Switching to energy-saving bulbs: how many of your lights are actually LEDs?

Switching To Energy-Saving Bulbs: How Many Of Your Lights Are Actually LEDs?

Yeah, the CRI thing surprised me too. I swapped out a bunch of bulbs in my kitchen and suddenly everything looked kind of grayish—like, tomatoes just didn’t look right. Ended up hunting down some higher-CRI LEDs and it made a world of difference. Still, I’ve got a couple old halogens in the garage for when I’m working on projects where color matters. Nothing else really compares for that.

The dimmer issue is a pain. I tried to cheap out with some “dimmable” LEDs from the big box store and they buzzed like crazy on my older switches. Had to do some research and ended up replacing a few dimmers, which wasn’t what I planned. It’s not always as simple as just swapping bulbs, especially in an older house.

Honestly, I’d say maybe 80% of my lights are LEDs now, but there’s always those few spots where the old tech just works better. Maybe someday they’ll get it all figured out...

I hear you on the dimmer headaches. I tried swapping out all the bulbs in a rental property I was fixing up, thinking it’d be a quick win for efficiency. Ended up with half the lights flickering or buzzing, and tenants complaining about the “weird” color in the living room. Had to track down compatible dimmers and higher-CRI bulbs, which cost more than I expected. Honestly, I still keep a stash of old incandescents for spots where nothing else seems to look right. LEDs are getting better, but it’s not always a straight swap, especially in older places.

- That’s a classic issue with older wiring and dimmers.
- I’ve found that even “dimmable” LEDs don’t always play nice with legacy dimmer switches—sometimes you get that faint buzzing or a weird strobe effect at low settings.
- Color rendering is another rabbit hole. High-CRI bulbs help, but they’re pricier and not always stocked locally.
- Curious if you’ve tried any of the newer smart dimmers? Some of them claim better compatibility, but I haven’t tested them in pre-1980s houses yet.
- I still specify halogens for a few accent spots where color accuracy really matters... LEDs just aren’t quite there for every application.

I still specify halogens for a few accent spots where color accuracy really matters... LEDs just aren’t quite there for every application.

Honestly, I think LEDs have come a lot further than most folks give them credit for. Sure, the early models were pretty rough—washed out colors, weird flicker, all that jazz. But some of the current-gen high-CRI LEDs are getting really close to halogen in terms of color fidelity. I swapped out the old halogens in my workshop for 95+ CRI LEDs last year. The difference is subtle, but honestly, I don’t miss the heat or the energy bill.

That said, you’re right about dimmers being a pain. I’ve had mixed results with “smart” dimmers—Leviton and Lutron seem more forgiving with legacy wiring, but it’s still not perfect. Sometimes you just get a weird hum or flicker no matter what.

Price and availability are still an issue, though. I had to order my bulbs online because local stores only carry the basic ones. But for most rooms? LEDs all the way. I only keep incandescents around for a couple of vintage fixtures that just look better with that old-school glow.

I get where you're coming from, but I still find even the high-CRI LEDs a bit lacking for certain art projects.

The difference is subtle, but honestly, I don’t miss the heat or the energy bill.