Yeah, LED reliability has been fairly poor here for cheaper bulbs from Amazon. I do have hope though, as I bought a pair of GE candelabra LEDs for an old front door dual light outdoor fixture. Those things have been running for probably 10 years now. I usually leave them on 24 hrs a day. Fixture isn’t entirely sealed so gets some moisture. Can’t seem to kill those bulbs, just amazing life.
Updating home incandescent lamps to LED lamps
- Thread starter pete_c
- Start date
pete_c
Guru
Noticed that the new dimmable LED lamps dim fine except that my every night 30% dim level configured with the OmniPro UPB stuff had to be reset to 20% as 30% was too bright. First test 6 pack had one lamp that only 2 of 4 little LED strips working such that it will be returned. The color of 3000k is too white too.
Same company as before and they have not responding to first queries about one defective bulb of two 6 packs.
Same company as before and they have not responding to first queries about one defective bulb of two 6 packs.
linuxha
Active Member
Oh, Pete forgot to mention (not related to your problem above.. I tried one of these bulbs in a 'nite-lite' and found that the bulb would only blink. Seems the 'nite-lite' used a diode to cut the cycle in half. Seems they really like to see the full cycle. I haven't tried the dimming with the bulbs I have.
pete_c
Guru
Yeah earlier LED appliance dimming versions here all flickered.
Still using one here for my over the stove microwave lamps.
Over the years the incandescent dimming appliance bulbs while they functioned fine always had a short lifespan and would get too hot over time whenever using recommended by appliance company incandescent bulb. (last 15 years or so).
Latest one looks like this and we keep it on 24/7 but never dim it. Been working now for over a year like this. It appears to have a plastic coating over glass. It is not a warm looking light rather it is a bit too white and box states it is 6000K and really OK for the over the stove lightning.
Still using one here for my over the stove microwave lamps.
Over the years the incandescent dimming appliance bulbs while they functioned fine always had a short lifespan and would get too hot over time whenever using recommended by appliance company incandescent bulb. (last 15 years or so).
Latest one looks like this and we keep it on 24/7 but never dim it. Been working now for over a year like this. It appears to have a plastic coating over glass. It is not a warm looking light rather it is a bit too white and box states it is 6000K and really OK for the over the stove lightning.
pete_c
Guru
Yes here noticed LED dimming under 20% flickers with the new E26 small clear bulbs with the UPB switches. Also noticed after about a week that the bulbs are less bright now at the same dim percentage than when originally installed.
One bulb is dysfunctional with 2 of 4 LED stalks not working. Amazon only takes the entire order back and trying to find out about returning only one bulb.
The company selling these bulbs has not responded to my emails.
Color is not ideal. This last week though purchased an non automated LED dimmer for one set of LED bulbs and ordered new style LED Capacitor pack (?) to give them a try with the UPB switches.
One bulb is dysfunctional with 2 of 4 LED stalks not working. Amazon only takes the entire order back and trying to find out about returning only one bulb.
The company selling these bulbs has not responded to my emails.
Color is not ideal. This last week though purchased an non automated LED dimmer for one set of LED bulbs and ordered new style LED Capacitor pack (?) to give them a try with the UPB switches.
I went through that with BR40 bulbs recently with Costco.ca online ordering. At the time of ordering initially I had to buy two bulbs to get free shipping....bought two, two times = 4 bulbs.pete_c said:Yes here noticed LED dimming under 20% flickers with the new E26 small clear bulbs with the UPB switches. Also noticed after about a week that the bulbs are less bright now at the same dim percentage than when originally installed.
One bulb is dysfunctional with 2 of 4 LED stalks not working. Amazon only takes the entire order back and trying to find out about returning only one bulb.
The company selling these bulbs has not responded to my emails.
Color is not ideal. This last week though purchased an non automated LED dimmer for one set of LED bulbs and ordered new style LED Capacitor pack (?) to give them a try with the UPB switches.
A year later one bulb in the group starting blinking on and off. I watched for a few months until costco.ca got the bulbs listed again but they only came as a four pack.
I tired many different ways to approach this, even talking to the N.Am distributor/importer = no go = had to buy four bulbs in a package.
So I took three good bulbs, and one defective bulb, back to the store and got aprox. $90 refund. Then I bought the new four bulb package online for about $45.
I can only fight so long to waste my own money. Thanks Costco!!
BTW: In examining these bulbs in other sockets in the ceiling sealed fixtures, I burnt the crap out of my hand on one. I din't want to drop it on a leather couch so it took a while to find a place to drop it on. The front face seemed a bit warm but when I unscrewed the bulb but the side got me and almost fried my skin to the side of it. Sure these ceiling pot light (recessed floodlight) fixtures have thermal cutouts in the insulated ceiling units but the temperatures are way too high for LED bulbs to survive for very long.
I adjusted some of my Insteon scenes to only turn them on to 90% max, barely visible difference to the human eye.
pete_c
Guru
Curious about this 'capacitor pack'? What is that like?
I think it is a resistor pack even though I wrote capacitor pack. Not sure. Originally PCS was selling them for their UPB switches connected to dimmable LED lamps. The old ones were large. Now PCS is selling the same ones mentioned below.
Lately a new company (a few months now) has cropped up selling smaller devices and now PCS is selling the same devices for UPB switches / LED lamps.
The company mentions two type that are generic and work with any automated switch connected to an LED dimmable lamp.
lds dimming dot com
Prices have gone up here...a month or so ago it was $10 for a sample pack of 2 and now it is $36 for a sample pack of 4. Guessing that they work and are popular.
I think it is a resistor pack even though I wrote capacitor pack. Not sure. Originally PCS was selling them for their UPB switches connected to dimmable LED lamps. The old ones were large. Now PCS is selling the same ones mentioned below.
Lately a new company (a few months now) has cropped up selling smaller devices and now PCS is selling the same devices for UPB switches / LED lamps.
The company mentions two type that are generic and work with any automated switch connected to an LED dimmable lamp.
lds dimming dot com
Prices have gone up here...a month or so ago it was $10 for a sample pack of 2 and now it is $36 for a sample pack of 4. Guessing that they work and are popular.
I was always fascinated with lighting, so of course I was one of the first to use CFL when they came out. They were a pain, clunky, and worse, they would have to warm up if it was a bit cold. The cold cathode CFL appeared, and they were great, simplier, longer life, and very little warm-up. They never were very popular, but I still have some and they still work.
LED bulbs had a similar journey. When they came out, they were designed with a large power supply in the base and just a few big blue LEDs that turn to white light using a yellow phosphor. Most bulbs today still use such a design, and dimmer and flickering have become a constant issue. You had a current driven LED being powered with an AC pulsed power supply, and results weren't always great.
In my opinion, the greatest LED bulb invention was when AXP Technologies invented the filament LED bulb. The power supply was mini, and many small LEDs (red and blue) were built on a glass substrate and covered with a glass phosphor coating. Most of their bulbs are Energy Star and UL certified. A "60 Watt" AXP bulb uses 7 watts where a "60 watt" Cree of Philips bulb uses 9 or 11 watts. That can add up. Also, since their power supplies are so simple, they usually dim well, but your mileage may vary.
Today many companies have copied the AXP filament bulbs, especially the Chinese, so do be careful with the "cloans." Today almost all LED bulbs in my house are these filament bulbs, and I love them. They are lighter, the most energy efficient, and smaller for their brightness. They are up there on life, because most regular LED bulbs fail not due to the LEDs but due to their cheap power supply. The filament bulbs have a very simple power supply, so in my experience, they last pretty long.
LED bulbs had a similar journey. When they came out, they were designed with a large power supply in the base and just a few big blue LEDs that turn to white light using a yellow phosphor. Most bulbs today still use such a design, and dimmer and flickering have become a constant issue. You had a current driven LED being powered with an AC pulsed power supply, and results weren't always great.
In my opinion, the greatest LED bulb invention was when AXP Technologies invented the filament LED bulb. The power supply was mini, and many small LEDs (red and blue) were built on a glass substrate and covered with a glass phosphor coating. Most of their bulbs are Energy Star and UL certified. A "60 Watt" AXP bulb uses 7 watts where a "60 watt" Cree of Philips bulb uses 9 or 11 watts. That can add up. Also, since their power supplies are so simple, they usually dim well, but your mileage may vary.
Today many companies have copied the AXP filament bulbs, especially the Chinese, so do be careful with the "cloans." Today almost all LED bulbs in my house are these filament bulbs, and I love them. They are lighter, the most energy efficient, and smaller for their brightness. They are up there on life, because most regular LED bulbs fail not due to the LEDs but due to their cheap power supply. The filament bulbs have a very simple power supply, so in my experience, they last pretty long.
pete_c
Guru
Been happy with the filament style LED bulbs so far. Purchased regular sized E26 and candelabra style.
They look identical to the clear incandescent bulbs that I was using.
About a month purchased an analog made for LED lamps dimmer at a big box store and it does work with purchased non dimmable LED clear bulbs fine until you set it low ...then it flickers.
They look identical to the clear incandescent bulbs that I was using.
About a month purchased an analog made for LED lamps dimmer at a big box store and it does work with purchased non dimmable LED clear bulbs fine until you set it low ...then it flickers.
linuxha
Active Member
ano said:Yeah, isn't interesting that after 139 years we have gone from this to this...
Classic look because deep down inside we resist change. Take apart the bulb on the right and I think you'd be a little surprised at what's in there (an AC-DC power supply).
What really surprises me is that there aren't more new options in lamps. Lamps that hide the bulb yet provide the light source we need. It must be harder than I think.
pete_c
Guru
Off on a tangent here looking for a small 120VAC to 12VDC power supply that I can utilize in an electrical box to turn on under the counter LED lighting. Surely there must be one. Looking to illuminate 3 watts or so of LED lamps. Currently utilize MeanWell DIN mounted 120VAC to 12VDC power supplies which are too big for my purpose here.
Pete - Banggood has some: https://www.banggood.com/12V-18W-LED-Driver-Power-Supply-Driver-AC-90-220V-p-87622.html
