Re: Anyone moved to LED Lighting?

["Robert L Bass" <Sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<salty> wrote:
>
> Most of the time the solar panels make up for whatever the sporadic
> running of the engine doesn't take care of. I'm pretty frugal about
> using electricity, and I pay attention to my electrical budget out of
> long established habit. I have all the wiring hookeups needed for
> connecting to shore power if I am at a dock that has it available, but
> I've never used it. Just don't need it if you are used to not having
> unlimited power all the time.

I assume that makes for less problems with galvanic loss of any metal in contact
with the water.  I've been told (don't know how true it is) that boats
comnnected to shore power need some sort of sacrificial anode.  True or legend?

> I don't have refrigeration or air conditioning...

Aha!  I knew there was a reason I never took up sailing.  :^)

> Going to all LED's was a very important part of how I manage power
> usage. Just running the incandesent anchor light for 10 hours every
> night when it drew 2 amps was a problem. That was 20 amp hours of
> battery capacity just for that. Now it draws just under .2 amps. for
> 10 hours which consumes 2 amp hours. Big difference!

Huge.  Designing fire alarm systems, we become accustomed to considering every
small drain on power because they have to be able to operate on backup battery
alone for 24 hours (in some cases 72 hours) and then run all sirens, strobes,
etc., for 15 minutes.  Every small add-on impacts the battery requirements.

> At home, I use CFL's everywhere practical, which is almost
> everywhere.

I started using them a while ago and they serve well enough for everything
except my PC desks.  There I use incandescant lights.  Since I work online as
much as 12 or 14 hours some days I afford myself the "luxury" of incandescant
lighting.  I have a number of recessed can fistures in the ceilings, which are
12 and 14 feet high in most of the house.  Bulb replacement is a royal PITA with
those so any time one goes out it gets a CFL.

> It dropped my electrical usage so much that it qualified
> me for rebates on my electrical bill on top of the savings
> from the lower usage itself...

We have a pool pump running 8 to 10 hours a day, two freezers, two
refrigerators, two central AC systems and, until recently, as many as 5 PC's
running for at least 8 hours a day.  Somehow I don't hink I'll be able to get a
rebate on my FPL bill.  Maybe they'll offer me stock in the company though.  :^)

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
DIY Alarm and Home Automation Store
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==============================>


 I figure my CFL's will mostly be near the end of their
> service life about the time that LED replacements will be cost
> effective.