Need advice for LED bulb, see a picture of my kitchen

[someguy]

Here is my kitchen:

 

 

I have the microbrite CCFL bulbs in these hanging lights and they keep burning out, despite the fact that they are on an on/off (not a dimmer) switch.

 

Can anyone recommend an LED bulb that will light up this type of fixture properly, that has a warm color to it and that will work with a dimmer?

[Brian H]

Are they the 8 Watt A19 style MicroBrights? Maybe the 2850K color temperature. I have not had good luck with them either.

 

I recently picked up an EcoSmart Dimmable LED bulb from Home Depot.

It was $17.97 online. I am not sure if the store price maybe different.

Model: ECS 19 W120

9 Watts

120 Volts 75Ma. 60 Hz.

A19 Bulb Style

Bright White 3000K

Kill A Watt Meter:

0.06 Amps

07 Watts

07 VA

Power factor 0.98-0.99

 

XTBM didn't show any X10 band power line noise and some signal absorption when on.

 

LED beam is toward the top. So down mounted socket would be better. Table lamps seemed to light the ceiling.

 

LM465 Lamp Module. Old style; newer Soft Start and latest Soft Start. All worked well and dimmed nicely.

WS467 Did not work stayed at 50% and did not follow any X10 commands. Sometimes worked with the local button.

2456D3 LampLinc worked well and dimmed smoothly

2876DB Icon Wall Switch Dimmer. Worked well and dimmed smoothly.

2000SC and 2000SHL Smarthome X10 dimmers. Worked poorly and flickered when dimmed.

 

Here is a link to a thread where someone disassembled one, some say smashed it.

It looked like the LED driver chip was made to be in a typical dimmer circuit and that maybe why

it dimmed well. With most switches and modules.

 

http://www.edn.com/blog/PowerSource/395 ... nside_.php

 

Since I just got them. I have no long term data for them.

[someguy]

I grabbed a few of these Home Depot bulbs and they seem pretty good. They definitely aren't very bright, though.

 

I'm still waiting for the LED bulb that works and behaves like an incandescent.

 

thanks for the info.

[gatchel]

No one makes a viable 60 watt LED replacement, yet. I tried the ecosmart HD 40 watt replacements and they are one of the better ones I have seen but still not acceptable. Hopefully Cree or someone will be coming out with a GOOD 60 watt replacement in the near future.

[jtara92101]

The new Phillips 60-watt equivalent A19 with the yellow glass (or plastic) that they just started selling at Home Depot is incredible. I put two of them in a central ceiling fixture in my kitchen. It's a nice color though I'd prefer a bit more warm yet, and diffusion is the best I have seen. These are great for torch lamps, too.

 

The one glitch is that they only dim to about 30%, and the dimming is quite non-linear. The EcoSmart bulbs dim down lower, but the color is much colder.

 

In your case, though, you've got downlights and so I think a better choice would be one of the PAR-reflector type bulbs that are available in an A19 screw base (assuming that's what you have). There are also excellent 12V MR 16 replacements. LEDs are perfectly suited for these reflector bulb - the problem has been the small size of these bulbs making waste heat removal difficult.

 

Even though LEDs produce much less heat than incandescents, at the same time they are less tolerant of high heat at their core. You have to get the heat away from the chip. So, when a manufacturer cautions that a bulb is not to be used in a closed fixture, it's not a fire hazard issue, but the risk of damaging the chip if heat can't be removed. This is why PAR and MR-16 type bulbs have been a problem.

 

Anyway, LEDs are ideal for any kind of directed light. Not so good for diffuse applications such as are usually addressed by the common household light bulb. But they do seem to be dealing with the heat issues, and there are some great bulbs in PAR and MR-16 form factors up to 20W equivalent. They are brighter than you'd think, I think because their angle cut-off is sharper, so these will generally work where you'd had a 50W MR-16 previously.