LED Floor Lamps? Torchiere style? What's the deal?

[Black]

ztirffritz wrote:
I'm waiting for the paradigm shift on lighting. I LOVE LED lights, but everyone keeps trying to reproduce incandescent bulbs with them. That just doesn't work well like that. Instead, we could make entire panels in the ceiling that light up, or run a string of LEDs around a room, hidden behind molding, or embed them in dryall so that the ceiling simply emits lite. There are so many options, but no one has really explored them. Regular bulbs required a fixture and the fixture, by its nature must be visible to function as a light source. LEDs though, can be molded into the surface or hidden in various ways to make light come at you from different angles that weren't possible before. I imagine that it would look odd to some people because they are so accustomed to point source lighting (ie candles and light bulbs). I think that it would be interesting to have a ceiling that just glows.

Great post.

I bought a bunch of this type a while back:
http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/inde...t=viewProd&productId=276
And at this point have only a few in service because they are not bright enough for most of the applications I need them for.
They would only start to make sense as a light source in multiples of at least 6 . . .

[sekker]

Moderate to bright lighting (i.e. Halogen-based applications) currently means CFLs. You cannot purchase sufficiently bright LEDs at any prices for most such applications, and the cost would be considered prohibited by most here.

LEDs ARE terrific for low to moderate lighting uses, from camping lights, flashlights, nightlights, Xmas lights to monitor/HDTV backlights. I did see a functioning prototype bright LED bulb that was a direct use AC current bulb - very cool. Not yet in production, but having seen the functioning bulb in person, I can attend that LED technology is still set for yet another major transition in accessibility/cost and functionality in the near future.

If I were addressing a Torchiere-like lighting need, I'd go CFL right now.

[Jimmypoo]

I had two of those torch lights back in 1982. Paid $80 each. They had 500w halogens in them. Found
an identical lamp at garage sale in Lafayette - got it for $10. Another bulb at Target. Between that and
all the performance audio (now just stereo) in one room, I had to punch a floor level hole to run extension
cord from a bedroom to living room to get the stuff on two breakers!

[thermarest]

rjmacs wrote:
Edit: P.S. I'm also taking suggestions for non-LED, decent quality, cheap torchiere lamps. I prefer a metal flare (wrong word, i suspect) at the top to plastic.

I really like one I bought at Lowe's last month: http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...reId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=1214343

Comes with a dimmable 55W florescent bulb. Its not a standard CFL, and will probably cost a bundle to replace if/when its needed, but for whatever reason I like the color and quality of the light from this so much better than the CFLs I've bought lately. The dimmer is great, and at full power its really bright. It is metal and glass--no plastic.

Edit: also on Amazon for just a few bucks more with free shipping http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZPMFC6

[Black]

sekker wrote:
Moderate to bright lighting (i.e. Halogen-based applications) currently means CFLs. You cannot purchase sufficiently bright LEDs at any prices for most such applications, and the cost would be considered prohibited by most here.

Actually, with a fixture like the one I pictured above, 10 medium base, 3-watt 21-LED bulbs purchased at $80 total would look pretty darn cool and provide a reasonable amount of light.
Unfortunately. one thing nobody has mentioned . . . LEDs become dimmer with use.

[davester]

sekker wrote:
Moderate to bright lighting (i.e. Halogen-based applications) currently means CFLs. You cannot purchase sufficiently bright LEDs at any prices for most such applications, and the cost would be considered prohibited by most here.

LEDs ARE terrific for low to moderate lighting uses, from camping lights, flashlights, nightlights, Xmas lights to monitor/HDTV backlights. I did see a functioning prototype bright LED bulb that was a direct use AC current bulb - very cool. Not yet in production, but having seen the functioning bulb in person, I can attend that LED technology is still set for yet another major transition in accessibility/cost and functionality in the near future.

Your knowledge is a little out of date. I just installed two of the new Philips 60 watt equivalent dimmable replacement bulbs in our bathroom. They are actually brighter than the 60 watt incandescents they replaced and they only use 12.5 watts each, with color that is indistinguishable from the old bulbs. They are a bit strange looking when turned off since they utilize phosphors on the glass that are yellow when not energized, so they are hidden by frosted glass shades. They have a WAF (wife approval factor) of 100%. Here's a pic:

OFF:


ON:


There are also Cree (CR6) recessed 65 watt equivalent can lights that have better color than halogens. Both the Philips and Cree lights are available at Home Depot.