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The life of indoor LED bulbs has improved over the years. But I learned to only install them in vented fixtures.

zerocrates 2y ago
It's LED fixtures that I have a problem with; they're very common since it's easy to make them in various shapes and things, but when a component fails more often than not it's a "replace the whole fixture" situation. My parents have a ceiling fan that came with an LED light, which broke. It was barely under warranty for the LED part still and the manufacturer sent out a new light module, except they've changed the fan a little over the years and the new module doesn't fit on the old fan... they ended up having to send a whole new fan.
- ethbr1 2y ago
  Afaict, this is a case of the primary customer: contractors and builders. They don't care if bulbs are replaceable, since their lifetime is limited to build -> sell.
  - TylerE 2y ago
    Actually with fans specifically it has to do with legislation that requires them to not be able to mount a standard Edison bulb.
    - bfdm 2y ago
      What? Why?
      - toast0 2y ago
        I'm not familiar with ceiling fan regulations, but regulations for recessed lighting (can lights) in some jurisdiction mandated connectors other than edison screws in new construction as a way to force out incandescent bulbs. IMHO, pretty unnecessary, as once the PAR30 dimmable LED bulbs got good, I don't think many people would prefer incandescent. OTOH, I think they were pushing compact fluorescent, which I don't think ever got very good. For new construction now, the LED fixtures can be mounted without a can, because they put out way less heat, and some of them are very thin, so they may not penetrate beyond the thickness of the ceiling, which is neat. But for retrofitting, putting a screw in bulb is nice and easy.
KennyBlanken 2y ago
I still have several Cree bulbs that are at least a decade old, I think more like 15 years old. None have failed. Everyone I know who complains about LED bulbs failing, you ask them and they admit to buying the cheapest ones they could find.
- mhb 2y ago
  I have an original Philips EnduraLED that still works fine.
- zdragnar 2y ago
  I dropped good money somewhat early on for LEDs that were supposed to last at least that long (some name brand, no idea what at this point), and I don't think I even got a year out of them. At that point, I decided to just buy the cheap ones because that was easier than dealing with the warranty process anyway.
  - TylerE 2y ago
    The trick is figuring out where in the product lifecycle you are. Early on you want to go cheap, because you’ll be able to get way better for cheaper in a year or two anyway. Later on once the technology has matured this is less true.
    - eru 2y ago
      > Later on once the technology has matured this is less true. It depends on the cost curve. When the technology has matured, the cheap ones might be good enough, too. Eg approximately all tooth pastes are equally effective, so you might as well go with the cheapest one that agrees with your taste buds.
- NegativeLatency 2y ago
  I've found generally the more expensive ones last longer, but I just had a Phillips HUE bulb die on me (the LED is fine I think but it flashes rapidly so I'm suspecting the driver is bad)
y33t 2y ago
Heat is the real killer for LEDs. Most LEDs sold for home lighting do not have very good thermal regulation, possibly as a planned obsolesence "feature".
- pkolaczk 2y ago
  Yes, even expensive Phillips LEDs heat up to 100 C. There is no way they could last the designed 50000h at that temp.
- eru 2y ago
  Planned obsolescence only makes business sense, if you can be reasonably sure that the customer will buy from you again. The home LED market is pretty fractured and there's not all that much brand loyalty. (At least at the lower level where companies churn out lowest cost LEDs. The companies that bet on brand loyalty tend to have somewhat better quality.)

It's LED fixtures that I have a problem with; they're very common since it's easy to make them in various shapes and things, but when a component fails more often than not it's a "replace the whole fixture" situation. My parents have a ceiling fan that came with an LED light, which broke. It was barely under warranty for the LED part still and the manufacturer sent out a new light module, except they've changed the fan a little over the years and the new module doesn't fit on the old fan... they ended up having to send a whole new fan.

ethbr1 2y ago
Afaict, this is a case of the primary customer: contractors and builders. They don't care if bulbs are replaceable, since their lifetime is limited to build -> sell.
- TylerE 2y ago
  Actually with fans specifically it has to do with legislation that requires them to not be able to mount a standard Edison bulb.
  - bfdm 2y ago
    What? Why?
    - toast0 2y ago
      I'm not familiar with ceiling fan regulations, but regulations for recessed lighting (can lights) in some jurisdiction mandated connectors other than edison screws in new construction as a way to force out incandescent bulbs. IMHO, pretty unnecessary, as once the PAR30 dimmable LED bulbs got good, I don't think many people would prefer incandescent. OTOH, I think they were pushing compact fluorescent, which I don't think ever got very good. For new construction now, the LED fixtures can be mounted without a can, because they put out way less heat, and some of them are very thin, so they may not penetrate beyond the thickness of the ceiling, which is neat. But for retrofitting, putting a screw in bulb is nice and easy.

KennyBlanken 2y ago

I still have several Cree bulbs that are at least a decade old, I think more like 15 years old. None have failed. Everyone I know who complains about LED bulbs failing, you ask them and they admit to buying the cheapest ones they could find.

mhb 2y ago
I have an original Philips EnduraLED that still works fine.
zdragnar 2y ago
I dropped good money somewhat early on for LEDs that were supposed to last at least that long (some name brand, no idea what at this point), and I don't think I even got a year out of them. At that point, I decided to just buy the cheap ones because that was easier than dealing with the warranty process anyway.
- TylerE 2y ago
  The trick is figuring out where in the product lifecycle you are. Early on you want to go cheap, because you’ll be able to get way better for cheaper in a year or two anyway. Later on once the technology has matured this is less true.
  - eru 2y ago
    > Later on once the technology has matured this is less true. It depends on the cost curve. When the technology has matured, the cheap ones might be good enough, too. Eg approximately all tooth pastes are equally effective, so you might as well go with the cheapest one that agrees with your taste buds.
NegativeLatency 2y ago
I've found generally the more expensive ones last longer, but I just had a Phillips HUE bulb die on me (the LED is fine I think but it flashes rapidly so I'm suspecting the driver is bad)

y33t 2y ago

Heat is the real killer for LEDs. Most LEDs sold for home lighting do not have very good thermal regulation, possibly as a planned obsolesence "feature".

pkolaczk 2y ago
Yes, even expensive Phillips LEDs heat up to 100 C. There is no way they could last the designed 50000h at that temp.
eru 2y ago
Planned obsolescence only makes business sense, if you can be reasonably sure that the customer will buy from you again. The home LED market is pretty fractured and there's not all that much brand loyalty. (At least at the lower level where companies churn out lowest cost LEDs. The companies that bet on brand loyalty tend to have somewhat better quality.)