{"id":1604,"date":"2016-02-07T15:54:42","date_gmt":"2016-02-07T21:54:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/warrenharris.net\/blog2\/?p=1604"},"modified":"2016-02-08T07:21:20","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T13:21:20","slug":"led-replacements-for-halogen-gu10-bulbs-that-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warrenharris.net\/blog2\/led-replacements-for-halogen-gu10-bulbs-that-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"LED Replacements for Halogen GU10 Bulbs that ROCK!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We just recently blew in a nice thick layer of insulation in our attic to decrease our energy usage and even out the temperature across the house.\u00a0 Prior to this we have been replacing all our lighting with LED for these reasons.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. They use less energy<\/li>\n
  2. They last a lot longer<\/li>\n
  3. They create almost no heat (which is very beneficial in the Texas Summer)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"GU10<\/a>

    GU10 bulb<\/p><\/div>\n

    We have about a dozen or so of the miniature halogen GU10 fixtures throughout the house.\u00a0 These are very similar to the ubiquitous MR-16 bulbs that have been popular for decades, but fitted with a bayonet mount.\u00a0 Some are on dimmers and some are not.\u00a0 We like the color and style of these lights, but they use a lot of juice and create a lot of heat.\u00a0 But we really like the look.<\/p>\n

    All this changed after we blew in 14″ of insulation, though.\u00a0 The problem with the halogen bulbs is they generate a lot of heat.\u00a0 After you bury them with a thick layer of insulation, this heat really starts to build up – and they overheat and shut down to protect themselves.\u00a0 This is at best a royal pain and at worst a potential fire hazard.<\/p>\n

    This is where the search for an acceptable LED replacement started.\u00a0 I went through several products that were not acceptable.\u00a0 They were either far too dim, or the wrong color (some were actually yellow) or just cheap and subject to failure.\u00a0 One batch I received, though very reasonably priced, were a mix of white and yellow looking bulbs (mostly yellow) which is great if you want to look sallow and jaundiced, but not what we wanted in our kitchen.\u00a0 If we do a zombie themed Halloween party, we may put those back in, just for the effect…<\/p>\n

    What it comes down to is that LEDs use a lot less wattage for the same number of lum<\/p>\n

    \"MR-16<\/a>

    MR-16 bulb<\/p><\/div>\n

    ens of light as halogen.\u00a0 A 50 watt halogen bulb is pretty bright.\u00a0 Some manufacturers state their 4 watt LED bulb is equivalent to a 50 watt halogen.\u00a0 Not in my experience.\u00a0 Some say their 5 watt bulb is the same.\u00a0 Not what I found.\u00a0 The 6.5 watt bulbs are touted as a replacement by some vendors.\u00a0 Not in our application.\u00a0 And then there is the color temperature.\u00a0 Light temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin, with daylight falling somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 degrees Kelvin.\u00a0 “Warm” lighting is somewhere in the 2,700 to 3,000 range, but this depends a lot on the design of the LED filtering employed in each manufacturer’s bulb.\u00a0 This is still an emerging industry and it seems to me there is a significant lack of consistency at this time.<\/p>\n

    The bulbs we finally settled on are the ones below.\u00a0 They are robustly constructed with excellent heat sinks and cooling, rated at 8 watts and 5,000 Kelvin for a daylight color and I really like them.\u00a0 They are a very white daylight-looking light, as bright as a 50 watt halogen or better and dimmable.<\/p>\n

    The heat sink assembly and bezel are a medium gunmetal gray and the bezel is ventilated to allow for airflow and cooling.\u00a0 It is a very nice look.\u00a0 These are also a 60 degree wide beam, which is a floodlight rather than a spotlight.\u00a0 This is perfect for our needs.\u00a0 If you need something more narrow like a spot, these are the wrong ones.<\/p>\n

    We finally found the ones we like and I recommend them highly.\u00a0 They are more expensive than halogen, but they use less energy and last a LOT longer.\u00a0 Amortizing in the initial cost with the effective lifespan of roughly 20 years, you are spending roughly 65 cents per year while you save a bundle on energy.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • First of all, energy is billed in Kilowatt Hours (KWH).\u00a0 This is 1,000 watts in use for 1 hour.<\/li>\n
    • (10) 100 watt bulbs or (20) 50 watt bulbs on for one hour would be 1 KWH<\/li>\n
    • Lets say you are paying 9 cents per KWH and have 10 of these in your home.<\/li>\n
    • That’s 500 watts you are using or 1\/2 KWH.<\/li>\n
    • Let’s say you have them on for 5 hours a day.<\/li>\n
    • That amounts to 2,500 watts or 2.5KW.<\/li>\n
    • Multiply that by .09 and you get .225 or roughly 22 cents per day.<\/li>\n
    • Multiply that by 365 days and you have $82.13 in energy annually for just these 10 bulbs for 5 hours a day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Let’s do the same math for LEDs.<\/h4>\n
        \n
      • At 8 watts time 10 bulbs that’s only 80 watts.<\/li>\n
      • Multiply that by 5 hours and you get 400 watts, not even half a kilowatt.<\/li>\n
      • Multiply that by 365 and you get 146\u00a0 kilowatts<\/li>\n
      • Multiply that by .09 and you have $13.14 per year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        It’s a pretty significant savings, especially when you factor it in over the 20 year lifespan.<\/h4>\n

        Let’s just say you’re saving $60 per year<\/h5>\n
        Over 20 years, that’s a $1,200 savings.<\/h5>\n

        I don’t know if this is worth it to you, but it sure is to us.<\/p>\n

        Single bulbs are $12.99 each (sounds expensive, but they last about 20 years)<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n