Which LED bulbs actually last as long as they're supposed to?

[shagster]

I've been buying Philips ones making the (possibly incorrect) assumption that they're going to be decent quality.

GU10 ones, something like these: https://www.screwfix.com/p/philips-gu10-led-light-bulb-345lm-3-8w-6-pack/250fh are the worst, we seem to get one going every 6 months or so, and we are careful about switching lights off when we don't use them.
Otherwise all our ceiling roses are pendant 15w warm white Philips ones, I've deliberately avoided dimmable thinking there's just more to go wrong.

The bathroom LED bulkhead lights have just gone on and on. I put these wherever I can, something like this: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LTPEDL.html
Also in the shed. I've never needed to fix any of them (even though I can easily do so because all the electronics is readily accessible).

Also, the integrated LED downlight that I have has been working for >5 years, something like this:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-fixed-led-led-downlight-white-5w-370lm/3046v

So counter-intuitively it looks as though it's a better option to go for all-in-one units rather than GU10/Bayonets where the bulb itself is replaceable.

The problem is having an OH who loves her lamp shades, so spots are not an option for most of the rooms.

I wondered if someone has figured out a way to replace the ceiling rose with something a little larger (but still not too obstrusive), containing the LED driving circuitry, while just having the LEDs and diffuser in the pendant, so you can have the pendant look but still be able to repair it?
Or should I be using a different brand of bulb?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Lots of LED's here, no particular brand chosen, or even known brands and only one failure twice in around 6 years. That being a lantern outside light for the drive - my suspicion after the second failure was heat build up, so last time I added a small amount of air flow, so far, no problem.

All of them include the power supply built into the lamp itself.

Operating temperature and cooling is important for LED's, the fact that the fitting manufacture specifies Max. 40w filament, doesn't mean a 5w LED will be happy in it. The 40w is the maximum the fitting can take without damage, whereas the cooling might not be enough for an LED. Filaments don't really care about how hot they are run, they run at white heat anyway.

 

[shagster]

I hear what you're saying about the heat build-up and that may explain why an array of 4 GU10s in my kitchen keep going (they are in steel enclosures), but it doesn't explain the number of failures of bayonet fittings which should have standard air-flow.

 

[bernardgreen]

but it doesn't explain the number of failures of bayonet fittings which should have standard air-flow.

Bayonet fitting LED lamps have the driver and the LED element built into the bayonet cap and this is where the heat is generated. The shroud of the bayonet socket reduces the ability of the lamps to dissipate this heat. Hence the driver and elements become hot which stresses both driver and elements.

In an incandescent lamp the heat is generated in the filament and most of this heat is radiated from the lamp through the glass envelope.

 

[sparkwright]

I have had more luck than you by using Screwfix LAP GU10 LED lamps - fitted about 60 two and a half years ago - first one blew this week.

 

[Wayners]

Built not to last like many things in this world. They make them that way for planned obsolescence. Listened to a podcast on that and it's shocking how the world works

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Built not to last like many things in this world. They make them that way for planned obsolescence. Listened to a podcast on that and it's shocking how the world works

Well I'm not convinced the manufacture is that green, but life, consumption and (now the cost has dropped) the cost makes them very worthwhile, plus the time/effort saved in not having to replace them regularly. I'm not sure where 'the planned obsolescence' comes into it, when something so cheap last such a long time in a sensible application. I always used to keep a box full of spare lamps, of all varieties, when we had filament and CFL's. Now whilst I do have a few spare LED's, they are only odd ones, left overs, not kept for any particular purpose. Generally, the idea is if one blows, I will go buy a replacement as needed

 

[BS3036]

Try to imagine what would happen to the light bulb market if they actually lasted forever.

 

[bernardgreen]

Longest life lamp has been lit for over 100 years and it is not LED

http://www.centennialbulb.org/

Welcome to the homepage of the Centennial Bulb, the Longest burning Light Bulb in history. Now in its 120th year of illumination. For those of you coming here for the first time, feel free to explore the pages of our amazing little bulb, with pictures, stories, facts, and history.
For all you first time visitors, check out our Visting Hints page! Please read this if you are coming for the first time, as it should answer many of your questions. Also while you are here, please ask to see the "multi-bulb display" lit up, (you can see a 100 year old Shelby Bulb up close too).
2021

 

[SUNRAY]

Personally I've found 'domestic' LEDs to be very unreliable, in the last 5 years since I've started fitting them, I've purchased more replacements for them than incandescants in the previous 20 years... by a big margin. However I stick with them as I'm quite liking how they look in some fittings, especially the little garden bollards.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Longest life lamp has been lit for over 100 years and it is not LED

http://www.centennialbulb.org/

Most filament lamps will last a very long time if kept powered up and under-run, but they do not produce much actual light output. The process of turning on and off causes considerable shock and can reduce their life dramatically. We have one under stairs light, which is very rarely needed to be used and which is an original from at least forty years ago.

 

[shagster]

Bayonet fitting LED lamps have the driver and the LED element built into the bayonet cap and this is where the heat is generated. The shroud of the bayonet socket reduces the ability of the lamps to dissipate this heat. Hence the driver and elements become hot which stresses both driver and elements.

I don't think this is relevant to my point. This should surely be taken into account when stating the expected lifespan. You can hardly make the case I'm abusing a bayonet lamp by putting it in pendant!

 

[ericmark]

First LED's were MR16 both GU10 and G5.3 from PoundWorld and were 0.58 watt, really toys, the G5.3 did not last long, the GU10 were OK, but this was in the early years, PoundWorld failed in July 2018 and likely the bulbs were around the 2016 mark.

The next was Lidi, around 2017-8 they started to sell E14 candle bulbs at around 1.6 watt, there were only a couple left sold in pairs, so I bought a couple, and on getting home realised more of the Philips 8W golf bulbs had failed, so decided to use the new bulbs until I could pick up some larger bulbs. I was surprised how much light from such a small bulb.

Bayonet fitting LED lamps have the driver and the LED element built into the bayonet cap and this is where the heat is generated. The shroud of the bayonet socket reduces the ability of the lamps to dissipate this heat. Hence the driver and elements become hot which stresses both driver and elements.

This is a good point, all my chandeliers the base of bulb was at the bottom, the light reflected off the ceiling, next batch of Lidi candle bulbs were 3 watt, they had 8 left, and living room used 10 bulbs, so total of 27.2 watt, which seemed great, until I tried to read, realised I needed bigger bulbs, so got 10 golf bulbs from Homebargains at 5 watt each, and moved the old bulbs to mothers house where the room was smaller and 3 watt was enough.

I got 4 x G5.3 MR16 compatible bulbs for bathroom pods, (Lidi) powered from a toroidal transformer, and also a 24 watt tube to replace the 65 watt fluorescent the latter failed and was replaced with a 22 watt both from screwfix, and that when in 2019 we left North Wales was the only LED's to fail. I started using B&M bargains for BA22d, E14, and GU10 bulbs together with Homebargains and can't really say which bulb came from which, plus some smart LED bulbs and strips from Lidi, non have failed.

G9 bulbs caused a problem, the bulbs were flashing, so added a load capacitor but also a shimmer when used with Energenie wifi switches, the small bulb was replaced with one tungsten which stopped the shimmer, then wife found the larger bulb on the internet, of the 5 fitted, one did not even last 24 hours, so ordered replacement and prized open the faulty bulb to see how it was made, the smoothing capacitor was larger then the whole smaller bulb, also found dry joint which was repaired and it was returned to service. Wife wanted fancy lamp so we got a pair of colour changing smart GU10 bulbs, tested on in kitchen lamps, which failed.

So now nearly all LED with only around 4 lamps failed. However son when he moved into my old house replaced the LED tube with an array of GU10 down lighters from toolstation, and he has had a lot of failures, he blames cheap bulbs, but same room where the 5 foot LED tube failed, and no SPD fitted in my old house.

As we get more and more LED lights we are also reducing the number of tungsten which may have damped out surges? So we have a question, are the failed bulbs low quality, or are they being taken out by spikes or surges on the supply?

The load capacitor may also be damping surges, and also the smoothing capacitor inside the bulbs. Having an aerial supply or under ground supply can also affect if prone to spikes. Likely my toroidal transformer also reduced any spikes reaching the bulbs.

Bulb shimmer is the biggest problem to my mind, there is no way to read info about a bulb and know if there is a smoothing capacitor fitted. My daughter complains our lights give her a head ache, we have 8 x 6 watt Homebargains candle E14 in living room, plus up lighters and display cabinet lights, one Lidi Smart LED light strip is 22 watt, it says 30,000 hours, on timer for 4 hours a day so around 20 year life if that is correct, so likely will outlive me.

What to me would be interesting would be if those who have a lot of failures have SPD fitted?

Toolstation is selling GU10 bulbs at £1.20 each in packs of 5, compared with that B&M bargains at £1.33 - £2 each is expensive, Home bargains is also more expensive than toolstation, so maybe just too cheap. Energizer and Eveready bulbs do seem to last, as do LivarnoLux the Lidi specials.

 

[AndyPRK]

DSES has also given up fitting Philips I believe.
Apparently the latest lap ones are lighter. So changes made.

 

[shagster]

What to me would be interesting would be if those who have a lot of failures have SPD fitted?

I don't believe I have. And I have a lot of failures. Would this be something I could measure or is that going to be prohibitively expensive?