Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

On Mon, 2 Dec 2013 18:43:00 -0500, "Gary"
wrote:

Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary
I've switched all the MR16 and GU10 bulbs in my house and the vast
majority at the office over to LEDs. I used cheap Chinese units and
have had a higher than expected failure rate (but no worse than when I
first switched over to CFL bulbs - The early ones were a
DISASTER!!!!!.
The savings in electricity using the LEDs over Halogens was more than
duplicated by the reduction in air conditioning costs because they run
SO MUCH COOLER!!!

I have now also replaced virtually all of the CFL PAR floods in the
house with Philips LED replacements - and most of the standard E27
base standard bulbs as well. Spent a bit more on the Philips dimmable
units instead of importing cheaper Chinese stuff off e-bay. (mabee
I've learned a thing or two??)
I'll replace the "special" bulbs like the globes in the bathroom
fixtures, and the chandelier, as decently priced, acceptable
replacements become available.

Gary:

You should be aware that your halogen bulbs are using nearly as much electricity as regular incandescent bulbs, and most of the energy they consume is being wasted as heat.
Fundamentally, the primary difference between a halogen bulb and a regular incandescent bulb is that halogen bulbs have bromine or iodine gas in the bulb rather than an inert gas like argon. The halogens (bromine and iodine) react with the tungsten atoms that come boiling off the hot filiment and redeposit the tungsten atoms back onto the filiment, so that halogen bulbs don't darken with age the way regular incandescent bulbs do. Also, halogen bulbs operate at a much higher temperature so they use a quartz bulb rather than regular silica glass.

Still, you will realize a substantial electrical savings if you switch to either compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs. I would consider compact fluorescent bulbs instead simply because their price is lower and the price of LED bulbs is still coming down. LED bulbs are supposed to last very much longer than CFL bulbs, so maybe LED is the way to go to save more over the long term because you won't be replacing bulbs nearly as quickly.

Per nestork:
I would consider
compact fluorescent bulbs instead simply because their price is lower
and the price of LED bulbs is still coming down. LED bulbs are supposed
to last very much longer than CFL bulbs, so maybe LED is the way to go
to save more over the long term because you won't be replacing bulbs
nearly as quickly.

I just had my second CFL bulb fail. I can't cite how many hours it had
on it, and maybe it was a defective product....but it's obvious to me
that the cost per hour for those 2 bulbs was hugely higher than any
incandescent.
--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per nestork:
I just had my second CFL bulb fail. I can't cite how many hours it
had on it, and maybe it was a defective product....but it's obvious
to me that the cost per hour for those 2 bulbs was hugely higher than
any incandescent.

At 6 or 8 bulbs for 1$, I'd have a hard time justifying anything other than my
CFLs. I bought a bunch at that price.

On Tue, 3 Dec 2013 04:29:19 +0100, nestork
wrote:


Gary:

You should be aware that your halogen bulbs are using nearly as much
electricity as regular incandescent bulbs, and most of the energy they
consume is being wasted as heat.

About half. The light is much "whiter", as well, which helps.

Fundamentally, the primary difference between a halogen bulb and a
regular incandescent bulb is that halogen bulbs have bromine or iodine
gas in the bulb rather than an inert gas like argon. The halogens
(bromine and iodine) react with the tungsten atoms that come boiling off
the hot filiment and redeposit the tungsten atoms back onto the
filiment, so that halogen bulbs don't darken with age the way regular
incandescent bulbs do. Also, halogen bulbs operate at a much higher
temperature so they use a quartz bulb rather than regular silica glass.

Higher temperature = higher efficiency. More of the radiant energy
is in the visible range.

Still, you will realize a substantial electrical savings if you switch
to either compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs. I would consider
compact fluorescent bulbs instead simply because their price is lower
and the price of LED bulbs is still coming down. LED bulbs are supposed
to last very much longer than CFL bulbs, so maybe LED is the way to go
to save more over the long term because you won't be replacing bulbs
nearly as quickly.

CFLs suck. LEDs may be ready for prime time soon.

On 12/2/2013 6:28 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 2 Dec 2013 18:43:00 -0500, "Gary"
wrote:

Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary
I've switched all the MR16 and GU10 bulbs in my house and the vast
majority at the office over to LEDs. I used cheap Chinese units and
have had a higher than expected failure rate (but no worse than when I
first switched over to CFL bulbs - The early ones were a
DISASTER!!!!!.


Must have been a bad batch or brand cause I still have most of mine. I'm
still waiting for them to fail so I can replace them with LEDs.

On 12/2/2013 6:43 PM, Gary wrote:
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in
our ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is
expensive and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out
bulbs. If possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a
whole house surge protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the
ceilings. Would that be a better option? We have no experience with
LED lighting. We would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

I'd ask to visit some of his earlier customers, and
see what they think. Maybe you know someone who did
this (work, church, up and down the street) and can
ask. From here, it sounds good.

I'm in NY, USA. I've got some CFL bulbs. The LED bulbs
I have are from China, and not very bright. I use one
for a night light in the bathroom. Tried one over the
kitchen sink, but 2 watts isn't enough to wash dishes.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:14:33 -0500, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 12/2/2013 6:43 PM, Gary wrote:
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in
our ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is
expensive and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out
bulbs. If possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a
whole house surge protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the
ceilings. Would that be a better option? We have no experience with
LED lighting. We would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

I'd ask to visit some of his earlier customers, and
see what they think. Maybe you know someone who did
this (work, church, up and down the street) and can
ask. From here, it sounds good.

I'm in NY, USA. I've got some CFL bulbs. The LED bulbs
I have are from China, and not very bright. I use one
for a night light in the bathroom. Tried one over the
kitchen sink, but 2 watts isn't enough to wash dishes.
12 and 15 watt LEDs are as bright as 50 - 80 watt bulbs.

wrote:
On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:14:33 -0500, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 12/2/2013 6:43 PM, Gary wrote:
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in
our ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is
expensive and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out
bulbs. If possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a
whole house surge protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the
ceilings. Would that be a better option? We have no experience with
LED lighting. We would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

I'd ask to visit some of his earlier customers, and
see what they think. Maybe you know someone who did
this (work, church, up and down the street) and can
ask. From here, it sounds good.

I'm in NY, USA. I've got some CFL bulbs. The LED bulbs
I have are from China, and not very bright. I use one
for a night light in the bathroom. Tried one over the
kitchen sink, but 2 watts isn't enough to wash dishes.
12 and 15 watt LEDs are as bright as 50 - 80 watt bulbs.

Hi,
Right off the bat, two things came to mind. LEDs run very cool.
Halogen runs very hot. Air conditioning may run less. Also LEDs
use very little power. I am gradually replacing our lighting
devices with LEDs. Price is getting better too.

"Gary" wrote:
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in
our ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is
expensive and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out
bulbs. If possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole
house surge protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings.
Would that be a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting.
We would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

Can't imagine 85 lights.

Can't imagine blowing halogen lights.

Any kind of electronic control is going to be subject to blowing.

Suppressor good idea but not foolproof.

I have a headache.

Greg

In article ,
"Gary" wrote:

Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

LEDs will definitely save you electricity and if you use AC as suggested
later in this thread, the savings will mount: that's efficiency. The
bigger question is efficacy: how much does electricity cost and how much
will the replacement bulbs cost...do a cost benefit analysis and see if
you get a reasonable payback period

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:20:17 -0800, "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds"
wrote:

In article ,
"Gary" wrote:

Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

LEDs will definitely save you electricity and if you use AC as suggested
later in this thread, the savings will mount: that's efficiency. The
bigger question is efficacy: how much does electricity cost and how much
will the replacement bulbs cost...do a cost benefit analysis and see if
you get a reasonable payback period
If the ones I replaced in the office last 6 months they pay for
themselves in the summer @ $6 each.. (from what I remember) Takes
significantly longer in the winter as the halogens decrease the
heating fuel requirement significantly.

On 12/3/2013 8:26 AM, wrote:
If the ones I replaced in the office last 6 months they pay for
themselves in the summer @ $6 each.. (from what I remember) Takes
significantly longer in the winter as the halogens decrease the
heating fuel requirement significantly.

Electric heat, versus furnace. Not sure what
your heat source is, but most places, electric
heat costs more.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Tue, 03 Dec 2013 08:36:40 -0500, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 12/3/2013 8:26 AM, wrote:
If the ones I replaced in the office last 6 months they pay for
themselves in the summer @ $6 each.. (from what I remember) Takes
significantly longer in the winter as the halogens decrease the
heating fuel requirement significantly.

Electric heat, versus furnace. Not sure what
your heat source is, but most places, electric
heat costs more.
Yup - but if you are figuring pay-back on an investment in "low
power" bulbs you need to take it into consideration. You are getting
the heat from halogens - whether you need it or not. In the summer it
costs to remove the heat. In the winter you save a bit on heat.

With LEDs there is no heat load to remove, and no heat gain to reduce
heating requirements. Doesn't matter which costs more, because you
are not installing gas lights.

In article ,
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Dec 2013 08:36:40 -0500, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 12/3/2013 8:26 AM, wrote:
If the ones I replaced in the office last 6 months they pay for
themselves in the summer @ $6 each.. (from what I remember) Takes
significantly longer in the winter as the halogens decrease the
heating fuel requirement significantly.

Electric heat, versus furnace. Not sure what
your heat source is, but most places, electric
heat costs more.
Yup - but if you are figuring pay-back on an investment in "low
power" bulbs you need to take it into consideration. You are getting
the heat from halogens - whether you need it or not. In the summer it
costs to remove the heat. In the winter you save a bit on heat.

With LEDs there is no heat load to remove, and no heat gain to reduce
heating requirements. Doesn't matter which costs more, because you
are not installing gas lights.

If I were using a heat pump one watt of electricity would produce more
useable heat than the halogen and I wouldn't be adding to my cooling
load in the summer, so unless you live in an area that has more heating
degree days than cooling days by a significant ration, using halogens is
just not really a good move

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 5:36:40 AM UTC-8, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 12/3/2013 8:26 AM, wrote:

If the ones I replaced in the office last 6 months they pay for

themselves in the summer @ $6 each.. (from what I remember) Takes

significantly longer in the winter as the halogens decrease the

heating fuel requirement significantly.



Electric heat, versus furnace. Not sure what

your heat source is, but most places, electric

heat costs more.


Stormie, I assume you are talking about GAS furnaces? Cost of GAS vs. ELECtric? Thread drifting, sorry...

We have a gas wall heater which (unfortunately) replaced floor furnaces after a house fire years ago. The floor furnaces radiated heat UPWARDS, thus heating the rooms. The wall heater also radiates heat upward, thus heating the ceiling. Some heat eventually drifts back down to heat the room. Deflectors at the wall heater help a little but the end result is still less effective and more wasteful than the old floor furnace.

Because of this inefficiency (and gas heaters sucking oxygen out of air!) we use small electric space heaters for limited time in specific areas (breakfast, computer,etc.) Elec does cost more, so we use elec heaters that have 'n'-hour auto shutoffs, in case we forget to shut off when leaving area.

Of course in places with cold winters, all the above goes out the windows (unless properly sealed). Which raises the question how ventilate if openings sealed?

HB



HB

In article ,
Higgs Boson wrote:

Of course in places with cold winters, all the above goes out the windows (=
unless properly sealed). Which raises the question how ventilate if openin=
gs sealed?

I can't speak for everybody in the North.

We wait for a relatively warm day (say, 30 F), turn off the furnace and
crack a few windows open for a while. Once the house temperature drops
about 10 degrees, we close 'em back up again and turn the furnace on.

We get some ventilation from our house being older and not all that
tight, and of course some fresh air comes in when the doors are opened
and when the kitchen or bathroom fans are running.

We've been thinking about installing a fresh air ventilation system
that would pull outdoor air into the cold air return ducts and then
through the furnace.

Cindy Hamilton
--

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:20:17 -0800, "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds"
wrote:

In article ,
"Gary" wrote:

Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in
our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is
expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house
surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that
be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

LEDs will definitely save you electricity and if you use AC as suggested
later in this thread, the savings will mount: that's efficiency. The
bigger question is efficacy: how much does electricity cost and how much
will the replacement bulbs cost...do a cost benefit analysis and see if
you get a reasonable payback period
If the ones I replaced in the office last 6 months they pay for
themselves in the summer @ $6 each.. (from what I remember) Takes
significantly longer in the winter as the halogens decrease the
heating fuel requirement significantly.

If you replace a standard 100 watt incandescent bulb with its halogen
equivalent the wattage will drop to 72 watts; so the heat provided by the
halogen will be down by 28% since there's a 1:1 correspondence between bulb
wattage and heat output.

Tomsic

On Monday, December 2, 2013 6:43:00 PM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs.

Research suggests a major reason for CFL bulb failure is when electronics are positioned above the light and in a confined areas where heat does not ventilate. Same problem was noted in some electronics magazines for LEDs. Whereas the LED is more efficient, it still produces significant heat. Therefore requires fixtures that permit airflow past the bulb.

Try but a few the first time to learn if excess heat is a problem.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 12:47:20 AM UTC-5, westom wrote:
On Monday, December 2, 2013 6:43:00 PM UTC-5, Gary wrote:

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our

ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive

and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs.



Research suggests a major reason for CFL bulb failure is when electronics are positioned above the light and in a confined areas where heat does not ventilate. Same problem was noted in some electronics magazines for LEDs. Whereas the LED is more efficient, it still produces significant heat. Therefore requires fixtures that permit airflow past the bulb.


You don't need airflow past the bulb. You just need a design that
can dissipate the heat from the LED itself. They have LED recessed ceiling fixtures that even come with a
gasket to seal them off completely and pass ASTM 283 standard. In fact, that
is one huge benefit, that you can have a recessed light with no air leakage
into an attic, etc.




Try but a few the first time to learn if excess heat is a problem.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 9:17:26 AM UTC-5, wrote:
You don't need airflow past the bulb. You just need a design that
can dissipate the heat from the LED itself.

No air flow over a heatsink that cools the LED means it overheats.

On Wednesday, December 4, 2013 8:59:19 AM UTC-5, westom wrote:
On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 9:17:26 AM UTC-5, wrote:

You don't need airflow past the bulb. You just need a design that

can dissipate the heat from the LED itself.



No air flow over a heatsink that cools the LED means it overheats.

Then the typical LED recessed light that one buys should
have specs and install instructions that say airflow past
some heatsink is required. Yet there are plenty of them from
the major manufacturers whe

A - They are specifically sealed and certified to be airtight
between the living space and the attic. That is a major advantage
of LEDs, that you don't have hot air in the winter and cold air
in the summer leaking into the attic, cathedral ceiling, etc.

B - The housing is rated for direct contact with insulation,
you can cover it with insulation.

I have yet to see one talk about required minimum airflow.
Perhaps you could provide the spec sheet or install instructions
that say that.

Heatsinks, etc WITHIN the light are involved. Maybe they
rely on airflow within the fixture itself too.
But it doesn't require airflow past the fixture to keep
it from overheating. Good grief. Typical fixture is only
15W in a 5" fixture, so there isn't very much heat to
deal with.

On Thursday, December 5, 2013 9:05:01 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Then the typical LED recessed light that one buys should
have specs and install instructions that say airflow past
some heatsink is required. Yet there are plenty of them from
the major manufacturers whe ...

In optics engineering magazines were numerous articles on overheating of both CFL and LED bulbs. Fixtures designed for incandescent bulbs do not need same airflow. CFL bulb life expectancy tends to be shorter when the bulb is positioned so that electronics are above the glowing gas. LEDs radiate their heat into a heatsink that is ineffective if airflow does not exist in the fixture. Both problems seriously diminish bulb life expectancy. A problem not discussed at the consumer level. Similar problems with sodium bulb orientation were not discussed at the consumer level decades previously.

LED bulbs (such as those that won the X-prize) need airflow over the heatsinke. LEDs at that wattage have heat problems not found in LEDs at lesser power levels.

On Monday, December 2, 2013 3:43:00 PM UTC-8, Gary wrote:
Hi,



Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our

ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive

and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If

possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge

protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be

a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would

appreciate your opinions.



Thanks,

Gary

Recessed lighting was originally used in stores to light the merchandise without having to shine into the eyes of the customers and cause glare. The light bulbs that were used in these fixtures were spot (not flood) light bulbs which usually have only a ten degree of light distribution. People liked the aspect of non glaring ceiling lights so much that recessed lighting came to be widely used in residents as well.
1. Does your electrician know where to get a hold of spot (not flood) type LED light bulbs for under $55.00 each? If he does please let me know because I would like to get some too.
2. What is the light distribution of these LED light bulbs that your electrician is recommending? Is it ten degrees?
3. Will you mind if you completely defeat the original design and purpose of your recessed lighting?

writes:
On Monday, December 2, 2013 3:43:00 PM UTC-8, Gary wrote:

1. Does your electrician know where to get a hold of spot (not flood) type =
LED light bulbs for under $55.00 each? If he does please let me know becaus=
e I would like to get some too.

Try Costco. I've purchased both spot and flood profile LED R-30 (and BR-30)
bulbs there, for quite reasonable prices.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 2:18:16 PM UTC-8, Scott Lurndal wrote:
writes:

On Monday, December 2, 2013 3:43:00 PM UTC-8, Gary wrote:



1. Does your electrician know where to get a hold of spot (not flood) type =

LED light bulbs for under $55.00 each? If he does please let me know becaus=

e I would like to get some too.



Try Costco. I've purchased both spot and flood profile LED R-30 (and BR-30)

bulbs there, for quite reasonable prices.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 2:18:16 PM UTC-8, Scott Lurndal wrote:
writes:

On Monday, December 2, 2013 3:43:00 PM UTC-8, Gary wrote:



1. Does your electrician know where to get a hold of spot (not flood) type =

LED light bulbs for under $55.00 each? If he does please let me know becaus=

e I would like to get some too.



Try Costco. I've purchased both spot and flood profile LED R-30 (and BR-30)

bulbs there, for quite reasonable prices.

Any beam spread of more than 22 degrees is considered a flood light bulb. The smallest beam spread of the LEDs on the Costco website are 38 degrees which is considered a flood and not a spot light bulb.

mike holmes says led bulbs do not attract insects, like mosquitoes.

this is a excellent reason to use led lamps outdoors, since the lamps are near the doors, in the summer insects get in.

"Gary" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

A little additional information from the OP

Our house is in the Costa Rican mountains. Our climate is such that we need
neither air conditioning nor heat. Our electric bill is $180/mo which
covers lights and the pool pump. There are only two of us and only a few
bulbs are on at a time. Cooking and hot water are propane. Ceilings are
mostly 15 feet which makes changing bulbs inconvenient. Even with 85
halogen bulbs, the chandeliers, and the wall sconces the house is under lit.
One advantage of changing to LEDs is we can go above the 50W equivalent and
get a little more light.

Thanks,
Gary

In article ,
"Gary" wrote:

"Gary" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

A little additional information from the OP

Our house is in the Costa Rican mountains. Our climate is such that we need
neither air conditioning nor heat. Our electric bill is $180/mo which
covers lights and the pool pump. There are only two of us and only a few
bulbs are on at a time. Cooking and hot water are propane. Ceilings are
mostly 15 feet which makes changing bulbs inconvenient. Even with 85
halogen bulbs, the chandeliers, and the wall sconces the house is under lit.
One advantage of changing to LEDs is we can go above the 50W equivalent and
get a little more light.

Thanks,
Gary

sounds like more windows/skylights would be a good (partial) solution.
as far as converting to LEDs you have to factor in the cost of the
conversion to 12V (and how are you providing that 12V)

On Wed, 04 Dec 2013 12:48:07 -0800, "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds"
wrote:

In article ,
"Gary" wrote:

"Gary" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our
ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive
and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If
possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge
protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be
a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would
appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

A little additional information from the OP

Our house is in the Costa Rican mountains. Our climate is such that we need
neither air conditioning nor heat. Our electric bill is $180/mo which
covers lights and the pool pump. There are only two of us and only a few
bulbs are on at a time. Cooking and hot water are propane. Ceilings are
mostly 15 feet which makes changing bulbs inconvenient. Even with 85
halogen bulbs, the chandeliers, and the wall sconces the house is under lit.
One advantage of changing to LEDs is we can go above the 50W equivalent and
get a little more light.

Thanks,
Gary

sounds like more windows/skylights would be a good (partial) solution.
as far as converting to LEDs you have to factor in the cost of the
conversion to 12V (and how are you providing that 12V)
Lots of self contained 120 volt LED "bulbs" - and nothing magic
about 12 volts anyway -LEDs have forward drops in the 3 to 5 volt
range depending on colour / chemistry.

"Gary" wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message om...
Hi,

Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in
our ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is
expensive and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out
bulbs. If possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a
whole house surge protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the
ceilings. Would that be a better option? We have no experience with
LED lighting. We would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Gary

A little additional information from the OP

Our house is in the Costa Rican mountains. Our climate is such that we
need neither air conditioning nor heat. Our electric bill is $180/mo
which covers lights and the pool pump. There are only two of us and only
a few bulbs are on at a time. Cooking and hot water are propane.
Ceilings are mostly 15 feet which makes changing bulbs inconvenient.
Even with 85 halogen bulbs, the chandeliers, and the wall sconces the
house is under lit. One advantage of changing to LEDs is we can go above
the 50W equivalent and get a little more light.

Thanks,
Gary

Your problem is surges. 12 volt wiring sounds good, except how the 12 volts
is down converted is another problem. Any electronics is likely to be
zapped. Resistors are inefficient. I would think you may want to go a room
at a time to see what works in the long run. Separate emergency lights for
each room is another Thought.

Greg

On Wednesday, December 4, 2013 2:00:41 PM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message

om...

Hi,



Our electrician recommended we replace the 85 50W halogen spotlights in our

ceilings with LEDs. We live in Costa Rica where electricity is expensive

and frequent lightening strikes and power surges blow out bulbs. If

possible we will use 12V LEDs. We will also be adding a whole house surge

protector. Our apartment has recessed CFLs in the ceilings. Would that be

a better option? We have no experience with LED lighting. We would

appreciate your opinions.



Thanks,

Gary



A little additional information from the OP



Our house is in the Costa Rican mountains. Our climate is such that we need

neither air conditioning nor heat. Our electric bill is $180/mo which

covers lights and the pool pump. There are only two of us and only a few

bulbs are on at a time. Cooking and hot water are propane. Ceilings are

mostly 15 feet which makes changing bulbs inconvenient. Even with 85

halogen bulbs, the chandeliers, and the wall sconces the house is under lit.

One advantage of changing to LEDs is we can go above the 50W equivalent and

get a little more light.



Thanks,

Gary

Like someone else said, I find it interesting that you say
you have 85 recessed lights in one house. Must be one hell of a
big house. In any case, I would not convert all of them to LED
at once. What's the rush? I'd try converting to LEDs in one
room and try them out. And why do you need an electrician? There
are retrofit kits that fit the common recessed fixtures. Most
of them are just a new light/trim piece with a wire that has a
screw connector that goes into the existing bulb socket.
You can buy them for $25 and put them in yourself. Buy one
and see how you like the light. They come in different color
ranges and you may need to find the color you like.

Theoretically LEDS pay for themselves because they last for
a very long time. But CFLs were sold on that basis too and
the experiences I had with them was that many didn't last
long at all. When LED were $75, they only made sense for
special applications. Now that they are down to $25, they
are worth taking a look. One really nice feature is that
for recessed lights with an attic, cathedral ceiling, etc
above, there are airtight ones available, so there is no
air leakage from the living space. And with a cathedral
ceiling, there is room for insulation around and above
them, so you don't have a square foot of uninsulated ceiling.