Comment A rarely mentioned problem with LEDs (Score 1) 1146
There are a lot of LED proponents on here, poo-pooing critics. Some LED issues have been covered - they're more expensive, they have some...interesting...claims about durability.
Some have mentioned the problem where LED bulbs lifetime rating glosses over the fact that by the end of their "lifetime", LEDs will be 1/2 of their initial brightness.
But there's ANOTHER problem with LED durability. LEDs may also color shift, which some people might find very unpleasant. Especially if they paid a bunch of extra money for a "daylight" bulb, only to have it turn into something yellower than a regular one!
Bottom line: arguments that LEDs are the second coming because of their durability ignores a whole pile of potential pitfalls. They might color shift, they're still expensive, they dim over time, the shoddy Chinese electronics that drive them might crap out, and a lot of the savings might be eaten up due to the time value of money.
I'm not opposed to energy efficient bulbs. I've replaced 90% of the incandescents in my home with CFLs or LEDs. But people need to be realistic and sober when making claims about their value, and recognize that there are legitimate drawbacks! I think LED proponents risk alienating a lot of people, just as a lot of people were alienated by shoddy early CFLs that didn't live up to their promises.