Bright light bulbs for outside fixtures?

[Bill Dufour]

You can find “enclosed rated” LED bulbs at the BORG. The ones I have have been running in “jelly jar“ type outdoor fixtures without issue.

Good Info, thanks. Probably last longer as most fail by overheating the power supply.
Bil lD

[Frank Pratt]

Temperature issues are much more of a problem with LED chip that of for the driver. The LED chip degrades at a much lower temperature than most electronics. LED chips don't generally burn out, but rather get dimmer with age. Lamp life is usually express as the number of hours it takes for the lumen output to degrade to 70% of the original.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

When my house was built 3 years ago, the difference between getting sealed LED units for the exterior and regular fixtures was minimal. Haven't replaced a bulb or fixture in three years. The builder gave me some crap about not finding them. I went to to the local electrical supply house and looked at their selection and order the 8 fixtures we needed and got credit back from the builder. I am told that the exterior wall sconce fixtures (2) that I got are no longer made. But the recessed ceiling lights are, even saw them at my local Lowes a few months ago. I hate that bright white light some LEDs can give. That's why I ordered the warm white. I was afraid the LED's would be too dim and thats why the porch has the six ceiling fixtures in 68 feet. The lights are almost too bright. If I bought another house that had incandescent exterior lights, I would switch them all over to sealed LED. I have switched over some lights at the barn and outbuildings. Less electric, sealed to keep out moisture, no bulbs to ever replace, some have a 10 yr (or longer) guarantee. Seems like a no brainer.

[Frank Pratt]

There is a great, huge problem with decorative LED fixtures that nobody wants to talk about. Most light fixtures have a limited production run, maybe a few years. So if you put in a bunch of dedicated LED fixtures, the kind with a built in LED light engine, not a screw in lamp, then what do you do 3, 5, or 10 years down the road when one of those fails? By now the fixture is no longer made & parts are unavailable so you have to choose between replacing them all, or just the one & having a mismatched fixture.

We've already had to deal with this & customers are not happy. Anytime we spec the fixtures, if at all possible, we select ones that have a screw socket & fit them with an LED lamp.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

The problem with that is the screw in socket fixture is exposed to the exterior humidity bugs, dirt etc. When the socket corrodes, you will be done anyway because those fixtures are being phased out. I put brand new exterior incandescent screw in socket fixtures outside our old farm house and had to replace the fixtures twice in 20 years. (we live along a stream bottom with lots of fog and mist) Sealed units bypass the humidity, bug and dirt problem. Nothing like seeing a bunch a dead bugs in a light fixture or constantly cleaning them out.