LED lighting - the small print

[electrosys]

It's not many things that cause me to burst out laughing - but here's one:

The headline reads: LED light bulb to last more than 20 years
, there being 3 on offer, each retailing at about £30 a pop ...

Then - almost lost in the small print, it reads:
"All three bulbs are meant to last more than 20 years, if used about three hours per day."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17992927

Why not say they'll last for 100 years, if used for around half-an-hour a day ?

In fact, I've got some light bulbs that will last forever, if I never use 'em at all.

[maby]

Three hours per day is probably about average for a light bulb - actually its probably an overestimate for most bulbs installed in boats.

Sure there are bulbs in living areas that are on for five or six hours most winter days, but how about the bulb in your bathroom at home or heads on the boat? Bedrooms? An hour or two each day.

[electrosys]

Sure - it's just the blatant dishonesty of such a claim, in order to get an attractive 'sound-bite'.
Why not specify their anticipated life in hours of continuous use ? Like batteries.

[lw395]

Sure - it's just the blatant dishonesty of such a claim, in order to get an attractive 'sound-bite'.
Why not specify their anticipated life in hours of continuous use ? Like batteries.

There are probably some aging mechanisms that are use-dependent, and some that are not. Any life claim has strings attached, particularly in electronics.

[wotayottie]

Sure - it's just the blatant dishonesty of such a claim, in order to get an attractive 'sound-bite'.
Why not specify their anticipated life in hours of continuous use ? Like batteries.

Come on now. With our level of general education, the average Brit wouldnt be able to translate hours into any sort of useful information.

[GrahamM376]

Sure - it's just the blatant dishonesty of such a claim, in order to get an attractive 'sound-bite'.
Why not specify their anticipated life in hours of continuous use ? Like batteries.

Left on continuously, they would last longer than with repeated switching on/off as normally used so, continuous use statement wouldn't be accurate either.

[Marco69]

As a supplier of LEDs an inportant point that is always overlooked is the light output at 20 years. In my experiance a lot of LEDs lose as much as 50% output after 1-2 years making many of the claims nonsense.