When I first started learning more about this latest generation of LED bulbs that The Home Depot was getting ready to offer, my biggest concern was the color that the light bulb puts out or the color temperature. I went down this path before with CFL bulbs and wasn’t very happy with them.
Don’t get me wrong, I love what CFL’s can do from an energy savings point of view, but I just didn’t care for the blue-ish glow I had going on all over the house. I like clean light, but I like the warmth of the light as well. CFL’s didn’t give me that so they were relegated to the lesser used rooms and areas of the house.
I’ll admit, that’s not very green of me, but hey, I’m picky when it comes to the way my home looks and feels. Blue-ish light doesn’t cut it in a red room for me.
So a few weeks back I decided to try these new bulbs. I purchased two of the EcoSmart LED A19 40 Watt Equivalent Light Bulb, the first general use LED bulb under $20. I wasn’t really thrilled with the price at first, $20 seems awfully expensive for a light bulb. But the more I thought about the life of the bulb, $20 is much more affordable over time than incandescent and CFL bulbs. Most LED bulbs are expected to last around 17 years if they are on for about 8 hours per day, that means a great deal of savings over time.
I thought for sure I was going to have the CFL experience all over so I put my receipt snuggly away in my wallet so I wouldn’t have to search for it when I went back to return the bulbs.
On my way home I thought about where I should use these bulbs. I decided to put the EcoSmart bulbs in two of my outdoor fixtures because they are on most of the night for security purposes. And yes, putting them to work was as easy as changing a light bulb, pun intended.
Once it got dark it was time to see just how these bulbs were going to perform. I hit the switch, walked outside and was quite pleased and a bit amazed. The light they cast is very clear. Things started to click for me, I was impressed with the clarity of the light and my mind started going at full speed. I unscrewed one of the bulbs and took it in to try it out in different fixtures. My red room still looked red and all of my colors throughout the first floor looked great.
My final test was to see if it would work with a dimmer switch. The bulb passed with flying colors! And this particular bulb is able to last up to 46 years which is just incredible.
Now at that cost, I can’t just run out and replace all of my bulbs overnight, but I am certainly planning to switch all of my incandescent light bulbs to these LED light bulbs over time. Since my initial purchase, I have picked up two more of the same EcoSmart LED bulbs so far. These bulbs fit perfectly into my plan to make my home more energy efficient and to save more money over the next several months.
Bonus:
Check out this guide to finding the right LED bulb for your light fixtures.
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Have you tried these new LED light bulbs yet? Tell me what YOU think of them!
Why do LED bulbs for the house cost so much when I can buy a LED fllashlight, with batteries, for under five bucks?
I jumped on the CFL bandwagon early and got burned: the light was terrible and they could not handle frequent switching on and off.
A 40 watt bulb has limited applications in the home unless you are going to put two fixtures where you had one before.
I have one of those sign boards that you can change messages on with an arrow that shows your ad, The arrow has 7 bulbs on each side that come on and off constantly, it uses a 11 watt bulb. Can these bulbs stand the on-off switching and do they make 11 to 15 watt bulbs that can be used for this purpuse?
[...] usage and heat of your home. Well now we are on the verge of another home lighting revolution as Home Depot announce they are putting the new LED bulbs on sale in their stores this [...]
Darren, do these bulbs work OK in a 3-way switch?
Hey Rod, great to see you here! The answer is yes and no. They will work but they will only light at the 40 watts. I will check with the lighting team on Tuesday to see if they have any more information. I will share what I find out. Thanks for visiting.
Great post! I am so happy I read this blog. I too am trying to figure out ways to save and since all the buzz about these $20 EcoSmart bulbs has been circulating, I’ve been wanting to try them out. You definitely gave me a visual of what to expect and I will be slowly changing out the bulbs in my entire home. Thanks Darren
Thanks Tinzley! Glad you find our blog useful and informative. Stay tuned because we have alot of great money saving ideas, tips and information coming up! Keep me posted on your ways to save as you figure them out and any ideas that you have to make your home more energy efficient.