I'm building a new home in NJ and would love to use high efficiency fixtures in my home. I haven't decided if I'm using Fluorescent or Low Voltage MR16's with LED lights. It's hard to get a feel for the fixtures on the webpage. Do you recommend one light fixture over the other? Also, the fixtures will be in direct contact with the insulation, would this be okay with both types?Aug 05, 2008
Hello Kenneth, The MR16 LED lamp is relatively new technology. Please be advised that some fixtures swap out the light bulb for an LED lamp, while other fixtures are truly made with an LED driver/transformer, in which the LED light shines from the circuit board. Personally, I believe it's not cost efficient to invest your money in these MR16 LED lamps because: 1) There is no standard on how bright they have to be, so it is difficult to say which brand is better. Everyone claims that they are bright, but no one in the industry has any type of photometric specs, since there are no standards on how the light output should be measured. 2) MR-16 LED lamps can get expensive, as much as $45 per lamp. This is similar to the pricing of the halogen MR16 lamp, when it was first introduced 20+ years ago. 3) The lamp will need good spacing for heat dissipation. If not, it can shorten the lamp life significantly. Thus, I would recommend not having direct contact with the insulation. 4) Even though most of the LED lamps can be dimmed, they are NOT guaranteed to be compatible with all of the dimmer brands in the market. Fluorescent lighting is proven technology, but most of the fixtures are not dimmable and most people don't like their "cool, white" light. If you use a fluorescent fixture for undercabinet lighting, for example, it won't be as hot as a 120V halogen, so it won't heat up nor spoil the food right above these undercabinet fixtures.Aug 06, 2008
