Comment on How come LED Light Bulbs only last for about 2-3 Years?
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 5 days ago
I have a dozen that run 12+ hours a day. I’ve had 1 fail in 5 years.
Don’t buy cheap LEDs, and don’t put them in enclosures that trap heat.
Yep. When I moved into my house the previous owner had used all garbage Walmart LED’s. I think I had one fail each month and just bought a bunch on sale from Phillips eventually.
Most common failure was the driver. So they turned into strobe lights lol. Most annoying failure ever.
And more importantly, not every LED is dimmer compatible. Sometimes they’re super picky or just plain don’t work.
Oh dang, a cheap driver is probably $0.50 cheaper than a half decent one that can take the hit.
Can you recommend which ones to buy? I have the strobe light problem and it is indeed very annoying
Generally I don’t buy anything else other than Phillips. They’re usually bulletproof if you don’t get the smart bulbs. I’ve not had a Phillips fail in ~10 years. But that’s a sample size of like 30 or so bulbs.
While I’ve has a Philips fail, it was due to environmental reasons. Otherwise, Philips bulbs have lasted me literal years for hours every day.
The strobe light problem might also be caused by putting a LED that’s not dimmer-compatible on a dimmer switch
I have Cree, Amazon and IKEA. Those all seem to last about the same.
rtxn@lemmy.world 5 days ago
Speaking from experience: LED drivers hate dirty power. If they burn out frequently, check the wiring for damage. I probably avoided a house fire.
Albbi@lemmy.ca 5 days ago
Dirty power? Aww geez it’s been a few years since I last washed and waxed my power lines. Guess I gotta open up the walls again.
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 5 days ago
That’s a good point. LEDs dislike unstable power a LOT more than incandescent or fluorescent.
trolololol@lemmy.world 3 days ago
As an EE graduate I want to hear more about what dirt means and what driver can be affected by it. I’d expect power electronics to stand 100% over voltage over short periods and easy 20% long term, which would blow up lots of other things on the house before the driver or the LED starts performing worse.