G9 LED

[JohnP]

We have a central ceiling light fitting with 5 x G9 lampholders.

I have had 40watt halogen G9s in but want to change to LED.

The first set (5watt)I got didn't like the dimmer so I bought a Trailing Edge Dimmer. I decided they were not bright enough so I bought some more that claim to have higher lumens. Now wife is saying the room looks dull.

Are Lumens to be believed? About to swop the 8 watt ones for a third set.

Any suggestions?

The Halogens claimed to be 460 Lumens.

The 8 watt LEDs claim 550 Lumens.

I am considering some that claim to be 720 lumens. Is it to be believed?

Any suggestions?

[Paul]

Colour temperature. Change from a 2700K to something a bit higher up. There might be 3500K, 4500K, 9000K (bicycle light). The 9000K would have a definite bluish tint to it.

Or, have wife tested :-)

I fondly remember picking a LED bulb at the store, which said on the package "this is not a yellow bulb". I took it home, projected light from previous bulb and new bulb. And new bulb light was definitely yellow :-) It became most obvious, when comparing the light outputs at the same time.

Paul

[tim...]

IME a 5W LED is more than sufficient as a replacement for a 40W incandescent

I had 40W bulbs in my bedside lamps and replaced them with 5E LEDs, and it was far too bright

I had to swap them out for CFLs

[Jeff Layman]

I changed my 42W G9 halogen to leds several years ago. IME G9 leds have nowhere near the lumen output they say they have. I've increased the "wattage" but with very little increase in light output. I've also had to replace four of the eight leds as they have burnt out or several of the individual leds in the "cob" have failed.

Remember too that light fittings designed for G9 halogens will probably be unsuitable for G9 leds if they - more-or-less - point down, and have no ventilation for the heat building up around the led's base to escape.

In the long run you'd be better off changing the central fitting to something designed for use with leds, preferably with an ES or MES fitting.

[Tim+]

I think the issue is with the way that LEDs dim. They just get dimmer. Filament bulbs get yellower/warmer as you dim them and that?s what we?re used to. When you dim an LED you don?t get this change in colour temperature and it can indeed look ?dull? when dimmed.

If it?s dull before you?ve dimmed them you?ve probably just bought the wrong colour temperature bulb.

Tim

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Its all in the frequency of the lumens I'd suggest, you remember cfls? They were often accused of being dim and making rooms look spotty, this was the bands used to radiate the light not being chosen well for the human eye. I'd expect similar issues with leds. Maybe you like the particular effect of the halogen, which to me always seemed to be kind of greeninsh yellow. Mind you I was losing my sight at the time of course. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Having heard all that, yes its colour temperature, but it can also be the frequency variation within that range that affects some people. If either of you have the beginnings of a cataract, for example some bulbs will make the room look lacking in contrast. Brian