Although we have all known that LED lamps offer the benefits of robustness and high efficiency, they have been long awaited in the field of general lighting. One of the main issues is that they cannot compete on price with the compact fluorescent lamps (CFCs) which, in smaller wattages, can be obtained at seemingly ridiculously low prices. CFCs have been widely adopted despite the fact that they emit UV and contain mercury. Now, however, Verbatim has launched a range of replacement LED lamps -- so far in a limited range of wattages and fittings.
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Although these lamps (as well as those from other vendors) are appreciably dearer than CFCs they should find a number of immediate applications, despite their price, because of the benefits they offer and the fact that they can be used as direct replacements of existing lamps. Furthermore, it is sensible to avoid exposure to UV wherever possible.
In particular the Verbatim LED Classic A 6.5W which is offered in both Edison Screw (E27) and bayonet (B22) versions with a light output of 250lm will be a “no brainer” for some people as, having a bulb diameter of 56mm and a total length of just under 120mm, they can be used as direct replacements for normal filament lamps in a great many settings. As one would expect, the glass bulb remained cool to the touch with all the heat being concentrated behind the bulb on the metal heatsink parts.
By the way, having tried them out in reading lamps, I felt that the claim that they could replace a 40W lamp was rather conservative. This is probably because they emit light over 180 degrees rather than the full 360 degrees. Furthermore, I found that the light was a comfortable warm-white and, for some applications, the fact that they can be dimmed would be useful.
Others in the range include GU5.3 and GU10-based reflector lamps. Although they, no doubt, will offer similar benefits it will be necessary to check whether they can be accommodated in the existing fittings as their physical shapes differ from those of the traditional filament lamps. This will be particularly important with recessed fittings.
There are many areas both in the home and in business where, in addition to ecological reasons, it is important to minimise heat dissipation and sensible to avoid UV exposure. Although there obviously must be many other situations two areas immediately come to mind: in the kitchen and the lighting over a tropical fish tank. However, at a suggested retail price of £24.36 + VAT, adopting the Classic A 6.5W -- or any others in the series -- would not be an impulse purchase even though they offer major long term benefits.
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