I've used LED bulbs for years now, as I really hated the CFL bulbs from years gone past.

 

LED bulbs have never lived up to their long life claims of up to 25 years, but I swear they're getting worse.

Quality brands (Genuine as directly from the manufacturer in some cases) seem to last at best 1 to 2 years before they start to flicker and have to be replaced.

 

I don't mean a slight flicker either, I mean like an old Fluorescent tube, where the starter or ballast has gone.

 

So does anyone else seem to think they're just expensive tat these days?

Sure the price has come down, but they seem to last not much longer than an incandescent bulb, create radio interference and are infinately harder to recycle too.

What brands have you been using and how much you paying?

 

Are you dimming them? I found previously that dimmable LEDs don't last long.

 

I've been using smart bulbs for years now.

 

The IKEA tradfri are very good from a price Vs reliability point. I've had some GU10s for about 4 years now that I've used now in 4 different kitchens (we've moved house a lot in 2 years!).

 

They're still going well and the advantage of smart control/remote control and dimming is a bonus.

 

I'm thinking that as the dimming is done with the bulbs internal circuitry rather than an external dimmer that maybe they last longer.

I've just been using cheap mr16 or gu10 bulbs from b&m or similar and (touch wood) they've been OK with most having been in for 6 years or more now (which is when we moved house) and this that were present when removed in have been in even longer...

Had ones from lumilife now for....7 years? not a single problem with them apart from 1 which is a SES golf ball style bulb which has gone a bit dim, but thats all.

Me & my brother use exclusively Philips LED bulbs in our homes, not had a single failure in over 5 years.

I’ve previously found Hue bulbs excellent although some of the drivers did seem to create a lot of radio interference.

 

The failures have been mostly Phillips, Tp24 and a single Sylvania. I do find the GU10 have been more reliable than most.

 

The bulbs are not dimmed, but are dimmable. This set are filament look led, the last lot were standard led.

 

I’ll contact Phillips again as they replaced the last faulty bulbs.

 

As they’re in a cluster it’s annoying as the bulbs seem to change look and are no longer available, necessitating changing of a number of bulbs when one goes pop.

I've bought lots off of the Bay for trial purposes with good results.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/R7s-J118-10W-SMD-LED-Flood-Light-Bulb-Replacement-for-Halogen-Linear-Tubes-118mm/401586773481?var=671325506104

Excellent floodlight replacements. Lovely natural 5000k colour.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dimmable-LED-Spotlight-Bulbs-GU10-MR16-E27-E14-9W-12W-15W-220V-240V-Spot-Lamps/392475910273?var=661469373571

Been very pleased with these so far reliable. Really like the MR16's and E14's that i purchased. lovely natural colour 4000-4500k

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/E27-E14-B22-B15-LED-SMD-Bulbs-Globe-Lights-ES-3W-5W-7W-9W-12W-15W-20W-Spot-Lamps/372247148218?var=641091643631

Happy with these too. reliable seller. Had one or two give up but i do experiment with them. Built my own kitchen under-cab lighting with them.

Just the noted wattage's are roughly half of what is advertised on these particular bulbs.

 

I prefer the natural white around 4000-5000k but the colour of the cool white 6000-6500k ones is not bad, bit like moonlight white.

Trying to dim led's is known to be a bit of a lottery I believe, generally requiring specific led dimmers that are suited to the low wattage's of led bulbs.

For years we've had the problem of a dark kitchen. Then we fitted two sets of 3 lamp spot units. Great, but we needed more light in certain areas. So we moved to two 4x50 watt units with  adjustable lamps. Great, till we had lamps fail and problems getting them out. My theory is that 50w GU10 units are not up to the current passing through the contacts. Then we found 50w LED equivalents in Poundland. £4 to refit one unit, and light was almost(if not equal) to the 50 W lamps, but lamps were rated at 5W. As the 50W lamps failed, we replaced them with Poundland 5w=50w LED units. At kitchen refurb ( June 2018) we'd had all the lamps replaced with Poundland LED. To date, we've not replaced any.

On ‎24‎/‎08‎/‎2020 at 21:07, VWD said:

For years we've had the problem of a dark kitchen. Then we fitted two sets of 3 lamp spot units. Great, but we needed more light in certain areas. So we moved to two 4x50 watt units with  adjustable lamps. Great, till we had lamps fail and problems getting them out. My theory is that 50w GU10 units are not up to the current passing through the contacts. Then we found 50w LED equivalents in Poundland. £4 to refit one unit, and light was almost(if not equal) to the 50 W lamps, but lamps were rated at 5W. As the 50W lamps failed, we replaced them with Poundland 5w=50w LED units. At kitchen refurb ( June 2018) we'd had all the lamps replaced with Poundland LED. To date, we've not replaced any.

 

The previous owners of our house fitted recessed gu10 and mr16 downlighters in every room bar the lounge and dining room.  I've therefore just had a count up and if I've done it right I have 56 68 (just counted!) throughout the house...   When we moved in it was costing me a fortune...   Hence my use of cheap LEDs rather than standard halogens!!

Edited 27 August, 20205 yr by skomaz

The gu10 have been good, sounds like a manufacturer quality issue to me so will contact them yet again.

I  agree but only with regard to the cheap ones.

 

Out rental has a 'a lot' of spots. I've replaced them with LED but just teh supermarket ones. TBh they last even less times than the halogens. 25yr my arse lucky to see 3 months from them.

 

However I also have some quite expensive Phillips LED bulbs and none of those has even flickered in the 2yr I've had them.

 

So don't buy cheap LEDs, false economy.

 

Just to contradict myself I had a lot of cheap corn light bulbs to replace G9 halogens and they were really reliable.

Yes, between all my appartments I have over 100 7 watt LED spots and have been constantly repairing/replacing them for years, the initial ones were hand soldered and from each scrap one which was only one of the series LEDS that had failed I could desolder the others ane repair 6 others, all those remaining have been repaired many times now and I had to buy new stock several times, the later ones are cheaper but surface mount and dont fail as often but fail they still do.

 

I have probably bought 300 now and have maybe 40 in stock, but for the lack of lettings this year they would be virtually wiped out.

 

My own appartment that gets the most use after 6 years of this now has some original and repaired ones that seem to be hanging together and have lasted a couple of years.

 

I have 2 studios that had GU10 spots, i put 5 watt (I think) LED replacement bulbs in them, probably 40 in all, due to the smaller size and no heat sinks etc I expected them to fail quickly but I have never had to replace a single one of them, they were also the cheapest ones from Ali-Express like the spots.

 

On all of the spots I took measures to space the insulation above them and have now taken to making holes in it, there is a big air space above of 1m on the ground floor and 0.5m on the 1st floor as the building had very high ceilings.

 

As unreliable as they are I would have replaced far more halogen spots and used a lot more electricity.

Fwiw nearly all my problems have been with one particular bug brand reputable manufacturer.

When folk mention expensive / cheap, what prices are they talking about, per bulb say???

Our experience is a lot less exotic than most contributors here; I've replaced all the bulbs in our home and my folks' house (except the kitchen spots and they're next) with either 6w B22 standard bulbs or 3w bayonet B22 or E14 candles.  I bought these from Poundland for the price of (you guessed) £1 each and so far (after a year or so) we've had no failures.  I know it's early days when you consider the supposed 25-year life for LEDs but it's a good and cheap - if not especially sexy - start.

 

FYI a note on the packaging of the B22 standard bulb quotes "average life = 15,000 hours" and "switching cycles = 7,500".  If the bulb was only switched on and off once a day that would give 3,250 days or about 9 years so we'll have to see if they outlast me

 

3 hours ago, Tilt said:

When folk mention expensive / cheap, what prices are they talking about, per bulb say???

The failing ones are around £5 per bulb up to 60 each for the hue.

 

I would be of if the lasted 5 years or they didn’t change the housing design every year or so.

Edited 28 August, 20205 yr by cheezemonkhai

3 hours ago, StickyMicky said:

- if not especially sexy - start.

 

 

I think these look the bees.............. Also available as MR10, E14 etc etc...

 

 

6 minutes ago, Tilt said:

I think these look the bees.............. Also available as MR10, E14 etc etc...

 

Thanks for the info.  Have to buy the light units first

 

1 hour ago, Tilt said:

 

I think these look the bees.............. Also available as MR10, E14 etc etc...

 

 

 

Those look interesting but what I've found with that sort of 'lensed' LED bulb is that they are very directional and illumination levels and colour consistency fall off quite rapidly away from the straight ahead direction of focus.  The bulbs with no lens and surface mount LED's at the front of the glass (see below) are much more uniform and have a better spread of light.

 

MR16 9 watt.

 

Power consumption 5.5 - 6.5 watts.

 

What do they know that I dont?

2 hours ago, skomaz said:

 

Those look interesting but what I've found with that sort of 'lensed' LED bulb is that they are very directional and illumination levels and colour consistency fall off quite rapidly away from the straight ahead direction of focus.  The bulbs with no lens and surface mount LED's at the front of the glass (see below) are much more uniform and have a better spread of light.

 

The last ones can be quite dangerous without a cover as can be found online.

 

Without a cover, some unsafe versions can leave you exposed to live high voltage.

2 hours ago, J.R. said:

MR16 9 watt.

 

Power consumption 5.5 - 6.5 watts.

 

What do they know that I dont?

 

I've tried telling them, Lol............ Seriously.

 

They actually run at 3.6 watts.

 

I agree with what @skomaz says, but they do advertise them as spots, and 45 to 60 degree beam angle. (cannot remember how to do a degree symbol), apart from the colour consistency which is excellent, certainly in the neutral white ones i purchased.

Brilliant above the dining table.

15 minutes ago, cheezemonkhai said:

The last ones can be quite dangerous without a cover as can be found online.

 

Without a cover, some unsafe versions can leave you exposed to live high voltage.

 

All of mine have a glass front cover...   That pic was just one I found as typical of the type.

 

Although as it's an mr16 it's only 12v

Edited 28 August, 20205 yr by skomaz

 

2 hours ago, skomaz said:

 

Those look interesting but what I've found with that sort of 'lensed' LED bulb is that they are very directional and illumination levels and colour consistency fall off quite rapidly away from the straight ahead direction of focus.  The bulbs with no lens and surface mount LED's at the front of the glass (see below) are much more uniform and have a better spread of light.

 

 

16 minutes ago, cheezemonkhai said:

The last ones can be quite dangerous without a cover as can be found online.

 

Without a cover, some unsafe versions can leave you exposed to live high voltage.

 

12 volt........... Got one of them. Just the one.

Edited 28 August, 20205 yr by Tilt

Just now, Tilt said:

 

 

 

12 volt

Indeed I hadn’t noticed that particular one is a low voltage, but the gu10 versions like that are not and can be very dangerous.