Are your LED light bulbs burning out too soon?

Hello Pete in quality LED power supplies a 20 % over-design is standard to cope with many variables , but we are talking of a power supply that is built into a tiny space inside the bulb not a separate external power supply ?
Quality products are built with a SOT (safe operating temperature range ) in which the design is not over-stressed .
Quality power supplies have a maximum temperature of + 70 degrees C but in an enclosed space of a single bulb it depends on the heat sinking and the quality of the components which in a lot of cases aren’t up to industrial spec .

In your case you will have to check the actual socket to see if the transmission of heat is causing deterioration/damage to it , also the wiring could be affected .
Having said that “too hot to touch ” doesn’t necessarily mean its outside its spec. but if its affecting your socket then I would change it especially if you have other LED bulbs of the same wattage which are cooler.

Elton , not all LED bulbs are equal here is a lighting professionals opinion and advice on the subject -well worth reading.-
https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/14195/ its Canadian but the same rules apply to any LED bulb.

There is a link to a UL Certification database & Directories ,if Wavechange is still around it might interest him –its free for the basic stuff.

Here is a UL website telling you how to use this information-
https://fcia.org/articles/ULQuickGuide.pdf

Thanks Duncan. It would be interesting if those of us in the UK had access to the equivalent of the UL database.

The best answer for poor durability is to ask for replacement or refund of failed bulbs. If everyone did this the retailers would stop stocking the dodgy ones.

Wavechange -I was beginning to wonder if I said something that upset you as you have been keeping a low profile — I wouldn’t want that to happen .
If I haven’t said it –Merry Christmas !

I’ve just been busy and trying to get out and about while the weather permits. I’ll be back. Merry Christmas to you too.

Most of my LED bulbs are over two years old and so far I have not had a single failure, though I do see plenty of examples of failed lamps on my travels.

Like you Russell I am too down to earth to listen to the “benefits ” of LED bulbs which turn out to be part of the eco lobby to force the public to accept inferior lighting products and tripping down the stairs and nearly breaking my leg just to keep them happy –they are NOT on.

Yes Russell I have an “idea ” Telsa,s new engineering designed plasma light bulbs with electromagnetic filament .
https://www.lightbulbs.com/blog/tesla-light-bulb
and a more natural colour .
Traditional filament light bulbs from Telsa are available from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tesla-Traditional-Filament-Globe-Light/dp/B016Y03JWU

I have replaced nearly all the incandescent, halogen and CFL lamps throughout the house with scores of new LED’s and have had no premature failures. I usually buy Philips lamps but have also had lamps from Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Some better shaped LED lamps are becoming available now but I am reluctant to change the recently purchased LED’s for a more suitably shaped lamp as they could still have thousands of hours of life left in them and I no longer want to keep a stock of light bulbs such as I used to. With a multi-branch fitting, if one lamp fails it doesn’t mean total darkness. Some LED lamps look oversized for the shades on traditional light-fittings like wall-lamps and uplighters

The lamps I really don’t like are halogen capsules with the wire contact loops. In my experience these last no time at all and are extremely fiddly to remove from the lamp-holder as the loops get trapped. I had to virtually force and wrench one out today and I was lucky not to leave bits of wire in the fitting as the loops broke as I tugged at the lamp. At least I got it out though and was able to put a new one in. When I have used up the last of the new halogen capsules that I still have I will replace the whole lot with LED capsules, although the colour temperature of LED capsules does seem to vary widely between brands giving an inconsistent appearance if replacing the odd one. I wish capsules had never been invented but having bought quite attractive [and fairly expensive] ceiling light fittings that will only take capsule lamps, replacing them is not an option right now.

I also wish there was a decent-looking LED lamp that would provide the same lumens as the old incandescent 100W and 150W bulbs for central light fittings with a single lamp-holder.

The G9 halogen capsules have wire loops and being mains voltage have long filaments that are extremely sensitive to vibration when hot. Early attempts at producing LED replacements for halogen lamps were physically larger and produced less light, presumably why capsules will remain on sale for the time being. I have not looked at the current offerings. Apart from a bathroom light fixture with multiple halogen capsules I avoided halogen lighting. It annoyed me that well known companies referred to their halogen lamps as ‘eco’ when they were almost as inefficient as the old light bulbs.

I had deliberately avoided LED lamps equivalent to 100W bulbs because of the greater risk of heat damaging the electronic components, but decided to take the risk for one room where the centre lamp is not used much. It was disappointing to discover that it was non-dimmable because lower power Philips lamps of the same design are dimmable.

Having replaced many pendants where the flex and socket have been fried by the heat from 100 and 150W incandescent bulbs, I’m glad that they have gone.

It is interesting that the Litecraft website offers a three year guarantee on many of their LED lamps, though I could not find any further detail.

Under the Consumer Right Act you can, in England, claim against the retailer for six years after purchase. The following document might be useful: https://www.businesscompanion.info/sites/default/files/CRA-Goods-Guidance-for-Business-Sep-2015.pdf It is guidance for retailers and the section that is relevant is the Final Right to Reject. Depending on whether it is less or more than six months since purchase you could push for a full refund or a partial refund, respectively. A partial refund would reflect the amount of use you have had of the product. Best of luck and please let us know how you get on.

I suggest buying other makes from a local shop, keeping the receipts and taking the lamps back if they fail prematurely. It’s worth keeping the packaging or other evidence of claims of extremely long life. 17,000 hours is nearly two years of continuous use.

Problems with durability are more likely to occur in higher power lamps because there is more heat to dissipate.

I wonder if some of the problems with premature failure reported in this Convo are caused by voltage spikes in the mains supply. The 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations has a section on installation of surge protection. A surge protection device can be fitted in a consumer unit if space permits and this will provide protection for electronic equipment including LED lighting. Whereas well made products may already have surge protection built in, there is insufficient space to do this in the cap of LED bulbs.

I presume you are referring to the 400 lumen 6W lamps, Martin. Which? has done a review: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/light-bulbs/ikea-ledare-led-bulb-e27-400-lumen

There is a small error. It is a GU10 lamp and not E27 – that would be a screw-fitting bulb. The review has no reference to how long the lamps lasted but this page does mention how durability is tested: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/light-bulbs/article/how-we-test-energy-saving-light-bulbs

Ikea LEDs have caused problems in the past, as can be seen from the introduction.

You’re right about the bulb type – Ledare 400 lumen GU10. I still have the packet of one which clearly states 25000 hour life. Anyway lesson learnt, I’ll buy elsewhere if the rest fail as quickly.

When a 60 Watt lamp was 25p I didn’t mind the odd dud. The price of LED’s is quite high even though prices are not increasing and even the cheaper versions cost pounds.

It seems to me that most LED lamps are produced in China but they are not all bad. It depends on the specification set for the manufacturer and their compliance with standards. This comes down to quality control in production and a quality assurance system to ensure conformance. Some brands get this right and I have not had problems with Philips, Tesco or Sainsbury’s LED lamps so I stick with them. I am sure there are several other good brands. Unfortunately, trial and error is expensive.

In the UK, the vast majority of LED bulbs seem to be made in China. If I had a problem I would go back to the retailer with the receipt and ask for replacements.

John – I started off buying well known brands of LEDs, mainly Philips. This subject interests me so I decided to experiment with cheaper ones from Tesco and Morrisons, Diall from B&Q, Status from a couple of shops and LAP from Screwfix. I still have all the receipts, but have not had a single failure yet.

I am wary of buying unheard of brands online and and the possibility of dangerous counterfeits. It might also harder to obtain replacements for failed lamps, as other commenters have said in various Conversations.

If you have a problem it’s definitely worth trying different brands. If you want to use a dimmer, choose dimmable LEDs and replace the dimmer with one suitable for use with LEDs.

As with many products I’d go for a known brand, a manufacturer/distributor you can complain to if you have a problem. The fact that so many LEDs are made in China does not make them bad; China has many manufacturing bases that produce extremely good products, often in partnership with Western companies. Philips has a collaboration there, for example.

It seems a pity that we have not invested in LED production.

I don’t think we have any non-LED lamps left in service now so I am hoping it will be some time before I need to buy a replacement lamp. I no longer keep spares as it is easy to buy new lamps as and when required according to the cap type.

I would like to see all manufacturers state whether their LED lamps are dimmable on the lamp as well as on the packaging. Where I have bought Philips lamps I have had to mark the lamp, whereas most of the other brands I have bought have been marked. If you use a non-dimmable LED with a dimmer it could be damaged.

Have you tried to obtain replacements or a refund from the seller? Buying from a local shop might cost a little more but it’s easy to take back faulty goods.

A bulb that lasts 40 minutes sounds like a ‘Black’ Friday deal. 🙁

Be kind to the retailer because it’s not their fault that the bulb failed unless they know they are selling substandard products.

“unless they know they are selling substandard products.“. There are distributors and retailers who handle fake, substandard and unsafe products such as Amazon, who help put them on the market. They do not appear to care about the provenance of the products they handle. Retailers must take full responsibility for what they sell and profit from.

It is quite difficult to make a 40 min LED, so it may be a freak. Or it could be symptomatic of poor design, poor quality materials, poor quality control. Worth approaching the retailer politely but it is their problem to resolve.