Success! Taming the "warm-white" Christmas LEDs

[ERD50]

I've been buying the warm-white LED strings for a few years now and replacing the old filament style as they burn out. The LED have so far been 100% reliable - nice.

But the 'warm-white' isn't as 'warm' looking as the incandescent. Not bad, but not as good as I'd like. I make a point of not using old and new side by side.

Well, DW bought a string of 'warm white' LED without asking me, and she got some other brand, and they were really not very 'warm' at all. So then she bought (again w/o asking me!) some old filament style (I'm trying to get rid of them!).

So last night I finally tried something I had thought about - since the warm-white LEDS are actually producing a fairly broad spectrum of light, I ought to be able to filter it to look better (the old red, green LEDs could not be filtered - they are a single wavelength). So I experimented, mixed up and thinned some of her acrylic hobby paints, and I quickly found a mix that looked really good ( ~ 4 parts 'Terra Cotta' 1 part Yellow) thinned with water. Only took a minute or two to get the bulbs coated, even while on the little tree.

I had DW look at our main tree (pretty nice 'warm' LEDS), and another decoration with similar warm LEDS, and then the 'too-white' LEDS that she bought, that I had painted. She thought it looked perfect and was very impressed. Success. I looked later, figuring my eyes might have adjusted, but they looked great to me then as well.

So then I 'attacked' the LEDS on the mantel, where DW did mix in some filament style. They were pretty good, but these had a green-ish cast to them. Turns out some thinned 'Tangerine' worked just right. There's still a difference, but it is slight.

I think when I take down the outside LEDS, I'll experiment to find a nice warm glow tint for them, and tint them before I put them away. I think I could get it down to where I could just dip them, and it should go even faster than brushing. The water-thinned paint brushes on very easily.

I wonder why the manufacturers don't use tinted plastic on the 'bulb' part of these? They could get it just right.

-ERD50

[gerntz]

Sounds like more effort/involvement than it's worth to me. To each their own. Be happy.

[NW-Bound]

I have not bought any Christmas lights in recent years, but you would think that the manufacturers know to put the right color in the plastic casing of the LEDs to make them warmer. This also applies to regular LED bulbs.

I wonder that it may be that in many countries people do not mind the harsh white light, because electricity is expensive and they want the brightest light possible. They often use white fluorescent tubes throughout that we reserve for kitchen areas only.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I have not bought any Christmas lights in recent years, but you would think that the manufacturers know to put the right color in the plastic casing of the LEDs to make them warmer. This also applies to regular LED bulbs. I wonder that it may be that in many countries people do not mind the harsh white light, because electricity is expensive and they want the brightest light possible. They often use white fluorescent tubes throughout that we reserve for kitchen areas only.

I don't get it either. I do think some people may want the brightest, and that would be the unfiltered white like you say. But the fact that they are making the 'warm white' would make me think there is a market for the old filament look.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz Sounds like more effort/involvement than it's worth to me. To each their own. Be happy.

Well sure, if the color tint isn't a consideration to you, it wouldn't be worth any work at all. But it was a very small amount of work for what I saw as a big improvement. And DW appreciated it, so how can that NOT be worth it!

-ERD50

[ls99]

Ah, another answer to waddaya do all day.

Neat solution. But I am not willing to spend the effort. Too many bulbs on the tree.

[EastWest Gal]

I saw these in Lowes the other day.

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/15...dmYaAuSk8P8HAQ.

They looked nice.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 Ah, another answer to waddaya do all day. ...

Yes, I was thinking of working that comment into my OP.

Quote:

Neat solution. But I am not willing to spend the effort. Too many bulbs on the tree.

We have 6 strings of 50 on the tree, those were outside for three years, and they seem to have gained a bit of amber with age. But I might give them this treatment. If I can dip them, 300 bulbs won't take long, maybe 10 minutes if I dip each individually ( at ~ 2 sec each), I might be able to grab a bunch at a time. And about 10 strings outside that I might want to do.

We already spend a fair amount of time decorating, a little extra work to improve the look of things is no big deal for me. Kinda fun actually. Not everybody's idea of fun, but that's what makes the world go 'round.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastWest Gal I saw these in Lowes the other day. https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/15...dmYaAuSk8P8HAQ. They looked nice.

Yes, but those are the large style, we have the mini-lights. At $4 each bulb, that would be a huge investment for our decorating.

-ERD50

[FireBug]

5000K is the only way to go

[EastWest Gal]

You're talking about Christmas light only. I was just expanding it to all lights. It seems Christmas LEDs only come in multiple colors, or way too white. I like your acrylic paint idea, but how long will the paint stay put with handling the lights?

It's annoying that the LED manufacturers never quite give you what you want. That way you'll buy more of them, I guess.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastWest Gal You're talking about Christmas light only. I was just expanding it to all lights. It seems Christmas LEDs only come in multiple colors, or way too white. I like your acrylic paint idea, but how long will the paint stay put with handling the lights? It's annoying that the LED manufacturers never quite give you what you want. That way you'll buy more of them, I guess.

Only time will tell. I didn't do anything to prep them (a little sanding or chemical treatment would probably help the paint adhere, but that could run into more effort than I might be willing to do), and with all that water in the paint, it probably doesn't have all that much adhesion?

I just played with one, it scratches off pretty easily with my fingernail, but that might still hold up fine with the minimal handling they'll get. OK, I just gave a more aggressive test - really went after it with my fingernail, purposely trying to scratch more off. You can see the scratch marks if you look for them, but I don't think anyone would notice, and at about 3' away, you can't even tell when you know. So unless it just flakes off (and it might), I think it will be OK.

But handling is pretty minimal, on and off the decorations once per year. So I'm hopeful. A redo in 5 years or so wouldn't bother me, especially if I can get a dipping technique worked out.

-ERD50

[gauss]

Budding business? (ie retrofitting)

Some folks can be passionate about their light bulbs.

-gauss

[NW-Bound]

Needs outsourcing the labor to some neighborhood kids. Then, the long term is to go to China.

Oh wait. Can't somebody order the Chinese to make the lenses or covers for the LEDs with the right color to save this step?

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gauss Budding business? (ie retrofitting) Some folks can be passionate about their light bulbs. -gauss

I'm retired!

-ERD50

[samclem]

Thanks, ERD50. I'll have to give this a shot. Any idea whether the slightly higher resultant bulb temperature might decrease longevity? Probably not a big deal in this application, as with the life of these things and the number of hours they'll get used per year, they may outlast me.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Thanks, ERD50. I'll have to give this a shot. Any idea whether the slightly higher resultant bulb temperature might decrease longevity? Probably not a big deal in this application, as with the life of these things and the number of hours they'll get used per year, they may outlast me.

I can't detect any temperature rise at all. There's probably more far variation in people's room temperature that they use these in, than any increase from a little translucent paint. The LEDS are about 60 milliwatts each, just not much heat generating capability there at all. The whole string of 50 is ~ 3 watts, less than half the heat of a night light bulb, spread out over a large area.

I'm pretty sure you could paint it black, and have trouble raising the temperature of the LED junction much at all. The leads and wires are acting as heat sinks as well.

-ERD50