Incandescent vs LED

[johntelling]

I want to replace a couple of the inside light fixtures in my coach - it's a Fleetwood Excursion 2005. The existing ones have small bulbs, not sure if they are LED or quartz.

The light fixtures I have found to replace the old ones take regular 120v incandescent screw-in bulbs. Is there any reason why using regular bulbs would be a problem/

Or, is there something I can do to convert the fixtures?

Thanks!

JT

[hermanmullins]

JohnT,

If the light fixture you are replacing have a small push and turn bulb, it is a 12 volt. You can get 120 volt screw in incandescent bulbs but they are special. The old bulbs, if they are what I described, can be found at any auto part house. To get screw in 12 volt incandescent bulbs you will have to go to an RV or Marine supply house.

Might I suggest that you go to a RV supply house and see what they have to replace your fixtures.

[johntelling]

Thanks, but I should have mentioned that the coach is all 120v.

[tbutler]

You should check with a voltage meter to verify that these are 120V bulbs. They may well be but most RV's use 12V DC for the lighting so it is available with or without 120V AC. Given the vintage of your coach, I am certain these are quartz bulbs. We get our replacements for our quartz bulbs at Home Depot or Lowes. If you want to replace the fixtures and can get LED fixtures that give a pleasant light, they will use much less energy than either incandescent or quartz. LED lights are the most efficient lights available today. They also are much cooler than any other light bulb.

LEDs are much more expensive than incandescent or quartz bulbs but should last much longer. Many of the LEDs come as a fixture with the light unit permanently attached. A trucker supply will have a wide range of LED light fixtures for external and internal use. I've seen a few Freightliner dealers with good inventories of LED lights. I switched out the light fixtures in my basement compartments for LED's because I could locate them easily and increase the light available. I haven't tackled the house lights yet but someday when we remodel I'll try to use LED's there as well.

[Guest BillAdams]

At the 6 State FMCA Rally in Hutchinson, KS an LED dealer offered me a few LED units to replace my halogens. I did not believe that they would produce enough light as I have seen some in the past. We took 3-10 LED "warm" units (not the harsh white) and installed them where we had 10 watt halogens. I was SOOOOO surprised. These new units provide as much or more light than the 10-watt halogens for about 1/10th the energy and almost no heat. We now own 14 of these LED units and can't wait until we dry camp in Albuquerque, NM next week as we can turn all 14 on for about the same energy usage as turning on only 1 of the old halogens!

They have a website and you can find there products here: http://www.rvspecialthings.com/LEDlights.html

[ElginDeighton]

I have changed out much of the fluorescent lighting in my classic 20 year old coach. As I am formerly from the sign business I have access to many types and "colors" of LEDs. We chose a color close to the GE reveal incandescent bulb. We like the new lighting but came across a problem we had not considered.

At the coach entry (inside and low to the floor) there is a switch that can be used to turn on one light to ease entry in the dark. That light can also be turned off (or on) at the fixture so its a 2 way fixture. In other words the light can be turned off or on at two different locations. After the change to LEDs the floor switch MUST be on for the other switch (at fixture) to operate. I am told that the old fluorescent mechanism allowed a 2 way switch but that is not possible with LEDs. I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if you were able to find a "work around".

Thank You

[ClayL]

I may be missing something but I just drew out the simple two switch circuit (2 spdt switches) for allowing either of two switches to operate a light fixture and I don't see why an LED can't be used instead of a fluorescent fixture. There is no polarity reversal and that is the only thing I can see that would cause a problem.

This is the diagram:

Note: I left the current limiting resistor needed to keep the LED current at the right level out of the diagram. It didn't seem to be pertinent to the issue.

[Guest BillAdams]

This should be a 3-way switch. http://home.howstuffworks.com/three-way2.htm and it should be nothing more than power to the lighting fixture or no power to the lighting fixture. I can't imagine how it would be any different when using florescent or LED. Either you have power or you do not.

[morphingstar]

A different word for this switch is a change-over switch. Current goes to/from way1 or way2. It does not go way3, never mind distorted language in the trade. :-)

you can build your own led circuit: Buy raw LEDs e.g. at an electronics components store. Check spec's for LED voltage (it is somewhere between 2 and 3.5) and maximum LED current.

Assuming 12 vdc you can use 3 LDs 2.2vdc in series or 2 LEDs 3.3 vdc in series, plus one resistor. The remaining voltage needs to drop over a simple current limiting resistor, or something more elaborate like an electronic current limiter, where needed.

At 15 vdc the current should not exceed the maximum specified in the LED specifications.

I use LED's as indicators for power sockets. Example calculation for 10 mA and 2.2 vdc LED using the relationship 1 volt 1 milliamp 1 kiloohm.

12 vdc will force 12 milliamp through the 1 kohm circuit (resistor). If I subtract the LED voltage from the 12 volts the current will drop to about 10 ma.

This current is a little high for my 10 ma LED's, so I shall use the next available resistor value of 1200 ohms = 1.2 kohm. This value avoids overload of the LED at 14 vdc charging battery voltage.

If you know / sorry / can apply Ohm's Law and circuitry you are qualified for the task and don't need above "formula".

When you buy the LED make sure you ask which wire goes to positive. Else your damage probability is >=50% times the number of LED's hit by accident.

[fossfactor]

Been looking at changing our JC10 puck lights into the LED also. Although it looks might expensive initially I think it would pay for themself over time. Is there any Modifications to the light fixture itself?

Thanks in advance

Kathy

[Guest BillAdams]

I am not sure they will ever pay for themselves, but the LED light is a huge energy and heat saving device. Being that it's nearly 100 degrees here in the SW, the 14 10W halogens that I replaces with LED's allows me to turn on whatever lights I like and not have to worry whether the A/C will be able to keep up or not.

[fossfactor]

Bill Thank you!!! We are in the Desert also and we need to run both a/c units pretty much full time, especially this time of year until September...our next purchase is magne shades!

[GailyFwd]

We are in the process of changing out out halogen bulbs as well. We changed out 3 this weekend and like the brighter light much better. Besides Camping World, are there any other places to find these bulbs at a reasonable price? Here in Bakersfield, the Good Sam Price is $19.99. We have an 09 Damon Challenger 371.

[bizsmith@yahoo.com]

If you do have 120 volt fixtures (our coach has one) there are LED bulbs available that screw in to replace a regular incandescent.