Incandescent/halogen ban?

[koraks]

dimmable and with ridiculous amounts of lumens

These are the characteristics that will make failure more likely Not your fault, of course - they're reasonable requirements. But they happen to be the requirements that do present inherent challenges to the driving circuitry, especially if a small form factor is desired.

 

[Ivo Stunga]

Then I have to clear things up: replacements were/are required in non-dimmable applications, but I want to find a decent dimmable LED replacement for my living room that currently sports incandescent - my searches have yielded only dissappointments.

 

[BMbikerider]

I started to read this post and was very nearly going to sleep. What a load of utter garbage some folk write. Mostly opinion formed from probably highly inaccurate theoretical ideas. My home is lit on the inside with 100% LED bulbs which total a consumption of around 290 watts (240v) if they were all switched on at the same time. In 9 years since I have lived here the only bulb that I have had to replaced is the one inside my microwave and one in my enlarger (twice)If I had them all switched on burning incandescent bulbs the consumption would be well over 2500 watts. Taking the cost into the equation, it simply is a no-brainer not to use them.

Most of the lighting is cool light LED with colour temperature of around 6000 degrees kelvin, which is very close to noon summer sunlight in Europe. There are a few running at 2500-3500 Kelvin in the bedrooms and lounge. There is another advantage of using them in the darkroom and that is they are perfect for assessing the colour balance of RA4 prints

As for bulbs used in items like enlargers, projectors, vehicles. etc they are, in UK at least, classed as 'specialist' bulbs and are in protected status meaning they will not be discontinued.

There two items still to be replaced and they are the strip lighting in my garage/workshop and they are also to become LED strip lights with more light and running cheaper as well.

All the street lighting in the county I live in are in the process of being changed to LED at a vast saving in cost to the local authorities cost

 

[BMbikerider]

Then I have to clear things up: replacements were/are required in non-dimmable applications, but I want to find a decent dimmable LED replacement for my living room that currently sports incandescent - my searches have yielded only dissappointments.

I use dimmable LED's in my bedrooms and they are fine. The only time I had to replace one in the 9 years since they were fitted, was after I knocked a bedside light off the small table and it broke when it hit the floor.

 

[koraks]

@Ivo Stunga product offerings are very specific to location, and what's available to me is not necessarily available to you.
All our interior lighting armatures have default E27 sockets, with the odd one E14 thrown in here and there. None of them require high lumen output because we prefer several not so bright lights spread across the room instead of one or two strong light sources. So my requirements are different, I guess.

Once upon a time I did have two standing lamps with 300W R7s halogen bulbs, but we decommissioned those (gf found them f*ugly...) and never bothered looking for LED alternatives. I just did a quick search and it looks like I could find a decent replacement for those today if I wanted. Dimmable, even. Perhaps not with the 3500lm output the original ones had, but when we still had these lamps, we would run them at only a fraction of that instead of their glaring full output power. I see 2500lm replacements for sale (dimmable, Philips, so a reputable brand at least), which would still have been way too bright.

The one place where there's no suitable LED alternative is in our electric oven. Due to the operation conditions, LED is out of the question. So I put up with replacing its little incandescent bulb several times a year.

 

[Ivo Stunga]

So I put up with replacing its little incandescent bulb several times a year.

Thanks for input! Haven't replaced my oven bulb like ever lol. 5+ years

 

[koraks]

It's one of the two gripes with our Ikea oven. The bulb is mounted in such a way that the vibrations from closing the door transfer perfectly to the filament. The other is that it tends to throw down condensation that subsequently pours down the cabinets below. Sorry, off topic.

 

[Helge]

The answer is to hoard incandescents from thrift shops and other sources where they are usually free to almost free.
I have a sizeable collection for house use to last me decades.

They are beginning to crawl up into price some places and since I’m allergic to speculation, especially from stupid people who think they have become aware “a thing” to exploit, it’s time to pounce on those last deals guys.

 

[Helge]

It's one of the two gripes with our Ikea oven. The bulb is mounted in such a way that the vibrations from closing the door transfer perfectly to the filament. The other is that it tends to throw down condensation that subsequently pours down the cabinets below. Sorry, off topic.

Get a Miele or Siemens oven next time or now. Thank me later.
Best home appliance producers bar none.
Ikea appliances while not terrible, are just with a lot of little gotchas, daily annoyances and kinks.

 

[Don_ih]

Not a single LED has failed during the last six years.

That those didn't fail is a testament to the quality of their production. But not all bulbs will be made of the highest quality parts. And as those cheaper options flood the market, fewer people will be willing to pay the higher price for the well-made ones, simply because the consumer puts price first - even for something that may not need to be replaced for six years. What will happen then is what normally happens - the manufacturers of the better bulbs will probably cut costs to be able to compete.

 

[koraks]

Ikea appliances while not terrible, are just with a lot of little gotchas, daily annoyances and kinks

Price is hard to beat, though When we upgrade or replace it, we might go for something more solid.
And frankly, our Ikea dishwasher is in reality a Bosch. I've had good experiences with those, so didn't hesitate with that one.
Thanks for the suggestion nonetheless; I'll keep it in mind!

 

[Don_ih]

Ikea has appliances?

 

[koraks]

You bet they do. Especially kitchen appliances, which is of course essential in offering a one-stop-shop experience. This was actually a major factor for us as well.

 

[Don_ih]

You bet they do. Especially kitchen appliances, which is of course essential in offering a one-stop-shop experience. This was actually a major factor for us as well.

I've only been in Ikea once and I didn't see any - nor have I ever heard of anyone getting them. I just looked online and, sure enough, they have appliances - although more expensive than from other sources.

 

[koraks]

although more expensive than from other sources.

Depends a bit, I suppose. When we were in the market for a dishwasher as part of our new kitchen, Ikea's Bosch offering was the cheapest one that was also actually available for delivery. The global chip shortage was pretty much at its peak at that moment, but we had no delay in getting our stuff. That was actually pretty valuable to us, as was the convenience aspect of not having to source it separately.
When shopping for an oven (which we purchased a few years prior), Ikea's was also financially attractive compared to competing offers. I suspect this particular oven is probably something like an Indesit, which is a low-tier brand here in Europe.
I'm not sure how Ikea's price levels work out in the Canadian market. It's possible they're not competitive on the North American continent in this category due to their sourcing strategy. Never really looked into it.

 

[Helge]

Price is hard to beat, though When we upgrade or replace it, we might go for something more solid.
And frankly, our Ikea dishwasher is in reality a Bosch. I've had good experiences with those, so didn't hesitate with that one.
Thanks for the suggestion nonetheless; I'll keep it in mind!

It’s like Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda.
BSH Hausgeräte GmbH does both Bosch and Siemens as well as other brands. For example the upscale, not worth it at all IMO, Gaggenau.
Siemens is the Volkswagen and Bosch the Seat or Skoda.
Then there is the Siemens engineering firm which is something different…
It’s complicated.

 

[Don_ih]

It's possible they're not competitive on the North American continent

I really don't know. I bought a Bosch dishwasher a few years ago and it cost about as much as the bottom-of-the-line economy model on Ikea's website - but it wasn't the cheapest Bosch dishwasher I could have purchased at the time. I haven't bought any other big appliances in decades, so....

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

@Ivo Stunga product offerings are very specific to location, and what's available to me is not necessarily available to you.
All our interior lighting armatures have default E27 sockets, with the odd one E14 thrown in here and there. None of them require high lumen output because we prefer several not so bright lights spread across the room instead of one or two strong light sources. So my requirements are different, I guess.

Once upon a time I did have two standing lamps with 300W R7s halogen bulbs, but we decommissioned those (gf found them f*ugly...) and never bothered looking for LED alternatives. I just did a quick search and it looks like I could find a decent replacement for those today if I wanted. Dimmable, even. Perhaps not with the 3500lm output the original ones had, but when we still had these lamps, we would run them at only a fraction of that instead of their glaring full output power. I see 2500lm replacements for sale (dimmable, Philips, so a reputable brand at least), which would still have been way too bright.

The one place where there's no suitable LED alternative is in our electric oven. Due to the operation conditions, LED is out of the question. So I put up with replacing its little incandescent bulb several times a year.

When my 39W (50W listed) halogen shower light went out, I replaced it and bought 4 spares, good for about 16 years. There is an LED replacement now, but I think I'll just keep the halogens. I figure they only use a little power each day, so I doubt if there will be much savings to make it worth changing.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Thanks for input! Haven't replaced my oven bulb like ever lol. 5+ years

I have. What a pain in the neck. Also, the lights under the built in microwave above the range. Another job. While we're at it, forget changing and cleaning the spark maker on the gas range. Another project.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

You bet they do. Especially kitchen appliances, which is of course essential in offering a one-stop-shop experience. This was actually a major factor for us as well.

Do you have to assemble them like an Ikea cabinet?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Depends a bit, I suppose. When we were in the market for a dishwasher as part of our new kitchen, Ikea's Bosch offering was the cheapest one that was also actually available for delivery. The global chip shortage was pretty much at its peak at that moment, but we had no delay in getting our stuff. That was actually pretty valuable to us, as was the convenience aspect of not having to source it separately.
When shopping for an oven (which we purchased a few years prior), Ikea's was also financially attractive compared to competing offers. I suspect this particular oven is probably something like an Indesit, which is a low-tier brand here in Europe.
I'm not sure how Ikea's price levels work out in the Canadian market. It's possible they're not competitive on the North American continent in this category due to their sourcing strategy. Never really looked into it.

We had GE Profile washer and dryer that started to have problems after 13 years. So we bought GE Profile again figuring to stick with something that worked pretty good. What crap! They rattle and make strange sounds. Every week lately, I get a letter from GE offering me the extended service agreement for $10 a month. I think they're telling me something. Of course, it's made in China where many still use wash boards. I think that's telling me something too.

 

[koraks]

Do you have to assemble them like an Ikea cabinet?

Only the light bulb assembly No, they're ready to go.

Of course, it's made in China where many still use wash boards.

Uhm. I think it's a rather varied country where you find technology just as advanced as in any Western nation, side by side with very basic ways of living - again, much like we see in Western nations (at least we could see this, provided we don't close our eyes to it...)

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...Not a single LED has failed during the last six years...

That those didn't fail is a testament to the quality of their production. But not all bulbs will be made of the highest quality parts. And as those cheaper options flood the market, fewer people will be willing to pay the higher price for the well-made ones, simply because the consumer puts price first - even for something that may not need to be replaced for six years...

My late grandfather once told me that I wasn't wealthy enough to afford cheap things. Even as the crapification of consumer goods has progressed in recent decades, it always seems there's a higher priced option available that, while perhaps not as durable as products from the middle of the last century, is head and shoulders above "average." I don't hesitate to pay its cost for anything I expect to keep/need more than a short period. The LEDs I purchased six years ago were most definitely not inexpensive. Nonetheless, they've paid back their cost already in lower electrical cost, and are still going strong.

 

[koraks]

The tricky bit is to figure out in which instances the higher price correlates with higher quality. Sadly, I've had big-brand and relatively costly equipment fail, and upon analyzing the problem, found that the engineering was mediocre at best. On the other hand, I've had dirt cheap stuff last surprisingly long because it was engineered decently, albeit with a keen eye on reducing production costs. If only it were possible to judge from the outside what you're going to get!

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

The tricky bit is to figure out in which instances the higher price correlates with higher quality. Sadly, I've had big-brand and relatively costly equipment fail, and upon analyzing the problem, found that the engineering was mediocre at best. On the other hand, I've had dirt cheap stuff last surprisingly long because it was engineered decently, albeit with a keen eye on reducing production costs. If only it were possible to judge from the outside what you're going to get!

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