LED Lights and Enclosed Fixtures: Can They Work Together? (2023)

FAQs

Can LED lights be used in enclosed fixtures? ›

Yes, but only some brands. The issue is the amount of heat that can build up in the enclosed fixture. LED bulbs are very sensitive to heat; if the air in the enclosed fixture becomes too hot, it will shorten the life of the bulb.

Using an LED bulb in an enclosed fixture when it isn't designed for that may cause the bulb to overheat, potentially causing damage to the light bulb and fixture. Even a little extra heat can shorten the lifespan of the bulb and keep you from enjoying the full value of your investment.

If you have fully or semi-enclosed fixtures you need to light up, look for LEDs that are approved for recessed or enclosed spaces.

This is a no no. Mixing LED with incandescent lighting causes poor performance. If using both on the same circuit, your incandescent light will draw more power, causing the LED to flicker. The better advice would be, if you change one, change them all.

Most LED bulbs are designed to disperse this heat into the air around them. An enclosed fixture makes this difficult and can lead to overheating. An LED bulb operating above its rated operating temperature will have a much shorter lifespan, which can increase your costs by having to replace them prematurely.

As long as the mounting base (socket) is the same size and type, you can use an LED bulb in an existing fixture. If the mounting base isn't the same size and type, the LED bulb will not fit the socket. You should never use a bulb with a higher wattage than what is recommended for the fixture.

Venting your LED electronics is an important function to prevent condensation inside the enclosure and premature failures.

Disadvantages of LED Bulbs

Most white LED bulbs emit a cooler, blue-tinted light — rather than the “warmer” glow that is associated with incandescent bulbs. Some people prefer “daylight” or “natural light” LED options. Some LED fixtures may create sharp shadows that may not be desirable in certain places in the home.

LED light is killing bacteria, fungus and mold, and the scientific community has validated the results. Lab researchers, diode fabricators and fixture manufacturers are working to market LEDs that are an effective and safer disinfectant than ultraviolet (UV) light, while also offering a much longer operational life.

This is the crucial point: yes, using a Hue bulb inside enclosed fixtures will affect your warranty, but if you accept this risk and you won't be using the light fixtures too often throughout the day, you'll probably be fine.

Are LED ceiling lights worth it? ›

The U.S. Department of Energy cites 72% to 80% savings with LED lights compared to other options. LED lights last up to 25 times longer than a traditional bulb. Whether you replace one light in a home or design a home completely with LED light fixtures, you can experience tremendous energy savings.

But there's no problem using a 100-watt equivalent LED bulb, which is only about 17 watts and therefore well under the safety limit of a 60-watt maximum fixture.

As a general rule of thumb, a total of 8-10 numbers of light bulbs can be installed on a single pole, single phase 15A, 120V circuit breaker.

The answer is YES. You can use an LED bulb having a higher wattage equivalent than your fixture allows — provided the LED bulb consumes less wattage than the fixture.

LED lights require a certain voltage, such as 24 or 12V. When they run at higher voltages, they become extremely hot. Extreme heat damages the LED lights or the soldering around them. Due to the heat damage LED lights start to dim, flicker, or may die entirely.

You have fluorescent troffers or strip fixtures already, and you're wondering if you can just pop LED tubes in them or if you'll need to change out the fixtures for something designed for LED. Good news: You can absolutely use LED tubes in your existing fixtures!

Enclosed fixtures are lighting fixtures which keep a tight seal around the light source. This could be for many reasons, such as keeping water out or simply to protect the circuitry underneath. However, even with LEDs, the lighting is also a heat source and in enclosed fixtures the light has less space to spread out.

Using a light bulb with too high of wattage can lead to overheating of the light bulb. This heat can melt the light socket as well as the insulation of the wires. Once that happens, you put yourself at risk of arc faults, and this is something that could even lead to property fires.

A laser diode has a number of important benefits. In the first place, laser diodes are considerably smaller than their LED counterparts. The fact that a laser diode can produce up to 1,000 times as much light for only 2/3 of the energy means that it is even possible to light a complete house using only one laser diode.

LED power supplies have something called an inrush current. This happens when the supply is initially turned on, and for a very short period of time there is a spike of power (much higher than the specified output of the power supply), which means this can trip some breakers.

What would cause a LED light to flicker? ›

But most commonly, LED bulbs may flicker or dim in your home when there are voltage fluctuations in your home's wiring. When electrical loads turn on and off in your home, this creates a change in voltage levels, which may cause the LED lights to occasionally dim or flicker.

LED Light is Too White

Some people who have used LED bulbs have noticed that they are usually whiter and brighter than regular incandescent light bulbs. As such, some people feel that these LED bulbs make their home feel like a hospital operating room or a chemical laboratory. People are accustomed to warmer light.

Problem #4: Overheating

Unlike incandescent light bulbs, LEDs don't produce light using heat. This is part of what makes them so energy efficient. The downside is that their components can be sensitive to overheating, which can cause them to burn out prematurely.

LED lights are both energy efficient and brighter than their predecessors. Also, you can expect a longer life span from LED lights. But there are some downsides to LED lights as well. Flickering light, humming sound being some common problems of LED Lighting.

LED Lights Do Not Attract Bugs, So Keep The Light On.

Because most LED lights don't emit UV light or generate a lot of heat, they tend attract very few insects. Insects are attracted to light. However, LED light gives off less heat, and also emits the wrong colours of the visible light spectrum, resulting in less insects being attracted to them.

LED lights are unlikely to start a fire. The bulbs don't get hot enough to ignite anything. The biggest risks are faulty wiring or overloaded circuits. This is often caused by the way they are installed, rather than an issue with the light itself.

No. The Smart LED bulbs cannot be used in fully-enclosed fixtures.

Yes, you can (and I do use them this way, in an outdoor enclosed porch light), and it is considered safe to do in terms of protecting your property. But also "no" because all LED bulbs can potentially wear out if they get too hot, and an enclosed fixture does cause some heat to accumulate.

How can you tell if an LED light is good quality? ›

Light output (Lumens)

The best way to identify a suitable LED lamp replacement for an existing lamp is to look for the amount of light the lamp produces (measured in lumens or lm). Package information that says that the light output was actually tested for this performance is a good sign of a quality product.

While incandescent bulbs typically last only around 1,000 hours - barely a year with several hours of use each day - LED lighting is commonly rated to last 50,000 hours or more, which can conceivably translate into decades at the same rate of use.

The bottom line? If your fixture is rated to accept 60 Watts, you can safely use 75W, 100W, or even 125W equal bulbs (which all draw less than 50 Watts of power) instead.

A 60-watt incandescent light bulb can be replaced with a 10-watt LED.

A 40-watt-rated fixture can take only a 40-watt bulb. Any more and you will incur heat damage. That heat damage may be on the ceiling itself, the light fixture's wiring or the house wiring in the ceiling. And, of course, the worst manifestation is a fire.

You can typically connect 8 to 10 times more LED light strings together end to end while only using one plug outlet. Most traditional Christmas mini lights allow you to connect only 4 or 5 sets end to end, but with many LED mini light strings you can connect 40 to 50+ together depending on the light count.

You should have no problem supplying 8 light fixtures from a single 120 volt 15 ampere circuit, unless the fixtures have four or five bulbs each. @MatthewPerry a switch can control as many lights as are on the circuit, as long as the current drawn by the bulbs is less than the rated current of the switch.

For a lighting circuit, the maximum number of light points is 8. One can thus use up to 8 light bulbs. For a 16-ampere socket, the maximum number of points, and therefore plug sockets, varies between 5 and 8 depending on the section size of the conductor and its level of protection.

When buying an incandescent bulb, the watts rating gives consumers a good indication of how bright a bulb is. The more watts, the brighter the bulb. That rule doesn't apply to LED bulbs, though. An LED that uses 60 watts is in no way comparable to an incandescent bulb that uses 60 watts.

What happens if you put too little voltage through an LED? ›

No, low voltage will not damage an LED light as they are a diode, meaning, if you don't supply enough voltage, proper light won't be emitted. This is partially way dimming switches work so well with LED lighting. In fact, running an LED light through a lower voltage could in fact increase its lifetime.

Most common LED's require a forward operating voltage of between approximately 1.2 to 3.6 volts with a forward current rating of about 10 to 30 mA, with 12 to 20 mA being the most common range.

You can see this by measuring the output of a wall adapter with a voltmeter: due to manufacturing variance, the actual output could be anywhere in this range. So anything from about 4.5 to 5.5 Volts is safe for these LEDs and 6V is the 'rated absolute maximum'. Any higher and they'll burn out quickly.

All light fixtures must have protective plates.

No bare bulbs allowed.

Exposed or partially exposed incandescent or LED lamps (bulbs) are not allowed in closets. While utility light fixtures with bare bulbs in a socket were once common in closets and other storage areas, these are no longer allowed.

If indoors, make sure they're nowhere near children or pets. Allow for some space between furniture and don't ever overcrowd it with materials that may catch if the bulb ever breaks. LEDs are made of plastic and don't get hot, but these safety precautions will give you additional peace of mind.

While they do contain some heavy metals, such as lead and copper, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has not classified spent LEDs as hazardous waste.

Several circuit protection technologies – including metal-oxide varistors (MOVs), TVS diodes, LED protectors, and fuses – are needed to provide overvoltage, overcurrent, and high-temperature circuit protection for commercial LED lighting systems.

Most headlights generate heat while in operation, and they need ventilation to allow for a more optimal operating temperature.

Before using a CFL or LED bulb in a totally enclosed fixture, you should consult the product packaging. Because totally enclosed fixtures do not allow air to circulate around the lamp, it causes heat to build up, which can lead to performance issues.

What type of lighting fixtures are not allowed in clothes closets? ›

Incandescent luminaires with open or partially open lamps and pendant-type luminaires must not be installed in a clothes closet [410.16(B)].

LED lights are the best choice for a bathroom vanity as they are damp-rated and work well in a high-humidity environment. The bulbs are highly energy efficient and produce a warm light ideal for makeup application.