Comments on: LED Christmas lighting is cool — literally.

By: Ronald

Ronald — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:22:25 +0000

I certainly can understand all the interest, but I’ll keep my money in my pocket for now and use the old bulbs. I buy the LEDs when they are sold for my more used and commoner lighting needs like living room, desk, cars, etc. My christmas lights aren’t on enough to make the difference.

When the LEDs are out for everything else, I’ll snap them up.

By: John Mashey

John Mashey — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:16:45 +0000

Infrared thermometer (mine is an Extech Pocket IR, good enough): indispensable for checking out air leaks, insulation weaknesses.

Another related, relevant item is a Kill-o-Watt, Watts up, etc electric meter.
[Plug into wall, plug something else into it. Gives instantaneous wattage, or run over days and see total accumulated.]

1) Measure.
2) Tune, fixing lots of small issues.

This is one of the ways in which computer performance was increased, same applies to energy efficiency. It is long-established that human intuition about suchthigns is pretty bad, which is why one has to measure.

By: Beefeater

Beefeater — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:00:17 +0000

What world wide agency mandated these? What? Somebody just came up with these without government intervention?

By: John Fleck

John Fleck — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:55:31 +0000

My new favorite science geek toy is a little hand-held infrared thermometer (a science teacher friend turned me on to it – apparently I am of the same intellect and inclination as his students – compliment?). My new LED Christmas lights are literally no warmer than the tree itself. I can detect zero heat. Indeed, they’re cool. I like the look better than the old lights, too. They seem crisper.

By: stefan hartwig

stefan hartwig — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:58:30 +0000

I’ve got mine. I’m very excited about them, as they look completely amazing. It might just be me, but they seem more durable too, which is lovely.