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luciensadi t1_ixus0aa wrote

Reply to comment by CarlWinslo9 in Help with downlight fitting by ilostmyselfuk

Yeah, I think non-changeable residential LED light fixtures are a fad that's going to go away in the next decade or so as more people run into the hard truth that a failed fixture means replacement of the whole thing instead of just a bulb. As OP's discovering, a failed built-in LED means that you'll struggle with:

  • Finding something that matches the design of your existing fixtures ("sorry, they stopped making that design about four years ago when it went off-trend")

  • Getting a plastic color match to your existing fixtures ("look, I know the ones you have are yellowed with age / bleached from sun exposure, but I can't make that happen for this one that's been in the box this whole time")

  • Climbing a ladder and doing a full fixture replacement complete with de-coupling and re-coupling the electrical connections in the wall

There's a great Technology Connections video about the topic that I'd recommend to anyone who wants to go down the lighting rabbit hole!

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noronto t1_ixvwwwe wrote

This channel is legit. I got my wife to watch the dishwasher video, and now I can buy cheap and easy old school powder.

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RebelJustforClicks t1_ixwaopr wrote

I tried old school powder in ours and the goo honestly works much better for us.

In order of effectiveness it's goes:

dark green cascade gel bottle > light green gel bottle > cascade powder > any kind of pods

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noronto t1_ixwf6ht wrote

My dishwasher has one crank style knob, so the fact that my wife used Cascade Platinum Pods with Gold Flakes seemed a little pricey for the machine.

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schwidley t1_ixws0kl wrote

Dark green cascade for sure. Was using the light for awhile and my glasses started getting really cloudy. After a few washes with the dark green they're clear again.

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just2043 t1_ixxa4wq wrote

I had this issue and ended up just needed a rinse aid. $5 bottle has made it about six months with nearly half of the bottle left.

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SLAPUSlLLY t1_ixy51f4 wrote

Try using white vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser. Works great, very cheap and 100 uses around the home. (I sound like a infomercial).

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RebelJustforClicks t1_ixwxaq7 wrote

Apparently they are designed for different kinds of mess. The light green is better on some stuff and the dark green is better on other stuff, just we typically have whatever the dark green is better for on our dishes.

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MidniteMustard t1_ixwqeki wrote

In my experience cascade platinum actually does work better, but it's unnecessary for 95% of loads.

It might be worth keeping a few around to use only on heavy duty loads.

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internetlad t1_ixxuhea wrote

I use the gel for prewash and pods for main wash. Gets 98% of stuff clean. Sometimes there's a knife or bowl that has some baked on crap or whatever but it's good enough for army work.

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Taleya t1_ixwgqe3 wrote

We've got a benchtop (rental) and honestly yes, gel all the way.

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MidniteMustard t1_ixwqjqz wrote

The powder clumps for me. Probably due to moisture from grabbing the box with not totally dry hands.

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RootTootPrintNShoot t1_ixxgw4y wrote

Lmao. We put ours in a wide mouth pickle jar.

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noronto t1_ixz6m0w wrote

I empty the box of powder into the old economy sized pod container and keep a giant spoon in it for scooping.

I also made a tape handle to make the container easy to grab.

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CarlWinslo9 t1_ixuyfzt wrote

We call those legacy product now. You can use drop in led bulbs and I think its the way to go but it comes down to cost. Led wafers are very cheap and quick to install. Basiv Led reccessed cans are ic rated without sockets. I see more integrated led in my professional life everyday.

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Controllerpleb t1_ixwod64 wrote

Could you go into more detail? I work at a hardware store and I'd love to be able to give better advice to my customers.

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MidniteMustard t1_ixwqpud wrote

It makes some sense for new construction.

No way I'm installing built-in bulb fixtures on my 70 year old homes wiring. I want to mess with it as little as possible.

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Leafy0 t1_ixvwh5v wrote

I don’t think it’s going to go away for longer. In new construction it’s going to be replaced with low voltage systems with smart controllers. For older homes that kind of retrofit doesn’t make sense, but it does make sense to swap out your fixtures every 5 to 10 years like you probably were going to anyways.

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Yangoose t1_ixxxwhy wrote

I sure as shit do not replace light fixtures every 5-10 years...

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Weeniebuttcorgo t1_ixwpu41 wrote

Architectural Lighting Designer here, they probably aren't a fad, but manufacturers are working on developing fixtures where individual components are more easily replaceable so that the whole fixture doesn't have to be replaced.

There is also a conversation going on regarding whether the waste from replacing fixtures and emissions from manufacturing outweighs the ecological benefits of using less power with LEDs. The current answer is probably yeah it does, but manufacturers are reluctant to provide concrete data on that sort of thing.

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MeshColour t1_ixw1kr0 wrote

Devil's advocate. The integrated fixtures can be designed to handle the heat and light better and produce a product that lasts much longer than many bulbs and illuminates more evenly than bulbs

Albeit you only know you're getting that if you're paying a premium for the fixture...

So my advice is buy brand name/high quality if you're installing a led fixture, and generally in a more classic style that isn't too "innovative", all the issues you mention is a risk, but most of the time this type should last as long as most people are in a house So it's likely someone else's problem at least (classic designs you can find something similar enough to match for decades to come)

A different comment mentioned they can be rated for 50,000 hours, which is over 5 years of being on 24/7

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Yangoose t1_ixxyrgk wrote

It's one thing if it's a $20 hallway light.

It's another thing altogether when it's a $1,500 chandelier for your dining room that's just gonna have to go in the dumpster in 5-10 years when the LED's give out.

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Uhgfda t1_ixvn8ls wrote

> Climbing a ladder and doing a full fixture replacement complete with de-coupling and re-coupling the electrical connections in the wall

Possibly having to rip out drywall and/or deal with "renno"style fixtures as replacement.

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selflessass t1_ixvo57u wrote

It usually only requires the replacement of the driver, which is marginally cheaper than replacing the whole light, but cheaper nonetheless. Source: I'm an electrician.

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MeshColour t1_ixw2vdw wrote

How easy are drivers to find these days, for consumers? Are there electrical supply places that I should give a call if I need good quality ones?

I've ordered a few cheap af ones to play with from China/eBay, but don't think I'd trust those to be installed in my ceiling (they are designed to unknown safety standards)

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selflessass t1_ixyvmyu wrote

I get them from electrical supply houses. If you get them the part number, they will often get you an exact match. As for availability, I've seen lead times of a week to a couple of months, so it depends on how soon you want that light working.

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Hagenaar t1_ixwrb07 wrote

Worth noting that if that 50000hr number is correct, that's 8hrs per day for 17yr.

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VexingRaven t1_ixy7910 wrote

Isn't this the TC video where he ultimately concludes that replaceable LED fixtures is fine and not really any different from replacing a bulb in a socket?

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