# ceiling fan candelabra base LED bulbs= EXPENSIVE!



## WebHobbit (May 13, 2015)

We recently completed our new house (converted a pole barn building). The wife and I love ceiling fans so there are a total of FIVE of them through out the place. Unfortunately all they seem to make now are "candelabra" base sockets for the lights in current ceiling fans. So that's what we went with. Sucks as I would have much preferred the flexibility of standard base bulbs.

Anyway I am happily replacing all of our CFLs with low-cost LED bulbs. This is getting easier and easier as prices drop. Lowes for instance has now lowered their "warm-white" Ultilitech branded 40 and 60watt replacement LED (450 lumen and 800 lumen) bulbs to $2.48 each! This is great for our lamps and what-not but doesn't help our main source of lighting -the ceiling fans!

Candelabra based LED bulbs are out there - Menards, Lowes, HomeDepot, etc...but all they seem to stock are really pricey ($9.98-19.99+) dimmable LED bulbs. Nothing in the magic $4.99 or less category. I have NO USE FOR DIMMABLE BULBs! 

So what is the deal? Why can't we get cheap candelabra based LED bulbs?

I wish I could find screw-in socket adapters to turn our candelabra bases into standard bases! Does this exist? I have found the opposite but not what I need!


----------



## WebHobbit (May 13, 2015)

One Hobbit Thread!

Found several adapters on Amazon -reading through the comments all had several people complaining that the adapters caused electrical shorts. I guess I am stuck waiting for candelabra LEDs to come down in price.


----------



## poiihy (May 15, 2015)

Maybe you'd have luck with bulbs from Walmart or ebay, but they might be poor quality.

If you're crafty, you can modify your ceiling fans with medium bases for larger bulbs (if there is enough space, of course). Depending on the design, you may be able to get a bunch of e27 sockets and replace the candelabra sockets.

Edit: I found at walmart's website a pack of 6 4W led candelabra bulbs for $40, that's $6.66 per bulb.

But I do agree with you... these prices for the candelabra bulbs are ridiculous!  Probably because of the low demand and the companies don't focus on them.


----------



## CoveAxe (May 15, 2015)

How long are these ceiling fan lights going to on per day? Because if they are used 6 hours a day and they cost $15, you're going to reach payback in less than 2 years compared to incandescent. If you factor in your time and air conditioning costs, it's even quicker than that. CFL might be more cost effective depending on your requirements, but just a quick browse on HD shows only one CFL bulb that fits this application.

It's only for rarely-used lights that LED doesn't reach cost parity compared to incandescent.


----------



## Lynx_Arc (May 15, 2015)

My folks had ceiling fans with lights on them and mostly used table and free standing lamps when they were to be in the room more than just an in-and-out. I've looked at the LED bulbs for chandeliers and such for years and am unimpressed with the offerings as they were too inefficient, too dim, and too costly. 30-50 lumens/watt with outputs of 200-400 lumens and prices of $10 and up better off unless you use the light a lot to stick with bulbs till they come out with decent LED versions.


----------



## Anders Hoveland (May 17, 2015)

I have a lamp fixture in the entry way that uses candelabra bulbs. The lamp gets left on for long periods, not uncommonly all throughout the night, and the bulbs burn out fairly frequently. They are fairly troublesome to replace, because of the construction of the fixture and height of the lamp. So some time back I got an LED replacement to try out. Unfortunately most candelabra LED replacements do not put out very much light, but I managed to find one that did. The lamp fixture is a terrible design and traps most of the light, so it takes really bright bulbs to light up the entry way. (Maybe those EU regulators should start focusing on bad lamp fixture designs instead of the bulbs used inside)

The color of the LED bulb is okay, but unfortunately the CRI is terrible. It says 80 CRI, 2700K on the packaging but everything under the light almost looks like a sodium vapor lamp, monotone and greyish.

Maybe I should just get halogen candelabra bulbs, but they are hard to find and expensive. If I have to spend the money I at least want an LED bulb that is going to last for 15 years.
(I actually did find some candelabra base halogen bulbs, but they were bare-exposed quartz, not double enclosed by outer glass, and that could create a potential fire hazard combined with the terrible design of my lamp fixture)

Lighting is so complex... sigh :sigh:


----------



## bandits1 (May 28, 2015)

^^^Sounds like it would be simpler and maybe even cheaper in the long run to change out the fixture itself for something that takes medium based bulbs.


----------



## WebHobbit (May 28, 2015)

It totally would....and it's something I have long considered.


----------



## bandits1 (May 28, 2015)

I was actually responding to Anders since his fixture sounds like a loser all the way around. But yeah, WebHobbit, I feel you since we have one ceiling fan that has three oddly-positioned E12 based bulbs which are further restricted by the glass shade/bowl that goes right under the bulbs. Finding bright enough E12 LEDs isn't the problem when cost isn't really an object, it's finding E12 LEDs that fit inside of the glass bowl.


----------



## poiihy (May 29, 2015)

Why don't most ceiling fans use circular fluorescent tubes? Circular fluorescents would be perfect for a ceiling fan.


----------



## WebHobbit (May 29, 2015)

You can get all kinds of exotic/oddball light ceiling fans but these are not the average $40-$100 cheap Hunter (and similar brands) that Average Joe Six-Pack is buying.



Or maybe I just spend too much money on flashlights, ammo and comic-books to buy the pricey ones?


----------



## Nicola (May 31, 2015)

Anders Hoveland said:


> I have a lamp fixture in the entry way that uses candelabra bulbs. ...



If I understood your need:

Did you consider filament led bulbs?

My parents have two old candelabra ceiling lights they like (8x40w +12x40w E14 incandescent) and I suggested them 5w 2800k 470lm filament led bulbs. Less than 6 Euro each.

They are commercial brand I don't remember from Leroy Merlin (a sort of Home Depot in Europe).

My parents were completely satisfied. They appreciated the 360° light diffusion.


----------



## poiihy (Jun 1, 2015)

Nicola said:


> If I understood your need:
> 
> Did you consider filament led bulbs?
> 
> ...



I advise you not to use candelabra filament bulbs. They have no smoothing circuitry and flicker badly. They can give you headaches if it provides a majority of the light.


----------



## FRITZHID (Jul 7, 2015)

Falconstare said:


> Why don't most ceiling fans use circular fluorescent tubes? Circular fluorescents would be perfect for a ceiling fan.​



Idk about anyone else but I personally do not want floros in my bedroom or livingroom. 
I have seen a few "ring style" LED ceiling fans that look ok but I know I'd prefer a dimmable light for my comfort zones.


----------



## kingofwylietx (Jul 11, 2015)

I'm curious how you solved this light problem. The first thing that came to mind to me was to buy a different light kit for your fans. That is quick and easy.


----------



## WebHobbit (Jul 11, 2015)

I'm still using mostly CFLs and waiting for the small base LEDs to come down in price. Most of the lighting kits I'm seeing locally are using the same stupid small base bulbs as stock!


----------



## poiihy (Jul 14, 2015)

Most, if not all, small candelabra LED bulbs have very little, if any, smoothing, so they flicker, and some flicker very badly. You'd get sick of them if you use only the light from them for a long period of time.

Edit: oops, I already said something like this earlier.


----------



## poiihy (Jul 14, 2015)

FRITZHID said:


> Idk about anyone else but I personally do not want floros in my bedroom or livingroom.
> I have seen a few "ring style" LED ceiling fans that look ok but I know I'd prefer a dimmable light for my comfort zones.



This guy is copying & pasting people's posts...


----------



## FRITZHID (Jul 14, 2015)

poiihy said:


> This guy is copying & pasting people's posts...



No.... I've quoted a few however.


----------



## poiihy (Jul 14, 2015)

FRITZHID said:


> No.... I've quoted a few however.



Not you... the guy who you replied to named Falconstare.

Look at all this posts. They are all copies.


----------



## markr6 (Jul 15, 2015)

I'm stopping by Home Depot later today to get a 3-pack of Cree 40w candelabra - $19. High CRI TW series too! I figured at that price it's worth a try since my kitchen light uses NINE!


----------



## poiihy (Jul 15, 2015)

That's approximately $6.33 per bulb. Also note that the 40w and 25w equivalents are the same price!

Links again for convenience:


> Here's the 25w.e. candelabra on Home Depot:
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-TW-...b-3-Pack-BB13-02027OMC-12DE12-1C600/205905577
> 
> And the 40w.e.:
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-TW-...b-3-Pack-BB13-03527OMC-12DE12-1C600/205891854


----------



## markr6 (Jul 15, 2015)

I'm sure they'll fail on both accounts, but I'm trying them anyway. You can bet the light will mostly shoot up, which looks weird in the frosted cylinders that go in my chandelier. And I have yet to find a LED bulb that actually dims further than maybe 30% or so. They basically give you a high, medium-high, and medium.

It's funny, I've been meaning to get these for weeks. My store said they were in stock but nowhere to be found. It appears they are by the lighting section only; none by the bulbs. I guess I should have just asked.


----------



## d33pt (Aug 18, 2015)

They make adapters to convert those to regular sockets. Really cheap on ebay. I had to buy a few of them too.


----------



## WebHobbit (Aug 19, 2015)

And all those adapters seem to have terrible reviews. Some sound pretty dangerous too. Menards now has pretty decent (350 lumens I think) candelabra socket LED 4 packs for $17.99 (regular price). I tried some in cool and they were UGLY. Now I have some in Warm White and they are pretty NICE.


----------

