Check with an electrician about the dimmers you have to see if they need to be changed with LEDs, the cans are pretty standard they can be bought at any hardware store and yes you can use LEDs in this style of can there are retrofit inserts you can get.

Thanks for the response, Patricia. I guess my two questions are:

(1) Can you use LEDs on a standard can without a retrofit?

(2) Can you use LEDs with standard dimmers (with or without a retrofit)?

I feel like there should be simple well-known answers to these questions, but I'm struggling to find clear answers online. I'm changing out seventeen of these and don't want to drop the extra $20 bucks a shot for the retrofit unless its actually doing something; especially since I'm not particularly thrilled with how most of them look.

Here are the simple answers to your good questions -

1. Yes, purchase 1 Cree LED flood light source from Home Depot in the same size as your existing light bulb. With the existing dimmer on 100% observe the light created to verify that you like the illumination. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-65W-Equivalent-Soft-White-2700K-BR30-Dimmable-LED-Flood-Light-Bulb-BBR30-06527FLF-12DE26-1U100/204366182?N=5yc1vZbm79Z1z132nb

2. The above mentioned Cree source is listed to be dimmed. That is somewhat a gray area as the listing does not mention the type of dimmer required. Test the dimmer you have and replace it if needed. Use a Lutron dimmer listed for LED light sources if your existing dimmer does not function properly.

When replacing light sources keep in mind the color of the light source. Below is a Kelvin scale to assist with light source selections. Use the Lumen rating to gauge the amount of light the source produces instead of watts. Watts are no longer relative in the selection process except for the amount of electricity that is being consumed.

Hope this helps! ClearLED.biz

Thanks so much! So what's the deal with the retrofit kits? Are they just an unnecessary marketing thing?

The LED retro fit kits for recessed fixtures are a convenient method for replacement of the entire trim. It is our opinion to paint your existing trims to reduce landfill trash. Using your existing recessed trims also allow you to test several different light sources at a reasonable cost.

Yup, marketing and sales are a driving factor almost always. We are consultants and do not supply or install products. We are pure client advocates! ClearLED.biz

Interesting. I was under the impression that heat from the lighting source causes yellowing and flaking so that it's not worth trying to paint baffles and trim. But that advice was probably for people using incandescents and not the cooler-running LEDs???

"The trims have yellowed and I want to switch from black to white baffles."
Do you have a picture of this? People keep trying to tell me that black baffles are the only way to go because they don't yellow. Or do you just mean the trim ring itself?
Are these recessed in an insulated ceiling, and are the cans airtight? You may consider a trim change for the OTHER energy savings of heat loss.
There are a few places I would consider using a retrofit/ all-in-one trim and LED such as shower trims and places where you would want a gimbal trim. These hold in the heat by closing off the bulb, and those little fins need air circulation.
The thing about LEDs is that they tend to misrepresent their equivalent light output. A standard 60 watt bulb puts out about 850 lumens. The Cree "65 watt equivalent" only puts out 650 lumens. Your recessed could easily have bulbs in them that are an 1100 lumen output.


Here is the dimmer list

http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/Cree/Lighting/Lamps/Bulb/CreeBulbdimmercompatibility.pdf

https://www.creelink.com/exLink.asp?7760553OJ26M98I32532393

So in case anyone is interested, you should all reread and save Clear Lighting and Electrical Design's advice because it was dead on balls accurate. I ended up painting my trim rings and baffles the same color as my ceiling (BM-Simply White) and they came out lovely. I went with the fatter bulbs that imitate the shape of incandescent recessed lighting bulbs. The LEDs look to be almost perfectly color matched with the Benjamin Moore shade, so I was able to eliminate the landing strip look on my ceiling that I hated when I had black trim and incandescent bulbs.

The real kicker is this. I was in Home Depot and was getting lazy, because there are only so many hours in a weekend. I found the 65W Crees, and was just about to buy the full 20 or so of them that I would need to redo my condo, when I remembered Clear Lighting and Electrical Design's advice to "observe the light created to verify that you like the illumination." So I sucked it up, bought only one bulb and tested it out at home . . . and well I hated it. The Crees shade of light is not my thing at all, kind of a piercing clean light that reminds me of what you see on exterior safety lights more than in residential applications.

I ended up going with the Ecosmart Soft White 65W (as opposed to the Ecosmart Bright White) at Home Depot. The shade on the bulbs is perfect. There's maybe a quarter second delay with the bulbs when flipping on the light switch but that doesn't bother me like the color of the light on the Crees did. They also dim differently than incandescents, which is a little bit more of a bummer, but not too poorly so that its really bothersome.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Ecosmart soft whites are the current leader, at least for now, in residential recessed lighting replacement bulbs. Home Depot is carrying them in 3 packs so that you can get them for a discount if you're buying in bulk, unlike the Crees which you still have to buy individually, at least at my neighborhood HD. Home Depot also is carrying Ecosmart soft white 65W recessed lighting bulbs in bulk -- they had a couple hundred bulbs for sale, while the only had maybe 15-20 or so of the other makers.

Bottom line, thanks again Clear Lighting and Electrical Design. I wouldn't have been able to navigate a proper implementation of LEDs without your suggestions.

@Fred S: I just meant the white . . . well yellow before the repainting . . . trim ring itself. My baffles were black and retained their color. I probably should have given more thought to the full replacements because my recessed lighting canisters are not airtight. I'm just not thrilled about the look of the products on the market right now. I think I'm going to look into them more deeply when my LEDs start to burn out, if I still own my condo then. These things are supposed to have a lifespan of up to like 22 years!

Thank you chambers1589 for the wonderful compliment regarding our advice! We enjoy helping everyone to "see the light" !!

@chambers1589. Check out our website: www.Wesselled.com.
Wessel LED Lighting Systems is dedicated to developing and delivering the very best lighting solutions for designers and manufacturers alike. Our high quality, energy efficient LED's are made in Germany and can be found in store fixtures, kitchens, furniture, yachts and many other applications. Our 30+ years experience in manufacturing LED lights allows us to give you professional advise for all of your LED projects. We ship all around the world.
And we do what most stores can... and that is customize by size. Remodeling is a process, let us help you make it less complicated.

I don't know if I'm just wasting my time on here or what, but I saw a pic you posted of a triangular brick wall, saying you had no idea what it was or why it was there. I'm sure someone else has gotten to you by now, but in case not...
It's a dual chimney. If you look at the beam in the ceiling, that tells us that when the house was originally built, there was a wall there. So now picturing two rooms, you can see how there was a small chimney in the corner of each room to allow for a small woodstove (picture potbelly or something similar in size). The round cemented-over circles are the holes for the pipes from these stoves.
Anyhoo, sorry this has nothing to do with your post, I just couldn't figure out how else to contact you. Unanswered questions drive me insane, so I was hoping to spare you the same insanity if it hasn't been answered for you already!