too.   Monoprice seems to have pretty good prices:

http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=122&cp_id=1...

They have a lot of sales, and have had these on sale lately.  Sign up for their e-mails.  Best source I've found for cables and such, too.

Roy N. · Answer

Eddie:

Home Depot carries a fair, and growing, collection of LED lights (at least here in Canada).  Commercial Electric out of Cleveland is manufacturing a good selection of LED fixtures (no bulbs).  There are several other manufacturers as well ... if you drop by your local electrical wholesaler/supplier (the guy your electrician orders through) you should be able to find what you need.

Eddie T. · Answer

@Roy N. @Jon Holdman

Would you gentleman have any suggestions of where i can purchase LED light fixtures at good prices? I can purchase in bulk if necessary.

Thanks

Matt Miller · Answer

I have been getting them off Amazon.  If you have Prime, they are hard to beat on the prices.

Marvin Anaya · Answer

I manage programs across the US, not just Chicago. If you're interested in finding out if there is a rebate program in your area you can send me a quick message. Also, if anyone has questions about LEDs or any other lamps in general I've got a lot of information at my disposal.

Marvin

Therese V. · Answer

Is that just in Chicago?

Marvin Anaya · Answer

Hello everyone!

I actually work for GE Lighting here in Chicago and manage utility rebate programs. If anyone has any specific questions on LEDs or otherwise, feel free to message me/connect, I'd be glad to help.

Marvin

Ryan Lott · Answer

Forgot to include price of the bulb ... $7.97 is current retail

Ryan Lott · Answer

We've been switching all of our bulbs over to LED's over the course of the last year and a half.

Been using these Cree dimmable LED's for enclosed fixtures (A19 60w eq.):

sku #1000003071 @ Home Depot

It's important to note that GE will start offering rebates on LED's as of June 1 so at that point we'll switch back to our local distributor (Evergreen Supply in Chicago).

Best Source for LED Bulbs?

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