LED ceiling light without space for a driver

2 years ago

Hello, I would like to install a custom made ceiling pendant hardwired to our 120 V ceiling junction box, but use an LED E26 bulb. Unfortunately we don’t have low voltage wiring in our ceiling. We also don’t have room for an LED driver in the ceiling and can’t do a remote driver without ripping up the ceiling, we were advised by the contractor to put the driver into the canopy. However this would make the canopy excessively large and change the design of the fixture.

Ideas? Just install LED bulb without a driver (my contractor is saying that an LED bulb without a driver or a low voltage line can overheat, burn out quickly, flicker, etc.)? Is there an LED bulb with an integrated driver someone can recommend? Other suggestions?

Thank you to this community for helping.

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Comments (6)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I have exchanged LED rpelacements for all my ceiling lights they were halogen and now LED . No special driver needed . Just find a light that was incandecsent and change the bulb to LED . Sow me the light you want and I will tell you if you need a driver.Every LED integrated light just gets wired in llike a regular light .I have this integrated fixture I just installed it like anyother light it replaced a chandelier that was regulr bulbs not driver needed .
3onthetree
2 years ago
An LED lamp (technical term for "bulb") contains the driver within the lamp body/case. So when you have an Edison-style socket fixture connected to 120V wiring, you simply screw in an LED lamp and you are done. The heat dissipation from the driver is theoretically designed into the lamp body/case and with internal materials like a ceramic heat sink, but variations in design occur (or are lacking) and usually with lamps you get what you pay for.

If your custom pendant is taking a stand-alone LED diode plate with it's associated driver and forming a pendant around it (making it an integral LED fixture, meaning not having a separate lamp), I would assume a typical craftsman is not able to design the heat dissipation or the lens distribution of the diodes (if there is a lens/cover) since they usually aren't electrical engineers.
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Paul F.
2 years ago
Sounds like you're trying to use a low voltage bulb. Just swap it for a dimmable line voltage bulb. Maybe I'm missing something?
wdccruise
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
E26 is the type of bulb base; it does not specify the bulb's voltage. As suggested above, just use a 120 volt bulb with an E26 base.* Select the desired dimmability, wattage (or lumens), color temperature, and CRI.

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*https://www.1000bulbs.com/fil/search?facet.multiselect=true&page=1&q=%2A&rows=15&sort=is_backordered+asc%2Cprice+asc&start=0&filter=(category:%224431%22)&filter=(a_base_type_t_fq:%22Medium%20(E26)%22)&filter=(a_voltage_t_fq:%22120%22)
ej610
2 years ago
LED E26 bulbs don't need drivers. Only small LED bulbs, like G4, used for landscaping or under-mount cabinets, need a driver.
3onthetree
2 years ago
@ej610 all LED fixtures or lamps require a driver to transform and regulate the voltage from 120V AC (U.S. standard) down to 12V DC (some are 24V DC). Some are built in, so you don't see it, some are a separate housing.