Costco LEDs, dimmers, and home automation

[Brian]

Are you folks replacing the whole can with a new LED can light? I just purchased the $20 CREE bulbs from home depot and have great results from the can lighting. Nice and bright!

I did. From what I read, the old can enclosures are built specifically to handle the heat pattern of an incandescent lamp, and don't handle the LED and CFLs heat pattern as well. Supposedly this is also why some people (like myself) had CFLs go bad early in can enclosures, when they were supposed to last for a LOT longer. The units I bought are fully sealed and enclosed and fit into the old edison socket with a pigtail wire. Only took maybe an extra minute per light to install vs. a bulb replacement.

Those CREEs are supposed to be very nice though. I've read a lot of good things about them. Do they have an Xcel rebate running right now on them?

[brutal]

I did. From what I read, the old can enclosures are built specifically to handle the heat pattern of an incandescent lamp, and don't handle the LED and CFLs heat pattern as well. Supposedly this is also why some people (like myself) had CFLs go bad early in can enclosures, when they were supposed to last for a LOT longer. The units I bought are fully sealed and enclosed and fit into the old edison socket with a pigtail wire. Only took maybe an extra minute per light to install vs. a bulb replacement.

Those CREEs are supposed to be very nice though. I've read a lot of good things about them. Do they have an Xcel rebate running right now on them?

I guess it's not OK to run CFL in a bare porcelain ceiling (basement) fixture?

Junk (and junk science) IMHO.

I'm going to jump into LED's soon, probably go with anything that works with Wink as my Chamberlain door opener gateway already does.

[Brian]

I guess it's not OK to run CFL in a bare porcelain ceiling (basement) fixture?
Junk (and junk science) IMHO.
I'm going to jump into LED's soon, probably go with anything that works with Wink as my Chamberlain door opener gateway already does.

Yeah I'm no expert, and am not sure what to make if of it either. I don't suppose a bare fixture would be an issue either way - it sounded like it was the recessed can that was a potential problem. While incandescent bulbs are built to handle the heat of being enclosed in a can fixture, the LEDs don't like it as much, and the all-in-one retrofit fixtures account for this somehow.

I actually picked up a 4 pack of bare LED bulbs too, and will probably put them in one area and see how they compare from a longevity standpoint after a couple years (hopefully at least a couple years...)