Home LED downlights - Reliability?

[Fcw75]

i moved in 5 yr 1 mth ago. Only have 3x LED downlights in the living room, and the rest of the house all just use energy-saving downlights and PLCs. Kids' rooms have 4 downlights with that dunno what driver, i think, which is supposed to flicker less and therefore better for the eyes if they are studying in the room. Master room has 2 of the philips energy-saving bulbs that can dim one...

 

Of the 3 LEDs, 1 of them conked off about 3 yr on, almost 2 yr ago. Damned pissed, but had to get it replaced at the shop i bought from when doing the reno. Must be all China-made ones.

 

Then of the other downlights, the 4 in the kids' rooms all conked off within 2 yr. Changed the bulbs also no use... So must get the whole lights replaced, i think.

 

But partly in order to discourage the kids from being in the room excessively using tablets/phones, i've not gotten them replaced yet. Just let them use the cool white PLC in the meantime.

 

Anyone knows any technician good with such electricity/wiring/lighting works to recommend? I might finally get them replaced.

 

tks...

My friend who renovated his home at Fernvale have very good feedback for this electrician.

 

Yen 97220010

 

Good luck bro

[Adrianli]

Anyone know where to get LED driver?

Went DIY stores, neoghbouhood electrical stores, all don't sell driver.

Bring the LED driver to Kelantan lane lighting electrical shops or Balestier road lighting shops.

 

If lazy, just take photo.

[Atonchia]

Bring the LED driver to Kelantan lane lighting electrical shops or Balestier road lighting shops.

 

If lazy, just take photo.

Thanks bro!

[Jtb]

Anyone know where to get LED driver?

Went DIY stores, neoghbouhood electrical stores, all don't sell driver.

 

 

http://www.sunheediy.com/index.php/ceiling-lights-ceiling-c-175_182_195?osCsid=e55c381b9d573867883b01677bad1242

[Yaloryalor]

Home LED downlights became popular few yrs ago and is now the norm for new home installations.

 

Would like to chk.. Anyone encounter breakdowns within short period? Can share your experience?

 

My home currently using PLC. Does retrofitting to LED improve the mean time between failure (MTBF)?

 

I heard a few cases of LED driver failure but hw widespread is it? Replacing LED costs a lot more than a PLC tube.

I am using Philip's LED down light for my current house. Previously was using the normal bulb which is dim over time and not enough brightness even when new. The life span of the normal bulb also shorter.

 

I suggest philips LED down light which has the driver installed together in one piece. It's convenience and plug and play.

 

I bought in JB, much cheaper there. LOL

[Atonchia]

 

 

 

http://www.sunheediy.com/index.php/ceiling-lights-ceiling-c-175_182_195?osCsid=e55c381b9d573867883b01677bad1242

Thanks!

But I looking for drivers, not lights. This supplier doesn't seem to carry the drivers.

[Ender]

Thanks!

But I looking for drivers, not lights. This supplier doesn't seem to carry the drivers.

Have you tried the usual online shopping mall? I remember getting some hits at qoo when I did a search on led drivers.

[Hamburger]

frankly i suspect these philips lights from JB might also be from cina aka fake ones.

 

cina and jb both boleh

[Atonchia]

Have you tried the usual online shopping mall? I remember getting some hits at qoo when I did a search on led drivers.

Yes searched before, like for output 9-12V type can be $1.40 to around $20.00, so quite wide range and diverse. Not sure which to buy.

[Kusje]

frankly i suspect these philips lights from JB might also be from cina aka fake ones.

 

cina and jb both boleh

 

Yes, cheap means no good. 

[Ender]

Yes searched before, like for output 9-12V type can be $1.40 to around $20.00, so quite wide range and diverse. Not sure which to buy.

Usually LED driver you don't look at Voltage output, but CURRENT output for brightness. Voltage selection is tricky, need to know whether the LED are is series or parallel, basically need to be higher than the forwarding voltage of the LED. SO just follow roughly around the original voltage range of the original driver.

 

Then you look at the spec of the individual Leds, and check for their threshold current. You will choose a current that is lower than the threshold. Running at threshold, i.e 100%, will be the brightest, but also shortest life span. I have assembled a cree torch before, the driver I chose will run at 20%, 50% and 100% of the driver max .

 

Next is determine the wattage of the driver. You determine from the wattage of one LED multiple by the number of LEDs in the circuit.  Select a driver that is higher than your calculated value.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Ender

[Kb27]

LED and drivers:

A typical Cree LED lighting class specs:

http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XPE

Typical forward voltage : 3.1 V @ 350 mA

Max current : 1A

 

If you want max lumen of 300 lm, you need to drive it at around 1A.

Lifetime of LED at this brightness goes down.

 

LEDs are usually stacked in series of 3. So you need about 3.1 x 3V ~ 9.3V

If you overdrive it a bit to get more brightness, at say 3.5V, you need 3.5 x 3V ~ 10.5V

 

And so, looking for a driver, you need the correct voltage, depending on the LED arrangement.

The cheaper driver does not control current, it just put out a fixed voltage.

A better driver can adjust voltage a bit, so you control the current by adjusting the voltage.

The best driver can adjust both voltage and current.

The cheapest driver simply use a resistor to control the voltage dropped over the LED, but this is highly unstable as resistor heats up and the value changes.

 

Current passing through the LED determines the brightness and also the lifespan.

 

Other LEDs may be stacked in higher numbers and thus need higher voltage.

 

So, you need to choose carefully a driver that matches LEDs arrangements.

Or you could simply blow them up in nanoseconds.

 

 

[Atonchia]

Usually LED driver you don't look at Voltage output, but CURRENT output for brightness. Voltage selection is tricky, need to know whether the LED are is series or parallel, basically need to be higher than the forwarding voltage of the LED. SO just follow roughly around the original voltage range of the original driver.

 

Then you look at the spec of the individual Leds, and check for their threshold current. You will choose a current that is lower than the threshold. Running at threshold, i.e 100%, will be the brightest, but also shortest life span. I have assembled a cree torch before, the driver I chose will run at 20%, 50% and 100% of the driver max .

 

Next is determine the wattage of the driver. You determine from the wattage of one LED multiple by the number of LEDs in the circuit. Select a driver that is higher than your calculated value.

Thanks heaps bro!

 

I need the single driver to single light, not in series or parallel. Because it's a pair of wall lights, each light has a driver in the casing

 

Ok so check the threshold current 1st then wattage

[inlinesix]

Saw similar Philips LED bulb in Thomson Plaza DIY shop. SGD 17 each

[Pocy]

Yes, cheap means no good.

Good ones not cheap. LOL

[Jtb]

Thanks!

But I looking for drivers, not lights. This supplier doesn't seem to carry the drivers.

 

sells driver too bring sample

[Neutrino]

When we were discussing and agreeing lighting with our ID a few years ago I really never paid enough attention or asked questions.

 

Consequently we regularly get flashing and popping of our downlights and they are a pain to replace.

 

Really annoying.

[Atrecord]

My friend who renovated his home at Fernvale have very good feedback for this electrician.

 

Yen 97220010

 

Good luck bro

 

Thanks. Will call him maybe after CNY.

 

Such feedback and suggestion are useful, as the good ones are not easy to find.

 

When i did my reno, the electrician was an !@#$%^&*. Bloody ID screwed up the thing, dun come and take it out on the owner lah. Kept using vulgarity when my family was around and threatened me some more. I just smiled back, after that told my ID better resolve it. And told her bloody I was even more vulgar when i was in the army. Dun fu*king mess with me.