Liquid Silicon Courses Through The Veins Of This Classy LED Bulb
When the SWITCH Lighting Co. asked us to review their infinia LED bulb we expected something special and it did not disappoint. The award winning company touts a proprietary liquid silicon cooling system in each bulb, which we discovered for ourselves works really well.
We’ve been following SWITCH for a few years now (here, here, and here for example), so it was nice to get a chance to screw in one of their new bulbs.
The SWITCH infinia LED bulb
The first thing we’ll say is that changing from a conventional bulb to the infinia LED under the same lampshade was a real exercise in not noticing any difference, so all else being equal there is no aesthetic reason to cling to 130-year-old incandescent technology that wastes 90 percent of its energy in the form of heat unless you want to score political points and make an enemy out of the entire US lighting industry.
Aside from that, the SWITCH infinia LED bulb has a satisfying heft to it, so you feel like you’re handling a permanent appliance rather than a cheap throwaway. That’s a critical point when it comes to realizing the full advantages of new lighting technology.
Part of the equation is the energy savings in terms of household electricity consumption, and according to SWITCH the infinia LED uses up to 85 percent less energy than conventional bulbs. For an added bonus it could also qualify you for utility savings in your area.
Another vital part of the equation is the energy and resource savings involved in not having to change out your bulbs every year or so, namely manufacturing, shipping, and disposal. According to SWITCH, the infinia lasts about 25 times longer than conventional bulbs.
Let’s also throw in the risk avoidance involved in not having to climb up on a chair with disturbing frequency just to change your light bulbs.
SWITCH also sent along an elegant looking Lutron dimmer extension cord for us to try out, and we are happy to report that it works like a charm.
As for the liquid silicon cooling system (LQD Cooling System™ for the record), about half an hour after we screwed in the bulb we decided to take our own photo instead of grabbing something off the company website, and without pausing to think about it we started to unscrew it. With a conventional bulb that would have resulted in some interesting vocalizations, but our infinia was only warm to the touch. So yes, that liquid silicon thing really does work.
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Did not see it mentioned in the article, but, due to the use of liquid cooling, this is the ONLY LED bulb rated for enclosed fixtures. Using air-cooled LED bulbs in an enclosed fixture will reduce their lifetime. This is a HUGE feature of these bulbs. They are also rated for damp locations.
I bring this up only because I did a lot of research looking for LEDs for enclosed fixtures and there were none. Am very satisfied with these bulbs and would totally recommend them. They give off warm light, throw the light evenly, and have a shape that is very close to a conventional A19 bulb to fit in tight enclosures (many LEDs are too tall or wide).
I would also recommend Cree bulbs and Philips bulbs – of the 3 (those plus these Switch Infinias), it comes down to application and price.
sooo what exactly does the liquid silicon do in terms of improving the light bulb performance? For some reason I’d think the liquid cooling is a marginal improvement in LED life with not so much of an improvement in cost by comparison to standard packaged LEDs making the whole thing sort of a gimmick for much else than enclosed fixtures.
Interesting article, and sounds like a good new bulb. I suspect the cooling liquid is a silicone oil, not liquid silicon, which melts above 2500 F.
LEDs need liquid cooling!!!!
More manufacturers should make liquid cooled LED light bulbs.
There are LEDs on the market that use non-liquid cooling technology.
Cree, for example.
It’s liquid silicon not silicium:
Tina forgot an “e”, the cooling liquid is silicone (a polymere, you know it as the sealant on the edge of your bath, or as the filling in the breasts of Pamela Anderson).
Silicon is the English name for Silicium
Silicone is not silicium, it is a chemical compound containing silicium.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone#Chemistry
That was my point:
Tina wrote “silicon” (which is the English word for silicium) but she means “silicone” (which is a polymer containing silicon).
The difference is an “e”.
I see.