# Is Anyplace Selling LED Lightbulbs?.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327 "2003-12-16T16:20:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/1 "2003-12-16T16:20:28Z")
…-like, to replace a regular screw-in incandescent bulb? - - - I have a light fixture on one side of my house that eats lightbulbs. No matter what wattage (40, 60, 75 or 100), brand or model I use, they seem to last two, maybe three weeks tops. It gets turned off during the daytime but that doesn’t seem to matter–what I think the problem is, is that the lighting fixture sticks out along a long straight wall and wind is vibrating it, breaking the filaments. The same brands and models of lightbulbs that last for months indoors won’t go one month in that fixture. I have never seen any animals or people around it, and there are identical fixtures in other places around the house that do not have this problem. As far as I can tell it appears to be mounted as solidly as the others. - I pondered trying a flourescent bulb-replacement, but they use filaments also. What would be great is an LED-type bulb, but all that I can find for that are flashlight bulbs–nobody seems to make any that screw into a regular light bulb socket. Anybody seen anything? ~ ---
**Author:** ![RufusLeaking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c5a1d2/32.png) [@RufusLeaking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RufusLeaking)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/2 "2003-12-16T16:28:07Z")
Try a “rough-duty” lightbulb. They’re meant to be used in garage door openers and trouble lights that might get dropped. Or try using a 220 Volt light bulb; it won’t be very efficient but the filament doesn’t get as hot so might stand up to vibration better. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/3 "2003-12-16T16:44:23Z")
There’s some links to outfits that sell LED screw in replacement bulbs in this recent thread: [Are residential LED lightbulbs in our future?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223634&highlight=museum). LED lighting is still a pretty pricey option. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/4 "2003-12-16T18:18:16Z")
AFAIK, Flourescent bulbs don’t actually use filaments, and would probably be the best option for you. LED bulbs aren’t very practical or efficient at all for this kind of application. You might also consider Halogen bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/5 "2003-12-16T18:56:39Z")
**Alereon** , most compact fluorescent bulbs are rated for indoor use only, since condensation in the base can cause problems for the ballast ranging from simple failure to risk of fire. ---
**Author:** ![universal\_sufferant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/71e660/32.png) [@universal\_sufferant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/universal_sufferant)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/6 "2003-12-16T19:30:59Z")
I’d suspect a flaky fixture. I had a problem like that until one day the fixture started to smoke and I stopped blaming the bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/7 "2003-12-16T21:17:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RufusLeaking \* > \*\*try using a 220 Volt light bulb; it won’t be very efficient but the filament doesn’t get as hot so might stand up to vibration better. \*\* Are you sure about this? If we assume a filament breaks from its “normal and expected” failure mode, I would agree that operating the filament at less than its normal operating voltage would make it last longer. But I’m skeptical if this still holds true of a filament that breaks due to excessive _vibration_. There was a poster a couple of years ago that said he once worked as a test engineer for a light bulb manufacturer. He said tungsten is most brittle (and thus most vulnerable to vibration-induced damage) when it is _cold_. And the opposite is obviously true; tungsten is least brittle (and thus least vulnerable to vibration-induced damage) when it is _hot_. Makes sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/8 "2003-12-16T21:29:25Z")
I \* hate \* to be one of those people who cry “Google!” in GQ, but the first hit when I typed in “LED light” into Google gave me [http://www.theledlight.com/120-VAC-LEDbulbs.html](http://www.theledlight.com/120-VAC-LEDbulbs.html). They are darn pricey though. For $89.00, you can buy a whole lot of conventional bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/9 "2003-12-16T21:35:39Z")
[Fixed link](http://www.theledlight.com/120-VAC-LEDbulbs.html) for **Finagle**. (Sounds like a Captain Beefheart album. Or is that Cat Stevens?) ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/10 "2003-12-16T22:42:53Z")
I have used a 220 V 6 w. pilot lamp in a stairway lighting fixture as a nite lite in addition to the 75 w. lamp for normal use. This lamp has burned continuously for about 25 years. It will eventually fail due to the evaporation of the filament. Ask for heavy duty or railway lamps at your electrical supply house. They will cost a bit more but will pay for themselves in extended life. Provide some vibration damping or mount the lamp socket mounting with a ‘solid footing’ might help also. * * * “Beware of the Cog” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyplace-selling-led-lightbulbs/219327/11 "2003-12-17T00:03:30Z")
Considering the number of LEDs in those devices and their overall output, the price seems rather high, but I suppose that is what the market will bear at the moment.