When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Amateur question - does anyone know if this setup is ok? My specific concern, is that I heard that sometimes the LEDs heatup too much when in a recessed can. Although the LEDs run quite a bit cooler than regular bulbs, I read one article where there was mention of some complications which could be as simple as having shorter led bulb life, to bigger risks like a fire hazard. Can anyone validate this? Anyone run the setup I am proposing for an extended period of time and come across any issues? Thanks
Most CAN lighting systems have heat sensors to shut off the light if they get too hot to prevent fires. With the LED you shouldn't run into any issues! I did the same with my CAN lights in my loft and haven't had an issue, although mine aren't dimming bulbs.
My last step was replacing the T8s in the kitchen. I went with Hyperikon 12w 3000k T8 dual-end powered LEDs. I bypassed/removed the ballast and directly wired them to 120v line. I honestly can't tell a difference which is exactly what I wanted, they're the same temp as the Phillip's fluorescents they're replacing, and just as bright. But I can run both lights for less energy than it took to run one of the old 32W fluorescents, not to mention how much electricity the ballast was using. If you have the Phillip's soft white (3000k) fluorescents now, look into replacing them with these, identical look but a lot more efficient.
Interesting to see how much you save from the upgrade. Compare bills to see maybe?
Replaced all my fluorescent`s a while back with T8`s in one of my restaurants along with the exit signs(led) hood lights(led) and the bill went from 800 all the way down to 500 a month.
Focus on Energy was the program and they replaced all the ballasts, bulbs and light bulbs for super cheap. Businesses only. But the savings was right there on the bill.
I recently got a HomeKit timer switch for a light fixture in my living room. That fixture was updated earlier in the year to all LED bulbs. It's programmed to run from 4:30PM till 11:30PM everyday.
The neat thing about the switch is that it generates an energy report.
This is the estimated current report for the past month. It'll be completed 1/4/2017 since I installed the device 12/4/2016
So I was at Home Depot last week and there were a lot more LED options other than CREE. I bought a pack of 6 from EcoSmart. Philips had a good pack as well. Point is I'm staying away from CREE brand because the reason why I was in the LED bulb section was to replace the CREE bulbs (plural) that failed in my home. I'm tired of paying high prices for CREE LEDs claiming super long bulb life that fail within months.
I picked up a couple 6-packs of bulbs off amazon early last month. Made by TaoTronics, which I'd never heard of until a few months back when I bought a set of bluetooth earphones that were pretty highly recommended.
So far so good. I replaced 6 bulbs in the master bathroom and although they're rated as 60W equivalent "soft white" they blow away the 60W incandescent clear bulbs I had in there. So much more output and a much "whiter" light. It took some getting used to the color at first. Much closer to daylight, but seemed harsh in comparison initially. The luminosity is still a bit jarring, especially first thing in the morning when I'm still half asleep. Like the surface of the sun!
I'm still trying to work up the nerve to order a few. The price is a bit steep IMO, but there really aren't any alternatives. They are on Amazon Prime, FYI, if you don't want to order direct and pay shipping.
I'm still trying to work up the nerve to order a few. The price is a bit steep IMO, but there really aren't any alternatives. They are on Amazon Prime, FYI, if you don't want to order direct and pay shipping.
How many you need?? I only have the decora ones though, I may be able to let a few ago
Do you use them all over your house? Is there a way to disable the light if I don't want it to come one for whatever reason?
That was the discussion previously. I was inquiring about the same thing. I wanted to be able to disable the nightlight feature when necessary.
Short answer is no. The nightlight portion will come on whenever the photocell senses the absence of light. I found some pictures of what it looks like inside the cover and it *may* be possible to wire in a tiny switch. But now it's a DIY hack job.
I got a 5pack a while back... thought I'd use them all over, but they didn't work out as well as I'd hoped, so I just have one now in my daughter's bedroom as a nightlight.
Couple things; 1, I wish they worked on light switches... I think they'd be more useful there. 2, the light sensor should be adjustable. I've found that they need to be in direct light in order to turn off, which is the main reason I didn't install additional.
My friend just got a couple of these Edison stye LED bulbs. They are awesome! When I first saw them I thought they were incandescent. I was like, "Yo you had CFL out there for 10 years, wtf up with those incandescents." He said, "They are LED you dumbass!" :mind blown:
Burning Since 1901, this Bulb is the Poster Child for Planned Obsolescence
At 117-year-old (as of June 2018), the Centennial Light is the world’s longest-lasting light bulb. Burning since June of 1901, it is currently located inside Fire Station #6 at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California, and maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department.
The bulb has been officially recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and General Electric as the world’s longest-burning light bulb.
The Centennial Light was originally a 30-watt or 60-watt bulb but now is very dim, emitting about the same light as a 4-watt nightlight. The hand-blown, carbon-filament common light bulb was manufactured in Shelby, Ohio, by the Shelby Electric Company in the late 1890s and was invented by Adolphe A. Chaillet.
During its long and illustrious life, the Centennial Light has been ‘off’ on several occasions but that has been due to human error or intervention and not the bulb itself, which has never ‘burned out’ or ceased function. For example:
– In 1903 it was moved to the new Station 1 on First and McLeod, and survived the renovation of the Firehouse in 1937, when it was off for about a week
– In 1976 it was moved with a full police and fire truck escort, under the watch of Captain Kirby Slate, to its present site at Fire Station 6. It was deprived of electricity for 22 minutes
– There was an interruption on May 20th, 2013, when the UPS failed and it was off for at least 9 1/2 hours. When it was plugged back in it shined at 60 Watts for a few hours. It has since dimmed to its former 4 Watts. Why is still a mystery.
– During the earlier decades when the bulb had no back-up power source, it would have been subject to local power outages as it was connected to the local power grid
According to Wikipedia: Planned obsolescence, or built-in obsolescence, in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete (that is, unfashionable or no longer functional) after a certain period of time.
The rationale behind the strategy is to generate long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases (referred to as “shortening the replacement cycle”). [[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence]source]
The light bulb and by extension the ‘Centennial Light’ has been oft-cited as a textbook example of planned obsolescence.
The Phoebus Cartel was a cartel that existed to control the manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs by appropriating market territories and fixing the useful life of such bulbs. It was founded on December 23, 1924; originally intended to last for thirty years (1925 to 1955), it was suspended in 1939 owing to the outbreak of World War II. The cartel included manufacturers Osram, General Electric, Associated Electrical Industries, and Philips, among others.
The Phoebus cartel is a notable landmark in the history of the global economy because it engaged in large-scale planned obsolescence to generate repeated sales and maximise profit. It also reduced competition in the light bulb industry for almost fifteen years, and has been accused of preventing technological advances that would have produced longer-lasting light bulbs. [[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel]source]
Thomas Edison’s first commercial bulb in 1881 lasted for 1,500 hours; soon, bulb-makers were proudly advertising 2,500-hour bulbs. But in 1924, the main bulb manufacturers in America and Europe secretly formed a cartel to limit the average life of lamps to 1,000 hours, according to internal documents, Dannoritzer said. By the 1940s, 1,000-hour bulbs became the standard. Eventually, the cartel was exposed, and in 1953, General Electric and other industry leaders were banned from limiting the light bulb’s life span. [[url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/02/03/tests-shine-light-on-the-secret-of-the-livermore-light-bulb/]source]
Today, The Centennial Light continues to burn (there was even a 1 million hour party on June 27, 2015) and people continue to cite the light’s very existence as a clear example of planned obsolescence.
If you want to see or learn more about the Centennial Light and it’s interesting history, visit www.centennialbulb.org
I put a Cree 100W equivalent LED in my garage. So much light!
and 3.5 years later it failed. Fuck Cree. That bulb didn't even get used that much.
Replaced with Ecosmart. Got a 2 pack for under $6 so I got an extra when this one burns out.
