MK Cooker switch

[Temp]

Anyone know if the MK 32A cooker switch still uses a neon or is it an LED now? Every where I look it says neon.

 

[JohnMo]

But are any of them really a neon light. Led cost nothing - pennies per hundred, so why would a manufacturer use a neon light

[dpmiller]

still plenty using neons

[-rick-]

I suspect that in the case of a single mains powered, dim, light, a neon light isn't much difference in power draw to an LED and maybe seen as more reliable. In which case isn't worth a manufacturers time to change to LED.

 

Reasoning:

 

LEDs are low voltage devices and require a certain current to light. Current required by an LED is similar to current required by Neon. If you build circuitry to efficiently convert mains to low voltage then the LED will be much more efficient. But in a cost optimised device with no other active electronics, then the cost of the efficient power supply is cost prohibative so you would just use a resistor to burn off the excess voltage causing a similar overall current draw/power usage to neon.

 

While good LEDs can last a long time, the market has been flooded with poorer quality ones so manufacturers would be taking a risk to switch, for no real benefit.

[-rick-]

7 hours ago, JohnMo said:

But are any of them really a neon light. Led cost nothing - pennies per hundred, so why would a manufacturer use a neon light

 

To avoid changing a tried and true process. Altering a production line and validation is not cheap. Neon bulbs are cheap enough that LEDs don't win. (Amazon will sell me 100 for £9, so 9p a bulb - I'm sure much cheaper in bulk).