LED Light Bulbs for Ceiling Lights

[komobu]

Hi;

My kitchen light fixture uses 3 60w or 75w incandescent bulbs. I also have a ceiling fan that uses 2 60w bulbs and the ceiling lights in the bathrooms and bedrooms.

I would like to go all led. I have X10 throughout my house with the X10 dim able light switches, but I always use them on full power and never dim them .

If you have some LED lights, could you please recommend what I should purch ase? I would really like to buy them from ebay because the prices there loo k great, I am just not sure what to buy because it looks like most of the l ed bulbs I see say spot light and I really want them to light up a room.

Thanks for any advice / help

[clare]

The cheap ones with free shipping from China are GREAT - if you like changing bulbs... They are cheap anyway.

[Ed Pawlowski]

You may be SOL. I have an outdoor light on X-10 and put an LED bulb,and when you switch the light off using the X-10 it just goes dim, not off. If you slide the lever on the bottom, it does go off, but then you lose the ability to use the controllers.

[Pat]

I have many X-10 devices controlling LED bulbs. For the most part, they work well. Only a few have the symptom you describe and they haven't been a problem. One acts as a night light and the other is the LED Christmas tree. Dozens of others work just fine. I would try a few different brands of dimmable bulbs (most are these days) and see if they work for you.

Pat

[Art Todesco]

Ditto. I have 2 post lights outside. One is switched by and in-line x10 module. It turns on the 5 watt LED in the post light, a small 12 volt power supply to run a sting of Malibu lights and a few outlets used for Christmas and Halloween lights. This works ok. The other post light has an x10 motion detector in the post. I'm only using the internal module (a relay unit) to run the 5 watt LED in that post light. It works fine. I want to remove the motion detector as I am doing the motion function in a different way, so I tried a wall switch module as I have a few in the x10 parts box. It worked as you describe. It seems there is some leakage current through the triac which is sufficient to dimly light the lamp when the module is off. The wall module doesn't have a local on function like regular lamp and appliance module, so I don't think it is the local monitor current. I've seen this before with some LED Christmas lights. For that I am using a Smarthome appliance module which apparently squirts a smaller amount of monitor current through the LED circuit. If you turn off said module and look at the Christmas lights (LED), there is a really faint glow, but not enough to see if you stand back a few feet.

For my 2nd post light, as I didn't have an in-line module in the x10 parts box, I tried an outlet module by the junction box which is actually located in the basement, for that post lamp. I temporarily connected the x10 outlet to the power and use a short line cord with plug to get power to the line going to the post light. It is now working perfectly, albeit a real kludge. I'll probably get a large outlet box and put the mess in that box for safety. It might not be to code, but it should be safe.

[Art Todesco]

Ok, let me add some data to my post. Last night, after posting the above, I noticed some strange behavior in the 2nd lamp post, using the outlet module to turn on the lamp post. While it was working correctly the previous day, last night, when I did an all off, the lamp came back on. So today I did more investigating. Apparently, the outlet module does have a local on feature and the LEDs internal power supply caused the module to re-power. Oops. Why did it work ok previously. Well, there was a string of regular miniature Christmas lights, plugged into the outlet on the lamp post. Apparently, the Christmas lights failed, so the string was essentially open. When working, the Christmas lights provided a constant load on the module preventing the local on feature from working. So, today, I removed the outlet module, borrowed the in-line module from a now stored Christmas thing and all is now working ... well, not all, the Christmas decoration needs a new module. I have 11 months to fix it.

[Jerry.Tan]

Before you go any further, WHAT THE HECK IS X10? Im assuming its some sort of dimmer, but when you use specific brand names, or model numbers, please explain what they are.....

[Ed Pawlowski]

He is not using a brand name, he is talking about a protocol.

It is a home automation system that uses existing wiring to send signals from controller to module. It can dim with the correct module, appliance modules just turn on and off.

I have lights that go on by timer. I have other lights that I switch manually. If I hear a noise outside, I can turn on a couple of outdoor lights on at the push of a button on my night table.. I can turn every controlled light on at the push of another button on the control module.

[Tony Hwang]

X10 technology is old. There are new ones in the market.

[Pat]

True... X10 has been around since the late 70's and was sold under various brand names (X10, Plug N Power, Sears Home Control System, Leviton something or other - can't remember). And, yes, there are new ones. X10 hangs on though partly due to low cost. X10 modules (lamp, appliance, wall-switch) have always cost about $12 to $15 each. Apparently, manufacturing cost reductions and underlying technology improvements just about balanced inflation. Most of the new ones seem to be the the $40 to $60 range. That gives me sticker shock every time I see one of them. I was in a Best Buy last week and saw Insteon modules for $59! I have a house full of X10 stuff and would like to upgrade to something newer and more reliable (ie, commands always work), but at those prices I keep waiting for a clear winner.

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