briteLEDideas
                            eco friendly RV LED replacement bulbs

1.   Just what do you get for your power usage with different bulbs?

          Bulb Type                   % Creates Heat       % Creates Light             
          Incandescent                      85%                       15%         
          Florescent                          50%                       50%         
          LEDs                                 15%                       85%         

2.   Why use LEDs for RV lighting?

          Safer – hot incandescent and florescent lights cause fires in RVs – LEDs do not get hot enough to
               start a fire or blister your fingers
          Cooler – LED light bulbs run at a maximum of 165°F, 200 degrees cooler than incandescent and 800
               degrees cooler than halogen bulbs
          Power Savings – an LED light bulb uses 15% of the electrical power required by an incandescent or
               halogen bulb for the same amount of light
          Longer Lasting – the expected life of an LED is 11 years of full time use; normal incandescents last
               up to 1,000 hours – 1% of the life of an LED

3.   Are there any savings from using LEDs?

           Yes!  Save hassle, time and money!
            -  Batteries stay charged much longer and so, live longer
            -  Replacing bulbs is no longer a continuing task and cost
            -  Generator does not need to run so much, saving on expensive fuel
            -  Solar Panels can keep up even if you burn LED light bulbs all night
            -  Bugs fly away to find warmer lights
            -  Boondock longer and stay 'off the grid'.

4.   Are LEDs dimmable?

It depends on the type dimmer you are using whether LEDs are dimmable and to what extent.

All my LED light bulbs are fully dimmable with a PWM (pulse width modulator) style dimmer.  The PWM works by turning the lights off, then on, then off, then on again, at a rate so fast that our eyes only see the total amount of light.  As the 'offs' get longer, the lights appear dimmer.

Now a rheostat dimmer works by reducing the amount of voltage to the lights.  My LED light bulbs will dim to about half their brightness and at about 6 volts, they turn off.  There is not enough power to keep them lit.  With LEDs, the rheostat dimmer can be used as an on/off switch and for slight dimming.