LED CF Replacements

[jmellc]

I just used my first LED lamp to replace a compact fluorescent. I don’t know how long they’ve been out there but I’m glad to see them. I just don’t like CF’s, never have for the most part. Most of it is that they were developed in the middle of the “clean green movement” but virtually all of them are labeled hazmat. They were widely marketed to everyone & his brother. How many homeowners have access to hazmat disposal? How many will go look for it? Most all the CF’s will hit the trash cart.

 

[hbiss]

Yeah, well, LEDs ain't all they are cracked up to be either.

-Hal

 

[jmellc]

Yeah, well, LEDs ain't all they are cracked up to be either.

-Hal

I’ve had mostly good luck with when so far. What problems have you had?

 

[winnie]

Same as with CF lamps: sometimes long life, sometimes very short life. I've had better luck with LEDs, and I like the light quality better, especially when dimmed.

I suggest writing the installation date on the base of the bulb, so that you know when you have a dud, and can complain to the manufacturer if appropriate.

-Jon

 

[retirede]

Our Home Depot used to take CFLs for recycling. I think they stopped due to the pandemic.

 

[drcampbell]

There's a trace of mercury in coal. The use of CFLs resulted in less coal being burned, and less mercury being put into the environment, even if every one of them were crushed and scattered to the wind.

 

[jmellc]

Same as with CF lamps: sometimes long life, sometimes very short life. I've had better luck with LEDs, and I like the light quality better, especially when dimmed.

I suggest writing the installation date on the base of the bulb, so that you know when you have a dud, and can complain to the manufacturer if appropriate.

-Jon

Good idea for other things too.

 

[hbiss]

I’ve had mostly good luck with when so far. What problems have you had?

You've had good luck so far because you only used one so far.

Just a few that I can think of:

Short life.
Problems using them with dimmers.
Problems with them glowing with the switch off.
RF interference.
Problems with them flashing or strobing due to defects with drivers or EOL.
I've had problems with then when used in outdoor fixtures.
And from another thread: problems with them tripping GFCI breakers.

-Hal

 

[jusme123]

I thought LEDs are supposed to last forever, yet, every red light looks like it’s been shot at with only half the leds working.

 

[Fred B]

I thought LEDs are supposed to last forever, yet, every red light looks like it’s been shot at with only half the leds working.

Cheap foreign products for the most part, and even the best made products will fail at some point, not like grandma's toaster that lasted for decades.

 

[retirede]

Here my anecdotal observation from my own home:
I went through incandescent bulbs at a rate of about 6-8 per year. Switched everything to CFL and the failure rate didn’t change.
Switched everything to LED about 8 years ago and have had only one failure of standard screw in bulb. It was in a combo fan/light in a bathroom.

I can report a couple issues - I bought some small Feit bulbs that were labeled as “sign bulbs” because I thought they would look neat over the vanity in a bathroom and Menards had them marked down ridiculously cheap. They all flicker. Don’t know if that’s supposed to be acceptable for a “sign bulb” (whatever that means) or if they are just junk.

I also replaced some 50 watt BA15 halogens in my kitchen with LED. The only thing I can find is junk on Amazon. There are six bulbs in the fixture and I have one LED failure per year. That’s about half the failure rate as the halogens, but not great. The best thing is that there is that almost no detectable heat is given off by the LEDs - very different than 300 watts worth of halogens!

 

[jmellc]

You've had good luck so far because you only used one so far.

Just a few that I can think of:

Short life.
Problems using them with dimmers.
Problems with them glowing with the switch off.
RF interference.
Problems with them flashing or strobing due to defects with drivers or EOL.
I've had problems with then when used in outdoor fixtures.
And from another thread: problems with them tripping GFCI breakers.

-Hal

I’ve used a lot of LED lamps to replace metal halide & various incandescents. This was first I had seen of CFL replacements.

I have heard of some not lasting as long as labeled but haven’t yet seen the other issues you describe.

 

[wwhitney]

California's JA8 standard for LEDs requires a minimum CRI, a minimum R9, and a maximum flicker, among other things. So choosing JA8 replacement LED bulbs should give you better results..

Cheers, Wayne

 

[jusme123]

Here my anecdotal observation from my own home:
I went through incandescent bulbs at a rate of about 6-8 per year. Switched everything to CFL and the failure rate didn’t change.
Switched everything to LED about 8 years ago and have had only one failure of standard screw in bulb. It was in a combo fan/light in a bathroom.

I can report a couple issues - I bought some small Feit bulbs that were labeled as “sign bulbs” because I thought they would look neat over the vanity in a bathroom and Menards had them marked down ridiculously cheap. They all flicker. Don’t know if that’s supposed to be acceptable for a “sign bulb” (whatever that means) or if they are just junk.

I also replaced some 50 watt BA15 halogens in my kitchen with LED. The only thing I can find is junk on Amazon. There are six bulbs in the fixture and I have one LED failure per year. That’s about half the failure rate as the halogens, but not great. The best thing is that there is that almost no detectable heat is given off by the LEDs - very different than 300 watts worth of halogens!

What is Menards comparable to in NY? I hear that often (Menards)

 

[Fred B]

What is Menards comparable to in NY? I hear that often (Menards)

It's a little like Home Depot or Lowe's but is midwest regional store, closest to NY is in Warren,OH

 

[retirede]

It's a little like Home Depot or Lowe's but is midwest regional store, closest to NY is in Warren,OH

Correct - Based in Wisconsin.