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Thread: "retrofit" recessed lights

  1. #1
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    "retrofit" recessed lights

    I don't understand what "retrofit" recessed lights would be retrofitted to. They have an adapter that is designed to screw into a light socket. What kind of thing can hold a recessed light and also has a light socket? Example: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-5-i...dalType=drawer
    Last edited by Stephen Tashiro; 08-11-2020 at 4:11 AM.

  2. #2
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    It looks like that is an LED and it is designed to fit in a can light leaving the lens flush with the ceiling.
    Lee Schierer
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  3. #3
    Like Lee said, they go in can lights. The one you linked is confusing because it looks like there's a separate trim piece, but this is a more "normal" example where you remove the existing bulb, trim, and replace it with this:
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-LT-...dalType=drawer

  4. #4
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    Yea, the first ones are nice if you have existing trim you want to keep. Over all, they're easy to install, and were well worth it in our last house (which had can more lighting). The next time I have to replace the bulbs in the couple can lights we have, I'll do conversions again.
    ~mike

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    I'm in the process of replacing many of the fixtures in the non - profit I oversee.
    I had already replaced many of the light bulbs/tubes (depending on the fixture) with LED, but in review of my longevity data, it became obvious that replacing the entire fixture with a purpose built LED fixture was a more economic alternitive in many cases.
    The one criteria I always use was the stated life on the item being replaced. Beware of the lights that claim only "xxx energy savings over regular lights". Look at expected life span. The norm today is 50,000 hours.
    Young enough to remember doing it;
    Old enough to wish I could do it again.

  6. #6
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    Replacing cans is more complex. The conversions pretty much replace the guts of the cans, with purpose built LED assemblies (not just bulbs)
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  7. #7
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    I see the source of my confusion. The selection of "cans" at local hardware stores has only cans without any built-in light socket. The are designed to hold an assemblies that either have sockets or are LED modules. Apparently old style cans have a light socket built into them. I haven't see that style for sale.

  8. #8
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    The problem with LED refit trims is with replacement when one goes bad. We've had more than one customer have the LED trim die & the original trim was out of production. Repair is not economically feasible. My preference is to install conventional cans that have a medium base screw socket, and fit them with LED screw in lamps. That was there is no problem when one fails.

    LEDs do have a very long life & will last 20+ years in a home installation, but statistically, there will be premature failures.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    LEDs do have a very long life & will last 20+ years in a home installation, but statistically, there will be premature failures.
    I'm remodelling a bedroom, completely re-doing the lighting arrangement. It seems to me that the thin LED modules that clamp onto ordinary ceiling boxes achieve the same about the effect as typical LED recessed lights. The exception to that is that I don't find any clamp-ons where the direction of illumination can be adjusted - nothing corresponding to the"Eyeball" and "gimbal" type of recessed lights. A ceiling box can hold a variety of fixtures and (to me) is simpler to install than a "can". I'd prefer to install ceiling boxes. I only wish I could get thin LEDs that didn't have to shine straight down.

    My prediction for future technology is that thin directional LED modules will be invented. Hope for that is another argument for using ceiling boxes.

  10. #10
    I installed those retrofit LED can lights in my house. No serious problems. They are brighter than the lights I had in the cans so I had to put some dimmers in a few of the rooms. The ones I used are dimmable and color selectable (they call it tuneable) . I went towards the white but not all the way - left a bit of orange. Very satisfied.

    I don't think you'll ever recover the cost of the LEDs in lower electricity usage. I had CFLs in the cans so the electricity usage was already low. My wife wanted to replace them so that they would all look the same. I had all kinds of CFLs in the light - pigs tails, ones with a glass cover, etc.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Tashiro View Post
    ...The exception to that is that I don't find any clamp-ons where the direction of illumination can be adjusted - nothing corresponding to the"Eyeball" and "gimbal" type of recessed lights....
    This is our issue as well. We have a peaked ceiling in the master bedroom with recessed cans for PAR-based bulbs. I put LED's in there but it is still a weird directional light and I wish there were some affordable gimbal options in LED. By the way, we have both the self-enclosed direct-fit LED cans in a few rooms and then I just put some Feit (?) PAR-based bulbs into the others. Have yet to experience any failure of either and we're going on eight years with them.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  12. #12

  13. #13
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    I put in several Sylvania disk type LED lights bought back in 2017 in March. One of them failed completely within 90 days. The problem is I don't think I will ever be able to get a matching light. I think there is still a warranty, but I am not sure they could get me the same light.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    The problem with LED refit trims is with replacement when one goes bad. We've had more than one customer have the LED trim die & the original trim was out of production. Repair is not economically feasible. My preference is to install conventional cans that have a medium base screw socket, and fit them with LED screw in lamps. That was there is no problem when one fails.

    LEDs do have a very long life & will last 20+ years in a home installation, but statistically, there will be premature failures.
    My understanding of LED lifetime is that the actual LED will likely last 50,000 hrs./20 years/whatever. The supporting circuitry may not/likely won't. So yeah, I'd go along with the screw-in lamps if I had recessed fixtures.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    Got to check those out. Thanks,

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

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