CFL or LED for Power-Failure Lighting?

Because my house suffers from frequent power failures each year (last transformer on a long dead-end line), I'll occasionally check my local big box to see if there are any new offerings in the way of plug-in power failure lights. Year after year, it's the same old thing, the cheap little flashlight with ni-cad/incandescent bulb things that dim after 1/2 hour.

You'd think in this day and age with the efficiency of CFL & LED that these would be available in consumer grade now.
(I'm assuming commercial grade is prob. avail. now?)

Or maybe I just need to shop other than big box?

 

I have seen exit lights that are LED but the emergency light normally are not. Do a google search for "emergency lighting residential" or something similar. You would get many different types of commercial type emergency lights that turn on during a power failure. The are mostly hard wired with a battery. These are only designed to run for about 90 min. although I did see one that looks like a normal table lamp but will run for 4 hours.

 

It's probably a case of a small market and a lomg process of getting UL approval, at least for approved emergency lighting. I switched all of the flashlights in the house to LED, got tired of needing one and the batteries are dead. The place I bought them says you can turn it on and have light for a month. Haven't doubted him, since they were purchased 5 years ago and only the primary use one has need replacement batteries and they weren't dead, just not as bright. So evev when they die, you have hours or maybe days.

CFL's are not as reliable as advertised. Recent home switched everything over and kept a box for future failures and the receipt. At least a dozen were doa or failed within the first few weeks. They are settling in now, but he is keeping the box handy.

Bud

 

I know you're looking at plug in power failure lights but do you have any fluorescent fixtures in your home? Maybe in the kitchen?

You can retrofit an "emergency ballast" into most fluorescent fixtures, even some that use the little 4-pin CFL's. I have one in my basement that will light the stairs and the transfer switch area before I get the generator fired up. In my case it only runs one of the bulbs and it's not at full brightness but it is definitely enough to function. It lasts more than 90 minutes.

Just a thought.

 

Another thing I should point out. If you do get an emergency light(s) they will turn on during ANY power failure. So if your sleeping and the power goes out, they will turn on.

 

Thanks all, yeah, the LED is the way to go I think.....Since I've got good access, by way of the attic, to most room ceilings, I'm thinking, forget the plug-in gizmos, get a 7AH 6 or 12 V Gel-Cel battery, a little trickle-charger with plug-in transformer, a relay, some bell wire.....now, if I could just find some small nice-looking flush-mount (to ceiling) LED fixtures.
Or will I have to somehow rig pen-lite sized flashlights to do the job?

Keeping in mind, emergency lighting is not designed to read a book by, just enuf lite to walk around and not trip over the furnature, don't know what wattage that translates to tho.

But I'll google whats available ready-made first; might save me a lot of labor.

 

Check out a marine store or web site. LED's are becoming very popular due to their low power draw.

Here is an example:
Apeiron Warm White LED