I'm living in a townhouse that's about 13 years old, and I'm trying to replace my old light bulbs with LED ones. I've got around nine recessed lights in the kitchen, and I've noticed that half of the new LED bulbs have already burned out after just a year, even though they're supposed to last for about ten years. The living room also has traditional bulbs that are having similar issues. I suspect the problem might be with my old dimmer switch that's from when the house was built. I'm looking for suggestions on reasonably priced LED bulbs and dimmers that work well together. I want to keep it simple and not get overwhelmed by all the options available online. Also, when choosing bulbs, should I focus on the 'actual wattage' or the 'equivalent wattage' to get the right brightness?
3 Answers
It sounds like the old fixtures might be sending too much current, which could be frying the bulbs. To fix this, consider checking the fixtures and potentially replacing the dimmer with a newer model designed for LEDs.
You definitely want to go for LED dimmable bulbs. Check places like Lowe's or Home Depot if you're not finding what you need locally. They typically have a good variety!
Awesome, thanks! What kind of dimmer do you think I should pair with those?
Make sure the bulbs you choose are rated for enclosed fixtures, as that can cause overheating and early burnout. Walmart has a good selection with clear labeling for dimmable and enclosed options, so I'd recommend checking those out!
I actually have enclosed fixtures too. Thanks for the tip! What about dimmers? Got any recommendations?
Got it! How can I go about adjusting the fixtures to prevent this issue?