When I moved into a brand new home 3 years ago, I bought the brightest, best LED bulbs listed on Zoom and Lutron’s websites where each was used. I bought 4 very high brightness LED can lights from Home Depot that were on Lutron’s list. After 3 years: 1 flickered a few weeks, then died. 2 more died 3 weeks later and the fourth a week later. Similarly in my kitchen, 4 bulbs. 1 flickered and died, the other three followed soon after. With a Zoom switch rather than Lutron. Now, after buying 3 more for the kitchen, 3 months later, the same light can that flicked and died with the last set has followed suit. I’m sure in a week or so, the other three will die. A different brand than before, dying much sooner. Any ideas what is happening? Is this typical of bulbs where they boast 20 year lives? Is this faulty wiring in my home, bad switches, or bad bulbs?
I would suspect that the LED are being overdriven, run hot, and then die, or the power supply in the bulb died.
If watching Big Clive on Youtube teaches me anything, many of these LED are not adequately heat sinked, and the power supplies in these are very basic capacitors and resistors which have suffered issues for years now.
I have read a lot on this topic. The constant theme is heat. Given cans are closed, I’m wondering if I should drill some holes near the top to increase air flow. I’m pretty sure there is insulation right above them, so I’m not sure that is the best idea.
I would say no for a few reasons.
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The insulation is one reason, it might get into the light or the light could spark and cause a fire.
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The airtightness helps to keep your conditioned air from getting into the attic. It would be creating an air leak that could also cause condensation within the light or attic.
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I am not sure it would be enough ventilation to matter.
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Lastly, I am sure it would violate UL listing or other testing if you modify the fixture in that manner.
The OP is already using smart dimmer switches. It is the 'dumb' LED bulbs that are failing prematurely.
I prefer to stay with screw in 'bulbs', as opposed to these new LED all-in-one fixtures. The big reason is that after a few years, when one of the all-in-one LED fixtures fails, good luck trying to by an exact replacement. Most likely, the the 'color' of the produced light will not match the original light fixtures, if one can even still buy the same fixture again. At least with dumb LED bulbs, they are trivial to replace, and call all be easily replaced if necessary to get the color temperature to match again.
In my experience, the BR30 lights from Home Depot or Lowes House Brands are crap. Ive found Sylvania, GE & Hue to be reliable brands. The Hues are expensive, but I've got 8 in the main room going on 7 years + with no issues, the rest in the house being GEs & Sylvanias.
None of the 3 brands I've mentioned have failed since installation. They were all bought after the House brand lights failed over a year and a half in my kitchen, and I wholesale replaced them.
Of course ymmv. All mine are installed in traditional cans.
S
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