Why not LED bulbs?

[soup]

We ran out of spare bulbs so I was tasked with getting new ones. "None of that LED crap mind".

Now I knew 'florescent' lights set of (photo sensitive) epilepsy due to their flicker, and that the 'old' energy saving bulbs used to take ages to brighten up. So back then filament was the way to go. Nowadays I can't seem to get filament bulbs for love nor money (except on Amazon where they tend to get crap reviews)is there a reason to still use filament bulbs rather than LED ones? Would think the difference in purchase price is WAY outweighed by running and replacement savings.

[Andy Burns]

IME, no.

[Brian Reay]

It has taken me a long time to convert to LED bulbs and I still haven't fully converted. I've not change en-masse, more as bulbs fail, other than in a few places were I want Smart bulbs controlled by Alexa.

I've found a good source for most bulbs- to replace basic 100W and 60W, from Ikea, including there Tradri 'Smart' bulbs which work with Alexa. The Ikea bulbs are mainly Edison Screw, which is a niggle, but you can by converters, or change the fittings.

B&Q do some (Dial?) which I've also used, they seem fine.

I have a Philips HUE Smart one, it was 'free' with one of our Alexa's. It is good, but they are more expensive than the Ikea ones. However, I think they will work with Hive, which the Ikea ones don't.

For florescent replacements, I used the ones from Screwfix, I think about £15 each for the 5ft ones (I use in the garage). You get a special 'starter' (really just a blank/short circuit) and pop in the new tube. No flicker, instant light, and very bright etc.

I can't find a Smart Golf ball LED or even dimmable bulb equivalent to 40W.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

There are some reasons. Like where the 'bulb' is visible and looks better than the LED equivalent. And the actual light quality from a LED still doesn't match that of halogen. Although it may get there eventually.

[John Rumm]

There are a few reasons:

You can't get adequate light output from a single lamp

They need to operate in a high temperature environment where the electronics of a LED lamp would fail.

Where full spectrum colour is absolutely required (all the current "white" LEDs are AFAIAA basically generating light using fluorescent phosphors being excited by blue LEDs - and so produce white light with a discontinuous spectra in much the same way as a CFL and other discharge lighting)

In very low usage scenarios, where its not worth the cost of a more expensive lamp. (I have a conventional bulb in my shed - it probably gets turned on for less than an hour a year).

Where you have a long wire run with some inductive coupling that causes LED lamps to flash when turned off.

Where you need some additional minimum load on a dimmer.

Where you need a full and very wide range of dimming, and want to retain the natural shift in colour temperature that you get with filament lamps.

In applications that flash lamps - some LEDs don't decay in output as quickly due to their capacitive droppers/PSUs.

You need a form factor not available in LED

You don't like the light quality / colour

In the majority of cases.

[tabbypurr]

Philips have removed the last real use for filaments, in chandeliers, with their, I forget the name, but a plastic crown that creates a filament-like appearance.

The only use left for filaments is in ovens & heaters. And I guess historic fittings that no LED or CFL fits.

NT

[Clive Arthur]

And lava-lamps. And short-circuit mitigators for electric frankfurter cookers.

Cheers

[tabbypurr]

Yes, lava lamps. Didn't realise there were still sausage electrocuters in use.

And dial lamps in old gear. They can't always be replaced with LEDs. They also work as short current limiters.

NT

[Adam Funk]

Isn't that just a case of "what a light bulb should like" being what you're used to?

[Adam Funk]

In the future, they will have a separate LED & heating element!

???

[Chris Green]

Sounds like any half-decent, modern, fluorescent fitting! :-)

[Adrian Caspersz]

Alternative reasons...

"Eventually if domestic consumers ever move over to getting billed in kVAh (apparent power), we'll be worrying about all the badly made 0.5pf LED capacitor dropper lamps costing us twice what they promised on their power rating..."

"CFL bulbs contain mercury, LED bulbs contain arsenic..."

"It glows in the dark, that scares me. The last thing that did that was my windup alarm clock. They said it was radioactive!!"

"That lamp fitting says 60W Incandescent, so I have to fit an old style light bulb. I have a bulk store of these.."

"Son, If you remove that light bulb from that socket and don't replace it quick-as with one of the same, all the electrikery will leak out all over the floor and I'll owe them an bloomin' fortune..."

[FMurtz]

didn't you know filament lamps mean the end of the earth ecologically?

[Martin Brown]

That is the only one that I think is still a problem. No good priced LED equivalents for 150W, 200W and 250W bulbs.

Some corn on cob sorts are available but still expensive as yet.

That is certainly an issue in ovens and some closed glass shades.

They are very much better than fluorescents but even so you couldn't do satisfactory daylight colour matching under one.

My remaining filament bulbs are in the seldom used light fittings. It naturally happens that way if you replace on failure.

That is another practical one where having one filament bulb to match the dimmers operating load is necessary. Incidentally I am not all that impressed with supposedly dimmable lights and controllers - a friend with some high end ones is on his umpteenth free replacement of the dimmer which seems to expire with monotonous regularity.

Some of the variable colour LEDs could be programmed to do that.

They have come on a long way. Warm white is now a pretty good match for filament bulbs.

And by some margin. Trouble is people tend to notice the shelf price and then ignore the longer term lifetime running costs.

[FMurtz]

At least you can spell it.

[tabbypurr]

still much cheaper than filaments

filaments contain thorium

no, green glowing alarm clocks were not radioactive. Nor are LEDs. The few radioactive watches glowed all night long without fade.

[Clive Arthur]

<snip>

Though I have to admit that while I'd rarely leave an incandescent lamp on, I will do so more often with an Ellie D.

Cheers

[whisky-dave]

Well I still prefer halogen for their warm colour light when dimmed, but LEDs are OK for most things and I prefer the warm white LED ones to the cool ones.

If you don;t want the hassle of getting a new dimmer and dimmable LED's then it might be better sticking with filament. Filament might have a use in keeping small areas warm, my dad used 15W pigmy bulbs as heat sources in nest boxes and hostital cages when he bred budgies.

[Scott]

A fridge where there is a setting to leave the light on permanently during periods of low ambient temperature to force the compressor to keep working. Mine is a Bosch, with this 'winter' setting. An LED bulb would be no good as it produces no heat.

[John Rumm]

Indeed a favourite of anyone doing repair on electronics with high voltage thermionic devices on board.