SON-E Efficiency vs. LED

[JohnW2]

So - either people like Thorn, Philips, DAL etc are creaming huge profits, or the Chinese stuff on Amazon & eBay is very cheap in comparison for good reasons.

The problem, of course, is that either your "either" or your "or" may be true in any individual case - and it is usually next-to-impossible for the average consumer to know which (s)he is dealing with.

There is also a third, even more worrying, potential scenario - essentially an "and", rather than an "or" - i.e. a seemingly reputable (and 'expensive') 'Western' company buys incredibly cheap products from China and, having branded them 'reassuringly' sells them at even more huge profits.

Kind Regards, John

 

[leavenwill]

So - either people like Thorn, Philips, DAL etc are creaming huge profits, or the Chinese stuff on Amazon & eBay is very cheap in comparison for good reasons.

The problem, of course, is that either your "either" or your "or" may be true in any individual case - and it is usually next-to-impossible for the average consumer to know which (s)he is dealing with.

There is also a third, even more worrying, potential scenario - essentially an "and", rather than an "or" - i.e. a seemingly reputable (and 'expensive') 'Western' company buys incredibly cheap products from China and, having branded them 'reassuringly' sells them at even more huge profits.

Kind Regards, John

Which it looks like TLC has done looking at the photos on their website, their LED flood lights, which one would assume would be safer than those Chinese ones mentioned earlier, could indeed be exactly the same.

So where to go from here - I am now stuck wondering why my pub, which is no bigger than a large 4/5 bedroom house with a mainly gas kitchen, is using nearly 90kw per 24 hours.
Although slightly off topic - my analog meter (certified 1992) read 70.4kw from 4pm Wed - 10.20am Thurs and my OWL monitor read 42kw for the same period. Have raised the issue with e-on and they are coming to install test meter on 10th Feb.

Maybe changing 4 SON lights is not the answer to this problem.

 

[JohnW2]

Which it looks like TLC has done looking at the photos on their website, their LED flood lights, which one would assume would be safer than those Chinese ones mentioned earlier, could indeed be exactly the same.

I'm not sure you can sort out the chicken and the egg in that situation. It could be that TLC are selling a good, safe and hence 'legitimately expensive' product and that those in places afar have produced a visually identical product which is very cheap to make, and hence possibly shoddy or even dangerous.

Kind Regards, John

 

[eveares]

Why don't you just get some new SON-T bulbs from TLC for now and give the glass/plastic a clean with some cleaning alcohol until you can afford some better quality LED flood lights.

 

[RF Lighting]

I do a lot of pub fitting work, and the demand in pubs is always going to be much higher than a domestic house.

You'll have all the lights in the pub on from ~8am when the cleaner comes in until you boot the last punter out at ~midnight.

Not to mention all the cycles your power hungry glass washer goes through every day and the cellar cooling, bottle fridges, wine chillers, and the list goes on.

 

[leavenwill]

I do a lot of pub fitting work, and the demand in pubs is always going to be much higher than a domestic house.

You'll have all the lights in the pub on from ~8am when the cleaner comes in until you boot the last punter out at ~midnight.

Not to mention all the cycles your power hungry glass washer goes through every day and the cellar cooling, bottle fridges, wine chillers, and the list goes on.

I have not a single incandescent bulb in the place and I do the cleaning and am not an early riser so lights don't go on until 10am ish.

I measured power usage from when everything was off and I went to bed so only cellar cooler on and the 3/4 fridges and freezers I have were on overnight (no cold room at all) and the electric meter reckoned I used 18.9Kw from 1.20am until 10.20am. The Owl monitor on the other hand reckons I used not much more than half this value.

I appreciate that an Owl isn't of a chargeable accuracy level but what would cause such a large discrepancy between the two? That is what prompted me to get onto e-on to get a test meter installed

 

[eveares]

I have not a single incandescent bulb in the place

Not at all, not even in your fridge, oven, microwave, cooker hood, etc...

 

[leavenwill]

I have not a single incandescent bulb in the place

Not at all, not even in your fridge, oven, microwave, cooker hood, etc...

Ok I'll rephrase! All my main lighting in the pub is either energy saving (cfl?) or LED. I obviously do have normal incandescent fridge lights and microwave lights!

 

[eveares]

Ok I'll rephrase! All my main lighting in the pub is either energy saving (cfl?) or LED. I obviously do have normal incandescent fridge lights and microwave lights!

Just thought I would be pedantic , also I bet you have no desire for these: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAAB021.html

Or worse these: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAIR250BCCL.html

 

[JohnW2]

I measured power usage from when everything was off and I went to bed so only cellar cooler on and the 3/4 fridges and freezers I have were on overnight (no cold room at all) and the electric meter reckoned I used 18.9Kw from 1.20am until 10.20am. The Owl monitor on the other hand reckons I used not much more than half this value.

18.9kWh over 9 hours equates to an average continuous load of just over 2kW, which could probably be credible for 4-5 refrigeration appliances, particularly if some were large and/or 'old'. On the other hand, half of that might also b credible if the appliances were modern and/or small - so that doesn't really help to determine which answer is correct.

I appreciate that an Owl isn't of a chargeable accuracy level but what would cause such a large discrepancy between the two? That is what prompted me to get onto e-on to get a test meter installed

As you say, they are not all that accurate, but one doesn't normally expect a discrepancy as large as you are indicating. Where is the OWl's sensor 'clipped on'?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

I have been surprised when I actually read the lumen on the lamp. Although there is a general trend to LED they are not always the best lumen vs watts used.

Be if discharge or LED some control items are required. A LED would run away if nothing limits the current and the current limiting can be simple resistor or complex switch mode power supply. Same with discharge lamps the control gear can be a simple wire wound ballast or a switch mode device.

So there is no general answer you have to read the spec on each device.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

also I bet you have no desire for these: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAAB021.html[/QUOTE]
I was in a restaurant recently which had lots of that type.

And aircon, which RF omitted from his list.

Or worse these: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAIR250BCCL.html

What about these:

All you need is 15kW per lamp, a water supply to cool them, and full body armour when changing them as their internal pressure is 440psi.

 

[phatboy]

What about these:

All you need is 15kW per lamp, a water supply to cool them, and full body armour when changing them as their internal pressure is 440psi.

Is that a cinema projector bulb? I remember changing them in full armour 10 years ago. Sign outside the projection booth warning nobody to enter......!