My LED retrofit

11 years ago

Just completed my LED retrofit for the ceiling lights in a house I'm moving into.
http://dsayed.tumblr.com/post/40409382708/led-retrofit
Some things that I learned:
1. The existing ceiling lights are made by Lightolier and the baffles have a well designed clip mechanism instead of the usual spring wires. Unfortunately, this means that most LED retrofit kits on the market (including the recent $15 special at Costco) will not fit. The Ecosmart kit just screws in and has three integrated arms that grab the interior of the can as you screw in the lamp.
2. The trim of the LED lights is narrower than the existing trim, which means that the surrounding area of the ceiling either needs cleaning or more likely repainting. Since my ceilings aren't all bright white this probably means a complete ceiling repaint.
3. Associated with number 2, because the LED trims are narrower, it is possible that they will not fully cover the cutout for the fixture, or at least require some careful positioning.
4. The Ecosmart LEDs are available in two color temperatures (whiteness of the light). The warm white (2700K) is a very good match for incandescents. The daylight white (3200K I think) might be good for a laundry room, although the lamp is twice the price of the 2700K version. See http://dsayed.tumblr.com/post/40437334464/comparison-of-different-led-fixtures

Here is a link that might be useful: LED retrofit

This post was edited by GromitInWA on Sun, Jan 13, 13 at 12:18

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Comments (9)

ionized_gw
11 years ago
Why do people find such yellow light pleasing (2700 and 3200 K)? Is because fire and lamp light is that color, or maybe incandescents? Why settle for the same old light that inferior, stone-hatchet technology could offer when you can install 5000 K sources with a similar or better CRI and get something that looks like (real) daylight?
GromitInWA
Original Author
11 years ago
If you are trying to match with other sources warm sources, you need a warm light.
Some would say that cool daylight temperatures look like fluorescent and that it isn't pleasing.
Just a couple of reasons off the top of my head.
I do plan to do a cooler source in the laundry room.
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Granite_Man
11 years ago
5000K is just dreadful for residential use. I always get a kick out of driving by the homes in my area at night and seeing all of the mismatched colors.
ionized_gw
11 years ago
My viewpoint is that naturally-colored light sources were not available, we had to accept the dreadful yellow lamps. Now I expect better.
jacob-md
11 years ago
I installed 4 5000K Cree CR6 LED recessed units in my kitchen and we love them. Probably would have been ok with 4000K, but to us, either one is far superior to the sickly yellow light from the 2700K CR6.
Komeht
11 years ago
Kitchens and bathrooms are good for 5000k.

But l like 2700k elsewhere as the blue is a bit too industrial

If there was a 4000k option I'd probably go with that everywhere.
ionized_gw
11 years ago
4000K option? There seems to be plenty of 4100K lighting around. My feel is that 4100 is the new normal and warm white is going the way of stone hatchets. People's sense of what is normal light is shifting now that incandescents are going away and better CRIs lamps are available in other lighting technologies.

For me, it is mostly about CRI, but I have a preference for daylight so 5000K is normal for me 6500 is, of course, a cloudy day.
Komeht
11 years ago
well, in the currently semi-affordable ones available at Home Depot - there is a 2700K option (very warm) and a 5000K option (very cool) - I'll almost certainly be using the 5000K lights in the master bath and the kitchen. But think the 5000K is a bit too blue for my taste elsewhere. If there was a tweener I'd probably go with that.

Still - as far as I'm concerned - the Eco Smart are the only game in town, everything else being either not very good or very very expensive and often both.
ionized_gw
11 years ago
Good info. I hope they become more affordable soon.