LED bulbs
- Thread starter jcummins
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Larry Caldwell
Super Member
Even the cheapest surge suppressors include an RF choke. Ferrite beads are cheap too, usually around $3 apiece for a snap-on RFI choke.
vvanders
Platinum Member
That only helps on the power line, usually these have a switching power supply in the bulb that's causing the issue.
Given that 60Hz is hard for average person to see I'm kinda surprised they don't use a step-down transformer and a couple rectifying diodes + low pass filter. Probably costs more than a monolithic IC.
Usually only RFI that tends to get picked out is the ones that squash cell bands since that's the ones that the "average" person is impacted by(and the cell companies monitor regularly). I pick up all sorts of stuff on the 2m band in the city that shouldn't be there on my ham radio.
TractorGuy
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I think the OP just got hold of some cheap defective bulbs.
Can't argue with the claims of rf interference on openers but I have a 4ft led within a few feet of mine with no problems. May not be the same as having leds screwed into the opener.
I also converted one of my bathroom lights to accept the cheap ebay tubes with no apparent issues. I have a few more of those I'm planning to install. Tired of buzzing ballasts in some of my fluorescent fixtures.
Can't argue with the claims of rf interference on openers but I have a 4ft led within a few feet of mine with no problems. May not be the same as having leds screwed into the opener.
I also converted one of my bathroom lights to accept the cheap ebay tubes with no apparent issues. I have a few more of those I'm planning to install. Tired of buzzing ballasts in some of my fluorescent fixtures.
TomSeller
Super Member
I had that problem with my old liftmaster, both the bulbs were burned out when I bought the place and the LEDs would not screw in far enough to touch the tab. I could meter it out so I knew the circuit was working. I replaced the sockets with some flood light sockets I had laying around. The LEDs work just fine. It might have just been the bulbs I was using.
TomSeller
Super Member
If you tie the knot too tight, the electrons will get stuck in the knot and you won't get any lights to work.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
We don't have a garage door opener but last year we bought 10 LED light bulbs from Costco. We have had at least 3 of those bulbs fail already.
Some of the failures were within a month or so. The Costco website had quite a few negative reviews on the light bulbs. These were they regular sized light bulbs for indoor use. Later,
Dan
ultrarunner
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My only Costco LED has been with the 4' florescent replacements...
So far so good and walking into the shop and turning on the lights is a pleasure as the 1960 fixtures were always humming and flickering until warm.
For conventional base bulbs CREE and Phillips have served me well... although I have had two CREE go out from 50 in the last 3 years... to CREE's credit... they were replaced but I also keep my warranty and receipts as well has using a Sharpie to date the bulbs.
So far so good and walking into the shop and turning on the lights is a pleasure as the 1960 fixtures were always humming and flickering until warm.
For conventional base bulbs CREE and Phillips have served me well... although I have had two CREE go out from 50 in the last 3 years... to CREE's credit... they were replaced but I also keep my warranty and receipts as well has using a Sharpie to date the bulbs.
TomSeller
Super Member
I have had LED bulbs pretty much throughout my 3000 sqft house, garage and part of my shop for about a year and a half. I have never had one burn out yet. Mostly Cree in well used rooms, some house brands in attic, closets, etc.
John Fitzgerald
Platinum Member
I have the cheapest WalMart daylight LED bulbs throughout the house. None have burned out and it's been almost two years. One bulb was DOA. Other than that, no trouble.
TomSeller
Super Member
I have a few of hose, they were $0.44 each on sale. Never have burned out but probably put out more RF
Oaktree
Super Member
The first places I put in LED bulbs were outside/porch lights. Winter temperatures (the time of year you need outside lights the most) get well below zero here, and CFLs take forever to get to full brightness when it's below 40 or so. I do still have a couple CFL spots on the garage, but they get used so infrequently it's not worth the expense to replace them.
A couple years ago we found some no-name LED bulbs fairly cheap ($1 or so)...I picked up a bunch. So far all are still operating, none seem to be RF villains.
While I'm sure cost entered into it, I read somewhere that the feds imposed energy efficiency standards on electronics that pretty much ruled out analog power supplies which explains why every wall-wart supply is a switching one these days.
OP
jcummins
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My opener in the barn is way up there, need an extension ladder to get to it. Yesterday took the time to climb up there and tried tighten the bulb not as far as I dared to. As someone mentioned on here believe the taper on these bulbs is bigger and it wasn't getting good enough contact. After doing that it's working. It really needs an extension base to get this right. If it acts up again that's what I'll do.
gwstang
Platinum Member
I had a knot snatched in my tail several times as a youth...but never heard of snatching one in an electrical cord...it might bite back.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
I had a knot snatched in my tail several times as a youth...but never heard of snatching one in an electrical cord...it might bite back.
In any case a snap on ferrite and get as many loops of the cord thru it you can, will be much much more effective. A good Mix 31 or mix 43 toroidal ferrite if you can get the plug thru it with multiple turns thru it will be even more effective.
Is "having a knot snatched in your tail" anything like "stomping a mud puddle in your azz" ? I think they are both groundless threats. I have been threatened with both, but I am still good.
gwstang
Platinum Member
Where I grew up, it wasn't unheard of a man that caught his son doing something mischievous...would snatch off his belt and wear a hole in his britches...the problem was that if the son's best friend just happened to be there when the mischievous act occurred....he would also get a hole worn in his pants. If the friend were lucky, the man would not call his father who would then repeat....
Oldoak
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Yes sir, that's exactly how things were handled in the "Good Ol' Days". And most all us kids survived to be responsible adults. Try doing that today and the parents would be facing jail time. Also, if we misbehaved in school we go punished the second time when we got home. And then people wonder why juveniles are out of control and there is so much crime on the streets today. :confused3:
N80
Super Member
I don't think it matters what type of bulbs you buy. If they are cheap they are going to fail more than a better bulb. We were going through grocery store incandescent bulbs constantly and with 10' ceilings that can be a pain. Then came CFLs. I found most everything I purchased to be unreliable, slow to come on and unpleasant in color. Some hum. Some take a long time to come on in the cold. I'm sure you can buy better ones but with all that plus the mercury issue I do not mess with CFLs.
LEDs I like. But also having to experiment with color temp. Got some daylight ones that are way to blue and harsh indoors. I don't mind them in my basement shop area.
My wife prefers incandescent bulbs. She orders the long lasting ones and they do last a very long time. But, they cost a lot, put out a lot of heat and consume a lot of electricity.
Once I find a high quality, bright, warm toned LED that will be my go-to light source from now on even if they are pricey.
LEDs I like. But also having to experiment with color temp. Got some daylight ones that are way to blue and harsh indoors. I don't mind them in my basement shop area.
My wife prefers incandescent bulbs. She orders the long lasting ones and they do last a very long time. But, they cost a lot, put out a lot of heat and consume a lot of electricity.
Once I find a high quality, bright, warm toned LED that will be my go-to light source from now on even if they are pricey.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
The Costco LEDs that are failing quickly had a good price but I would not call them cheap. Cheap are the ones I picked up at Lowes for about $1-2 for a R40 bulbs. I really expect these to fail but for the price, figured it was worth the risk, especially since the bulbs are a good brand name. Costco usually has a great/good price on quality items which is why we were shocked that the LEDs they were selling failed so quick. The power company was selling LEDs at a good discount, about $1.75 for an R40 bulb, so I bought a dozen which was the most they would let me buy. Never heard of the brand but figured it was cheap enough to try.
When we built the house, we bought quite a bit of stuff from Home Depot because we got a discount. The house has 80ish recessed cans and flood lights so we had to buy a fair number of bulbs. The Home Depot CFLs were very consistent and reliable. We still have quite a few of those bulbs working after 12 years! :thumbsup: However, we bought a bunch of closely priced CFLs at Lowes that had very high failure rates. It got to the point I would take the failed bulbs back to the store. We would then only buy name brand CFLs which were not really that much more expensive.
Failure of CFLs, and now, LEDs seems sorta hit or miss, but I try to stay away from cheap, unknown brands when buying from stores. Figured the power company would not sell LEDs that will fail quickly but time will tell.
Still surprised at the Costco LEDs failure rate....
Later,
Dan
I really expect these to fail but for the price, figured it was worth the risk, especially since the bulbs are a good brand name. Costco usually has a great/good price on quality items which is why we were shocked that the LEDs they were selling failed so quick. The power company was selling LEDs at a good discount, about $1.75 for an R40 bulb, so I bought a dozen which was the most they would let me buy. Never heard of the brand but figured it was cheap enough to try. When we built the house, we bought quite a bit of stuff from Home Depot because we got a discount. The house has 80ish recessed cans and flood lights so we had to buy a fair number of bulbs. The Home Depot CFLs were very consistent and reliable. We still have quite a few of those bulbs working after 12 years! :thumbsup: However, we bought a bunch of closely priced CFLs at Lowes that had very high failure rates. It got to the point I would take the failed bulbs back to the store.
We would then only buy name brand CFLs which were not really that much more expensive. Failure of CFLs, and now, LEDs seems sorta hit or miss, but I try to stay away from cheap, unknown brands when buying from stores. Figured the power company would not sell LEDs that will fail quickly but time will tell.
Still surprised at the Costco LEDs failure rate....
Later,
Dan
TomSeller
Super Member
The Costco LEDs that are failing quickly had a good price but I would not call them cheap. Cheap are the ones I picked up at Lowes for about $1-2 for a R40 bulbs.
When we built the house, we bought quite a bit of stuff from Home Depot because we got a discount. The house has 80ish recessed cans and flood lights so we had to buy a fair number of bulbs. The Home Depot CFLs were very consistent and reliable. We still have quite a few of those bulbs working after 12 years! :thumbsup: However, we bought a bunch of closely priced CFLs at Lowes that had very high failure rates. It got to the point I would take the failed bulbs back to the store.
Failure of CFLs, and now, LEDs seems sorta hit or miss, but I try to stay away from cheap, unknown brands when buying from stores. Figured the power company would not sell LEDs that will fail quickly but time will tell.
Still surprised at the Costco LEDs failure rate....
Later,
Dan
Are you sure you have clean power? I haven't changed a light bulb in a year and a half since I went to LEDs. I noticed a few CFLs on little used circuits the other day that I must have missed, but still no failures. House is 3000 sq ft, garage another 600, shop another 1000. So 4600 sq ft and no burned out bulbs. Mostly Cree in areas we sit and use and house brand in other areas. Some Phillips. House brand was mostly Walmart Great Value or whatever it is called. .
