Lifetime of LCD fixtures

[SecondAttempt]

We're remodeling a bathroom. Thinking of putting in an LCD lit mirror. I have several LCD bulbs and fixtures but the cost is minimal so I don't mind the risk of it dying after just a few years. But LCD mirrors are a few hundred so I'd be pretty bummed if it crapped out early. Any experience with this?

 

[Aerides]

Do you mean things with integrated LED where you can't change the bulb? I know, I've resisted on those also, so I figure if I get one it's going to be something that I wouldn't mind replacing in 5-7 years.

A bathroom mirror shouldn't be utilized (lights on) too terribly often. And they do look nice if you mean the ones that have the built in inner framing of light.

 

[latexman]

We're remodeling a bathroom. Thinking of putting in an LCD lit mirror. I have several LCD bulbs and fixtures but the cost is minimal so I don't mind the risk of it dying after just a few years. But LCD mirrors are a few hundred so I'd be pretty bummed if it crapped out early. Any experience with this?

Can you show us a picture/spec?

 

[CRLLS]

LEDs can and do fail much earlier than they are advertised, typically 10,000-50000 hours. ON-OFF cycles are not tested, only continuous operation. I have a couple of LED porch lights that have been running 24-7-365 for maybe 8-10 years now.

Even with replaceable LED bulbs, I figure that if one dies, all LEDs in that fixture get changed. I find that matching a new LED with ones that are several years old is virtually impossible. Part numbers come and go. Color, efficiency and brightness are constantly being improved.

That said, having an expensive bathroom fixture lit via non-replaceable LEDs would be a deal killer for me.

 

[retire48in2018]

We changed all lighting to LED.

Several bulbs and light fixtures did not last more than a couple years with casual usage.

I think it’s more a manufacturing quality issue than design.

I would hesitate to buy an integrated LED that requires drywall or other ancillary work when changing out.

Quite a few of those “garage” high lumen failed.

About 5 of reg base led bulbs (of 25)
About 3 of GU (recessed lighting) style (of 30)
About 2 of integrated led (of 10)
About 2 of retro kit into recessed lighting (of 15)

This is over 6 years. But, probably use no more than 1,000 per year. I think none of these went even 2,000 hours.

 

[retire48in2018]

I’ll add - if you are wanting all lights to match exactly - get 20% more. As that seems to be the early failure rate in my experience.

 

[Route246]

Be aware that MTBF (mean time between failures) is not an expected life span.

10,000 hours does not mean your lightbulb will die after 10,000 hours.

"Once the MTBF of a system is known, and assuming a constant failure rate, the probability that any one particular system will be operational for a given duration can be inferred[1] from the reliability function of the exponential distribution" which is quite complex.

 

[badatmath]

I resisted my handyman's attempt to get me to install where significant drywall work would have been required. I just don't trust them. He did suggest buying "spares" though.

 

[ERD50]

Be aware that MTBF (mean time between failures) is not an expected life span.

10,000 hours does not mean your lightbulb will die after 10,000 hours.

"Once the MTBF of a system is known, and assuming a constant failure rate, the probability that any one particular system will be operational for a given duration can be inferred[1] from the reliability function of the exponential distribution" which is quite complex.

Except that, published LED lifetimes have *nothing* to do with that.

Unfortunately, it's a spec that extrapolates the time it takes the light to dim to X%. Failure is a whole 'nother spec.

search for "led l70 meaning".

What is an L70 Rating? LED must maintain 70% of their initial lumens during their rated life. For example, an LED with a life of 25,000 hours means that at 25,000 hours of use, the LED bulb will be producing 70% of the light output that it was producing when it was brand new.

I'd guess that 99% + of the public does not know this. It should be made clear, and there really ought to be a real 'expected life' spec/guarantee.

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

Above my bathroom mirror I have a light fixture with 4 GE LEB lightbulbs that I screw on. I bought them back when LED bulbs were just a novelty item. The weren't cheap! This was probably about 15 years ago. I won't be surprised if they outlive me.

 

[RunningBum]

My issue is that I have a couple LEDs that flicker. I think I had a few that were either DOA or flickered badly from the start,, which I didn't use, but also a couple that started flickering later. Not bad enough for me to get a ladder to replace a bulb in the laundry room, but I'd hate for that to happen in an integrated bulb.

 

[OldShooter]

I have slowly converted the house to LED. In almost all cases I have stuck with conventional screw-in bulbs so that a failed one can be easily replaced. I have had maybe two or three fail, one Home Depot house brand that they replaced without hassle and two Cree bulbs that a phone call to Cree also easily produced replacements.

In addition to the risk of a fixture becoming useless because an LED failed, I avoid them because the brightness they produce may be too much or too little, something discovered only after the fact. With screw-in bulbs I can easily substitute different brightness.

 

[OldShooter]

My issue is that I have a couple LEDs that flicker. I think I had a few that were either DOA or flickered badly from the start,, which I didn't use, but also a couple that started flickering later. Not bad enough for me to get a ladder to replace a bulb in the laundry room, but I'd hate for that to happen in an integrated bulb.

Are they on a dimmer? "Non-dimmable" LCD bulbs often flicker if used on a dimmer circuit. Sometimes using only full brightness setting will kill the flicker, sometimes not. My experience anyway.

Light bulbs used to be simple. Watts. Now we have to check lumens, color temperature, and dimmability.

 

[street]

just installed one of the LCD fixtures where you don't have to change bulb. I sure hope I don't regret it, but it was hard finding any low-profile fixture and things are going bulb less the way it looks.

 

[badatmath]

Yeah I replaced a couple light fixtures last year and noticed how much more choice I'd have had with integrated LED.

 

[TrvlBug]

When we remodeled in 2015, I replaced all light fixtures in the 3 bathrooms as wells as the pendant light in the kitchen with integrated LED lights. No failures yet. The only issue we had was one light that would flicker big time. The designer had to text a photo of the switch we used (it was the correct one) and it was determined the light was defective. Good thing it was as I hated it and was able to choose another one that I'm very happy with .

 

[RunningBum]

Are they on a dimmer? "Non-dimmable" LCD bulbs often flicker if used on a dimmer circuit. Sometimes using only full brightness setting will kill the flicker, sometimes not. My experience anyway.

Light bulbs used to be simple. Watts. Now we have to check lumens, color temperature, and dimmability.

Nope. Single switch overhead light, in an enclosed fixture. I suppose it's possible I put one that isn't supposed to be enclosed, but I was pretty careful about what I put where.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Thanks for the answers so far. Yes, I meant LED not LCD!

Here is one example: https://www.homedepot.com/p/TOOLKIS...m-Vanity-Mirror-Front-Light-TK19066/316445125

That is not the one I'm looking at specifically, just an example.

It says the lifetime is 50,000 hours or 45 years if used 3 hours per day. But no electronics in Hawaii last that long!

 

[SecondAttempt]

Can you show us a picture/spec?

See my post below correcting my error calling them LCDs instead of LEDs.