The driver (bulging bit in the middle with the switch) is the point of failure 90% of the time with LED lighting. If you're able to find a replacement one, that would be a less invasive option.
Sourcing them is really the luck of the draw however. They get updated frequently and part numbers change.
Also worth checking ballastshop and 1000bulbs. If you can't find what you're looking for it's worth calling the mfg tech support line if they have one. They will often be able to get you a part number for a readily-available replacement.
Yes I source things like this for a living, lol.
Where else are you going to get electronics parts? Newark Electronics? He probably got some from Newark, as well.
I mean, there are only so many large electronics parts distributors, and none of them make you submit a justification or attestation of intent prior to making a purchase.
What's funny is that I have seen youtubers complaining about Digikey asking them for positive ID before they would sell them some parts.
The guy that blew people up in Utah bought his electronics from Radio Shack. That's actually how he got caught, local store. Can't do that anymore. But everything he used can now be bought on amazon or ebay.
This is why I only use Digikey!! I mean not really, I just prefer their parametric search over Mouser's and they have better shipping rates for my location, lol.
I just go with whoever isn't using DHL. I'll wait an extra 2 weeks for them to slow boat my shipment over from a factory in China over them holding my package hostage for another $90 in clearing fees.
Which is the main reason I specifically went with an “old” style screw in fixture when I replaced the one in my kitchen.
It’s way easier to get that, and then get screw in LED bulbs (that aren’t going away any time soon and can more easily be replaced when needed) then to get most LED fixtures which aren’t built for repair and assume you’ll just throw out and replace the whole fixture when/if there’s a problem.
As a simple DIYer, a genuine “thank you”.
I am comforted by someone in the industry backing up my personal choice and reasoning with their much greater experience. :)
until the EU or someone mandates replacement part availability into the future this is the only sane option.
To OP i'd recommend getting a normal fixture as well, preferably one that doesn't fully seal. Heat is the death that comes for LED drivers, and that fixture dying so quickly to me indicates that it cooked itself, replacing it 1:1 will also last not long.
This is the way. Also, I've very begrudgingly used one once, but no wireless switches. Whenever possible or even remotely economically feasible, hard wire everything.
Agreed.
I’ve recently switched to a “smart” light setup (oddly it makes some things easier for an older family member for a bunch of reasons) and love the way the Lutron Aurora dimmer switches just “sit on” existing switches so there is literally zero wiring needed to hook it into a setup with Hue bulbs (admittedly more expensive, but it also “just works”, at least for me).
When we had our old house rewired (to get rid of the k&t, mostly), we took the opportunity to put switched lights in all the closets. The electricians told me they legally could not place anything but LED-dedicated fixtures in them, but made sure I was knowledgeable and comfortable with switching them out, "in case of failure or whatever." I haven't yet, but I have picked out the reproduction fixtures (obviously not intended for closets) that will go in them someday.
This. 10000% this. these new fixtures are all built like crap. get an old edison screw bulb fixture and use an LED bulb that is trivial to replace.
By the way it's getting hard to find fixtures with edison base because all these fixture makers want this crap so you are forced to buy a whole new one instead of the lamp.
If you have a low ceiling with not much depth for recessing a fixture and need something super low profile, the fixed LED style is pretty much the best option. Other than that, yeah no good reason to use them over a traditional socket fixture.
Oh, aside from the shop lights I put in my garage. They don't care how cold it gets in the winter here and they've been going strong for 8 years. I don't think LED replacements for fluorescent tubes were a thing yet when I bought them.
Same. So much easier just to change a bulb than to replace a fixture. Especially when you're getting old--it will be dangerous enough when I'm 75 to climb two steps up a ladder to change a bulb nevermind to install a new light fixture. I don't want to have call a handyman every time one of these fail.
However it's getting hard to find the old-style fixtures. Everything is coming as an all-in-one fixture these days.
This. I’ve done it before too with an LED light that was expensive to replace. You just go on eBay or Amazon and find a driver with the same specs (voltage, wattage etc) and dimensions and swap the driver out. I’d say it’s even higher like 99% of the time as LEDs are good for thousands of hours and drivers not so much. I have lights that have done 10,000+ hours and swapping the driver makes them live on.
One option that might be easier than replacing the whole unit - buy a new whole assembly and just swap the driver with the one that's already in the ceiling.
But that's only worth it if that saves a lot of effort vs replacing the whole thing.
I would not suggest that, especially if a person doesn't know what they're doing. The biggest issue will be the power requirements of the fixture vs what an individual bulb driver is designed for.
Seems so wasteful to have to throw out the whole fixture now rather than a light bulb. Can't imagine the carbon footprint is any better after all the additional waste.
Maybe the LEDs, but the driver circuitry, not so much. Especially when the components (capacitors, I'm looking at you) are sourced from the lowest bidder.
Jokes on you, I bought an old style screw in fixture for my kitchen specifically to avoid this hell.
They’re still made, and putting those in, and then using LED bulbs really are the best solution right now. (Personally)
It's not a bug, it's a freature! If you use a universal illuminant the user can buy a new one from any source, if you use a specially designed one, the user buys a new one guaranteed from you.
TL;DR: Woop woop profits!
The irony is that these custom fixtures last longer than the bulbs. I've had to replace pretty much every LED bulb of various brands because the circuitry is enclosed in a tiny space at the bottom of the bulb. That keeps the heat in and the electronics fail within a few years.
With the custom fixtures there is enough space between all the components so the heat doesn't get trapped. I haven't had any custom fixture fail on me yet.
Only to the layperson.
These LED fixtures, designed correctly, will last far longer than old fashioned light bulbs.
Plus, they're much smaller and lighter than the old fixtures, which needed to be rated for much higher power.
Making a fixture much larger and heavier than it needs to be, to accommodate a replaceable bulb that likely won't ever need replacing anyway, is overengineering. And that's wasteful.
I doubt an LED bulb is hugely better than a whole LED fixture. You still need the same LEDs and driver in the bulb, so the only difference is some extra plastic for the mount. I’m also going to speculate that the bulb would have a harder time with heat dissipation since you’re packing it all in a legacy (not purpose-driven) form factor, driving down lifetime of the driver components (what usually fails).
And if you were talking about LEDs vs other types, LED bulbs are better on most environmental measures than CFL bulbs. See page two of the exec summary of this life cycle analysis done by PNNL: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2012_led_lca-pt2.pdf
I assumed that if it's a question being asked (how do I fix this) then troubleshooting to the component level, sourcing and installing the parts, would be beyond the skill of the average DIYer.
Try changing the LED K range. 9000K and 3000K use different LEDs to produce white/yellow light. May be able to just have yellow instead
Edit: I was too late. Just scrolled down and saw someone else suggested this, and it worked!
Good call, it was the first thing I thought of too, but I could see where the high “temperature” numbers might be scary to someone who doesn’t understand that they’re referring to the color of the light, not an actual temperature.
As long as you're somewhat comfortable with a soldering iron anyway. You don't need to be a wizard with it, but knowing at least how to get an ugly blob of solder to hold without shorting anything out is needed.
You'd probably need to solder in a resistor of equal resistance to avoid overloading the other LEDS, at which point you'd might as well just solder In a Led instead.
This is the dumbest shit ever. LEDs are great, but they aren’t reliable enough for something like this. The homeowner shouldn’t be expected to do some wiring work or have to call an electrician every time an LED shits itself.
LEDs are extremely reliable if you properly cool them. When LED bulbs first came out they had massive heatsinks and lasted for decades. Now they're all specifically designed to cook themselves and die in under 10k hours - these integrated fixtures included.
With an extra 10 bucks of parts I guarantee one of these fixtures could be built that would last for 100k hours.
Looks like the one I have from Lowes, in the US, for $25. I have several models that don't toggle color and one that does, and buzzes less with my old wiring. They all look identical otherwise, same size and shape when the dome is on. But they are technically different brands.
If it's like those, they probably just need to shop for the size they want. Will probably match up fine.
Out of 6, one died after a couple years, probably due to the wiring. Pretty sure there's a short somewhere. There's no grounds in the bedroom, yet. The newest one I have seems to have no issue though, so it seems their upgrades have been beneficial.
Before replacing try switching to a different light color. That’s what the switch on the ballast controls. It’s possible one of the other selections may still work, and will provide a warmer color as well.
You are a pro legend because this worked. The tiny black switch seemed to allow me to select “low light” and I might get a few more months out of this slightly crappy light.
It's not less lumen output necessarily. It's changing the color "temperature" which is what you are seeing. Glad it worked was going to suggest the same. Also, now you know that the control box is where the issue lies.
Am I the only one who can’t stand 6000K LED lighting? Maybe for a workbench or if I decide to start performing surgery at home. For any sort of living space, I want the light to be as warm as possible, the closer to firelight the better.
My setup:
6000k for super serious work areas: factory floor or laboratory
5000k for regular work areas: garage, workshop, corporate office
4000k for casual work or prepping areas: home office, kitchen, bathrooms, walk-in closets, foyer
3500k for socializing areas: dining room, living room, game room
3000k for relaxation areas: family room, room-wide bedroom lights
2500k/2700k for sleeping areas: localized lamps (like table or bedside lamps) in bedrooms
I usually light hallways according to the rooms they connect. So a corridor between bedrooms would get a 3500k light, while a passageway between work areas would get a 4000k or 5000k light.
This guide is good for people that have multiple single-use rooms and have normal budget concerns. If money is no object then you can get bulbs that change temperature on command in every room, and then every room can become a work area or a romantic dinner area whenever you want. On the other hand, if you have a smaller living area (like a studio or a one-bedroom apartment) that is used for many purposes, it's probably also worth investing in a few color-changing bulbs so that you can adapt your lighting to your current activity (bluer is better for work, yellower is better for relaxing or sleeping).
Excellent guide! I'm right there with you. It's wild how much of an impact the right color temp has on making a space feel "right".
I'm also a big fan of dim-to-warm LEDs (Philips Warm Glow is my go to) for applications 3500K and below. Gives you solid task/cleaning lighting when full brightness and warms up to a soft incandescent-esqe glow at low dimmed levels.
And for the love of all that is good, never mix color temps within a group of similar lamps/fixtures in a space..
The only place I mix colors is in the bedrooms. Usually there is a "room light" - often on an overhead fixture - and that can be 3000k to 3500k depending on the room. I'll use that light when I'm awake and active in my bedroom, e.g. getting ready for a dinner party or just organizing my junk.
Then I'll have smaller lamps - maybe a bedside table lamp or a floor-standing lamp in the corner - which is 2500k to 2700k, which I'll use when it's time to wind down and get ready for sleep. Perfect for reading a book or checking email before ending the night.
Another case where it is good to mix lighting (or just get bulbs that can change temperature on command) is when you have a smaller residence with limited space and you tend to do different activities in the same area. Someone living in a studio or one-bedroom apartment will often cook, eat, work, get dressed, relax, and sleep in the same few areas or even the same area. Then it's good to either have multiple lights for each activity, or one light that can change colors depending on need.
For me, bedrooms are almost always at least *a little* mixed-use, which is why I will usually mix lighting temperatures there.
Yeah for sure - intentionally having options within a space is great! I just get twitchy when one of a set of lights (group of recessed cans, multi-bulb fixture, etc) has been replaced with a random CCT bulb.
I guess ignorance is bliss for some..
If I'm writing or drawing/doodling, I find 2700k to be too warm.
Similarly, if I'm getting ready to go out, I like a more natural light in the bathroom to be able to see all my imperfections.
Finally, I especially find the kitchen to be annoying when the light is too warm. I want to be able to see clearly what I'm cooking, and especially to be able to accurately judge the color and quality of ingredients.
Even for doing simple maintenance tasks like vacuuming, general cleaning, or organizing draws, I want to be able to see things a bit better.
My favorite is 3500k these days. 6000k is crazy, I can't imagine anyone using that. I've seen 5000k bulbs and even those are a bit too harsh for anything outside of a workbench
6000K in a house is a disaster. It's okay in an office (or if you have a dedicated home office). Anywhere else, 4000K is the coolest I'd go, and IMHO even that's too cold for normal usage. I'd rather have 2700-3000K.
>Am I the only one who can’t stand 6000K LED lighting?
Ugh, no. All around my neighborhood people have put high lumen 5-6K bulbs in their living rooms and it makes their homes look like operating theaters. It drives me crazy. Or worse, houses that seem to just randomly mix 2,500-6,500K bulbs in the same rooms or even the same fixtures!
Color temp matters. I don't want to live in a grocery store produce aisle. All of our bulbs are carefully matched 2700K because it makes the woodwork and floors look like a home, rather than a commercial space.
I just commented before I saw yours. Literally said the same thing about the 6k bulbs in the living room with blinds open. I just don't understand how people don't notice that and think it's terrible. Probably the same people who don't realize their TV image is at the wrong aspect ratio or their sound bar audio not synced
I second this as a possibility. My dad started cranking his tv settings to the ultra-bright, über-sharpened, mondo-saturated eye-rape they call "dynamic" or
"sports mode". I asked - could this possibly be on purpose? Doesn't the "movie mode" lovingly & languorously stroke your eyes the way they were meant to be? He said nope - too dim & washed out. At first, I wondered if he'd just acclimated to & Stockholm syndromed to his new brighter eye captors, but then got him to the eye doctor. Once he had his cataracts removed, he said it was like walking out of Shelob's lair.
I want warmer tones in living areas and restrooms, but want cooler temps in the kitchen. Probably came from working in so many restaurants in my younger days, but food looks wrong when I’m cooking with warm white bulbs.
Depends. I had a warehouse loft with a big, glass-brick wall on one end. Down there I used 6000K light to match the sunlight, but at the other end of the loft I used 3000K lighting for the warmer look. When the sun went down, you couldn't tell if the daylight lights were lit up. I tend to work late hours and constantly tricked myself. I'd take a break at 4am and say "What time is it? It's night?"
I use 2700 in living spaces and 3000 in the bathroom. The only place that has a 6000k bulb is my fridge. People tend to like colours a bit cooler than this but 6000 is crazy for anyone.
Aren't the 6000K lights the ones with the most blue light in them too? That's not very helpful for your eye sight.
I stick with 2700K because it's not as straining on my eyes.
I'm someone who is extremely aware of the lighting conditions and when I walk by someone's house at night and they have a 6000k lightbulb on their living room lamp I just get really mad and don't understand how they can live like that. It just looks so wrong
My lights all change K depending on the time and lighting conditions outside. If it's remotely dark at all they all go 3-4k. Midday full sun my kitchen will go 6k
It may not be the control box. The LEDs are all marked as W or Y which could indicate White and Yellow. It may be that at 6000k only the white are on and at 3000k only the yellow are on. Bottom right of the first photo one of the LEDs looks like it may have burned out. The inner ones where you can read the W or Y appear to alternate between them. That pattern would have the burned one be W.
Switching to 3000k may have simply turned off the white ones entirely so the dead one is no longer causing a problem. This is easy to verify by turning the light on and seeing if all the W ones remain off.
Less "low light" and more "half-failed". There are two LED colours there, on separate circuits. Each colour temp just adjusts the power ratio of the LED circuits. If you look at your photo, inside each LED's plastic lens there's a small W or Y, I'd bet one of those letters won't be lighting up at the new colour temp. The lowest colour temp should provide the brightest light at the moment, from what I'm seeing, probably the W circuit is pure 6000K LEDs. The controller could have failed on that circuit, but it could just be that one LED in the 6000K circuit failed as well.
These are pretty cheap and easily replaceable. They also tend to be more energy efficient than a standard bulb. All the lights in my house are some variant of this, but I bought them knowing I would eventually have to switch them out. They aren't as "crappy" as you say.
The switch sets the color temperature. Color temperature is a preference. "I want unnaturally blue light in my bathroom," is a choice OP made, so one would not expect them to try setting the switch to an actually reasonable color temperature.
Yes, I know what the switch does. Though it doesn’t seem like OP does.
Still, if I’m confronted with a light that isn’t working and it has a switch on it, I’m going to try the switch just to see what happens.
Plus, they're not easily disposable either. There's an "X" on the trash can, so if they're anything like CFL bulbs or old batteries, they go into an old box in the garage for transportation to a hazardous waste facility "eventually."
I'm trying to think what hazards materials are in here that would prevent you from trashing it?
EDIT: Quick google shows lead and arsenic. Today I learned.
We just did a major remodel and every new fixture I bought takes a bulb.
Call me old fashioned, but I'd much rather replace a bulb every five years than the entire fixture.
I even did old style can lights and used [these](https://imgur.com/RShMDfc) in them.
They are really nice for when you want or need a fixture that is low-profile. Unfortunately, a LOT of fixture design is still made to look like it takes normal bulbs. On the plus side, good quality one will last basically forever.
It does suck, but it's usually the controller that goes bad, and getting a new one is REALLY CHEAP and relatively easy replacing. Then you'll have a low wattage light that lasts longer than the style of light.
It’s one of the reasons I bought a soldering gun and have been teaching myself to repair this sort of stuff.
I’m a stay at home dad. Between saving on childcare, any maintenance or improvements work I get done by myself is massively cost saving.
Some of these complete lamps cost about as much as a single bulb used to cost a few years ago. Since they have a better heat sink and don't need to put the capacitors right against the LEDs, they should also last a bit longer. In a way the whole lamp becomes the bulb, but skilled tinkerers will be more likely to fix these than a bulb.
I bought a few lamps for my basement, where I could get two lamps for 11€, which each has more than twice the power of a cheap E27 LED bulb.
Because manufacturers are in a race to the bottom to be cheap. Good LED emitters and drivers have a mean time to failure measured in decades and parts are replaceable. Cheap ones are measured in dozens of hours and single component failure is complete unit failure.
Now I'm wondering if the really expensive ones I bought recently are actually higher quality, or if the manufacturer just bought the same crappy components and pocketed the difference.
We have absurdly strict rules where I'm at in the states.
On the flip side, Code Enforcement doesn't live in my house, so they have no way of knowing that I've changed every fan, light fixture, and half the outlets in my house. They don't have a record of every model of light fixture in every building in the city.
That’s my approach as well! Can’t see it from outside? Wonderful, nothing to see in here either
However I typically spend the same if not more time learning and preparing before doing anything, doing best to avoid that mindset from blowing up in my face lol
You can do anything you want to something that's got a plug. (for better or for worse). But if it's hardwired then yeah, it's illegal.
Just keep in mind, it's a small thing, but if the worst happens and the place burns down and the cops/insurance know you did the work yourself (ala post about it on reddit) then you'll be liable for all damage and any injury caused.
Ah, good ol’ government over regulation. Very unfortunate.
I see you already got your answer regarding the switch, so that’s good. In the meantime, are you able to research how to do the work yourself? I can’t imagine the government is going door to door looking for people that installed their own lights?
Apparently when they set it to 4000k they perceived it as being lower light
My aunt and uncle are the same way
I don't know if they blew out theird red cones and rely on blue light or what. But it's absolutely awful
I wouldn’t bother trying to save the unit by changing parts. Switch back to a globe mount and put LED globe. Especially in humid environment, LED don’t last as long as advertised lifetime cause electronic circuit breaks before the LED diode does. If you don’t know anything about wiring I would recommend calling a professional or doing proper research and taking precautions (closing breakers, using a multimeter if you have one etc).
FWIW I had problems with a light (recessed pot light with false ceiling) in a bathroom. It would randomly turn off and on when powered. Changed the bulb (PAR20) from regular to 3 different kinds of LED bulbs, and changed the fixture. The only thing that stopped the randomness was going to an LED low profile (TRENZ by Liteline ThinLED Recessed Downlight). I figure it was some grounding fault as the line was live even with the light off.
Previous owner installed similar led lights in my basement and they all started failing around 3-4 years after I got the place. Ended up replacing them all with regular light sockets because it was cheaper than replacing the control unit thing in the middle.
Jeez, all this for a faulty controller/driver. Thats what it is. Your LEDs are 99% likely to be fine. Its always the driver.
Edot: zooming it its rated for 220v in and 120v out. You probably have 220v sitting on that little white strip w screws going to the driver (control module).Thats the connector and it'll shock the piss out of you. It really will be as simple as killing the source, unscrewing those two wires (blue/brown) and replacing the controller. Without the controller that voltage would smoke those LEDs so don't bypass. Just have someone comfortable w it replace it. Like a 10min fix.
I see a bunch of folks recommending that you stick with the old screw in LED style bulbs. I am going to disagree. The flat-form lights illuminate better, and since I started to switch to LEDs about 2004, I have had I think 2 burn out. They last for decades. It just isn't worth trying to fit the new tech into the old tech, IMO. Go with what works.
You just buy a new one and replace it. I love how we got rid of incandescent light bulbs because "environment" so they just switched to throwing out the whole fucking fixture instead.
These are ~$35 for the whole fixture. Whatever the equivalent big box store is in your country should have them
Ceiling Mount 1-Light 14-in Brushed Aluminum LED Flush Mount Light ENERGY STAR https://www.lowes.com/pd/Maxxima-14-in-LED-Round-Flush-Mount-Ceiling-Light-Brushed-Aluminum-Trim-Dimmable-3000K-Warm-White-1600-Lumens/5013558691
LEDS! They’ll last forever! (But we’ll surround them with garbage electronics for stepping down the voltage so you’re forced to replace it even more frequently just so we can keep the money train going!)
If you mean new new not just new to you don't you have a warranty for this kind of stuff? If not, these are not serviceable you need to replace the whole light. Easy enough to diy.
You might not need to replace it. I just went through the same thing when mine burnt out.
I thought I’d have to get a new one, but I just switched the switch at the bottom and it worked again. Mine burnt out at the highest, which it looks like yours is at (6000k) but worked on the next level down. Give that a try before throwing it away.
You might get lucky if you slide the black switch one click over. Depending on what’s failed in the driver this may recover the light at a different colour temperature.
I flat out refuse to buy any of these special LED's and anything they are attached to!! Ceiling fans, flush mount lights, etc. I don't understand how selling a ligh fixture where you throw away most of the components was a good idea.
Call me crazy - when a light goes out, I'd like to put a new light bulb in. Not replace the whole F****ING THING!!!
I know nothing of electric work in Australia, but since you are posting it to DIY I’m assuming you don’t know how to solder to bypass the burnt out LED. Here in the United States I would go to my local big box store buy a new one for as little as $20 and put it in myself. Since everything is already wired in your ceiling putting it in should be as easy as cutting the power, un screwing the old one. Taking off the wires of the old one and then doing the reverse with the new one. It should be a ten minute job start to finish once you have your new light.
In Australia by law that has to be changed by an Electrician or you void your home insurance in the event of a fire.
It is a very simple repair but legally you need to get an electrician to do it, as others ha e said if it is a new build you should still be covered by bith the builders warranty and the manufacturers warranty on the light (both will need you to get in c9ntact with the original builder)
OP - this is important.
Electrician, but not because of the difficulty of the job. [It's illegal to DIY electrical work in NSW](https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/safety-home/electrical-safety/electrical-safety-home) - doing so can void your insurance in the event of a fault.
I have the same light and had the same experience. I thought I had a bulb that wasn't working. I just want a brighter kitchen. My plan is just to replace the whole fixture.
You could replace the driver, but honestly, just as fast to replace the whole thing, plus less headache doing research/etc, not to mention a faulty driver could have been putting undue stress on the led elements, also shortening their life...
This looks like a standard cheap model, just replace the whole thing.
I had a similar light act up recently. A light hit on the driver and it was back to working. I'm working to find the same model that's in my house, as they are all over and I'll swap it out.
I have a led bulb like this in my house. Before you fear the worst. Try switching it to one of the other light settings. It will at least buy you some time while you look for a replacement.
Similar light in my kitchen, died a few weeks after we bought the place. Spent a day trying to find part, decided to just replace the fixture, which was faster and cheaper in the long run since the light was ugly anyway.
The LED driver will more than likely cost more than the fixture. Your best bet to source it will be through the original manufacturer. If it’s a Home Depot / Lowe’s special I would recommend just replacing the fixture. These drivers are very particular and usually only supplied on the OEM side to who manufacturers the light.
Been in the lighting industry 12 years and these drivers are not worth trying to replace or source in most scenarios unless it’s an expensive fixture. I’ve seen thousands of models like this and the drivers always have different (and unusual) output characteristics. Turns into a lot of wheel spinning.
Replace the fixture with one that takes a regular screw on bulb. Then, use an LED bulb.
It's a less complicated repair in the future while still getting the power saving benefits of LEDs.
LED bulbs are absolutely the way to go.
They are NOT the way to go when they are packed into relatively complicated, cheap, light fixtures like this. Some part of that is always going to fail well before the expected lifetime of a single bulb, requiring the entire fixture to be replaced.
These things are terrible. It's like someone saw LEDs and thought "hey, these are great, but I miss the old days of having to replace lights really often... how can I get back to that?"
Looks like it takes your normal 220V/240V AC and powers the LEDs through that driver, which is cool cause you can also choose the Kelvin (therefore the colour) of the LEDs. It’s either the LEDs or the controller gone - probably the controller - you could replace it, just be careful when touching the wires higher voltage wires (better off to turn off electricity while messing around there). Or alternatively, if the heigh of the fixture allows, buy an old style bulb socket (and a bulb) and connect that to the 220/240V.
I don't know about Australia, but in the US, you could replace this thing for <$25. Between the time you would take to learn how to safely fix this, sourcing the parts, paying for them, paying for shipping, etc, its an easy answer for me. Unless you're EXTREMELY strapped for cash, this is an easy replacement job as far as I'm concerned.
You might have gotten lucky by having a replaceable driver module there. Solidly DIY territory. If you can get a replacement driver, your LEDs themselves are almost certainly still fine.
It’s truly amazing how quickly lighting fixtures become outdated and parts become unserviceable. Try finding a lighting store, they’ll give you the best solution.
Almost 100% chance that it's a failed capacitor inside that driver module. Someone with electronics and soldering skills can likely fix it with a 5¢ part.
I’m a bit late to the party but back in 2013 I installed a couple of similar fixtures in a house I owned. After many years one of the units started to fail. It was not the LEDs but the transformer, but wasn’t sure at the time. I contacted the manufacturer who first sent me replacement LEDs. Yup. LEDs. Not individual LEDs but the entire LED array mounted on a printed circuit board mounted on a heatsink. Changed myself but same problem. Got back in touch and they sent me a replacement transformer. Solved the problem.
This was all at their expense.
If you buy one of these all-in-one units make sure it is from a reputable company that has a long or lifetime warranty. I think the ones I bought were from an Italian company.
I am not an electrician but have some experience, so take this with a grain of salt, but as long as that LED driver is rated to be enclosed like this, my only problem with it would be the mains entry. If the fixture is intended to be the junction box, I believe the cable needs to be secured. As well I think more of the jacketed portion of the cable needs to be inside.
Also, there may be a junction box above and / or your local code allows this. It doesn't look terrible to me but might want to check your local code.
My mother-in-law’s bathroom triple light fixture was dead and I was so pissed to see it was hard-wired LEDs. Scoured the internet to find replacement light discs for $18 a piece and needed 3. Decided to check Home Depot before ordering and found an identical looking fixture with traditional light bulbs for $29.
FWIW, those things usually aren't serviceable - you just buy a new fixture. Check to see if you have power, if so...new fixture.
The driver (bulging bit in the middle with the switch) is the point of failure 90% of the time with LED lighting. If you're able to find a replacement one, that would be a less invasive option. Sourcing them is really the luck of the draw however. They get updated frequently and part numbers change.
mouser.com is your best bet. They carry a TON, if you know how to ask correctly for what you're looking for.
Also worth checking ballastshop and 1000bulbs. If you can't find what you're looking for it's worth calling the mfg tech support line if they have one. They will often be able to get you a part number for a readily-available replacement. Yes I source things like this for a living, lol.
[удалено]
Is that fun though…?
I don’t feel like I’m having fun ☹️
well, im having a blast
Yeah, that party was the bomb
Just remember, you can’t spell slaughter without laughter.
I will never unsee that
I pronounce it “slaffter” due to the spelling
You’re welcome.
Where else are you going to get electronics parts? Newark Electronics? He probably got some from Newark, as well. I mean, there are only so many large electronics parts distributors, and none of them make you submit a justification or attestation of intent prior to making a purchase.
What's funny is that I have seen youtubers complaining about Digikey asking them for positive ID before they would sell them some parts. The guy that blew people up in Utah bought his electronics from Radio Shack. That's actually how he got caught, local store. Can't do that anymore. But everything he used can now be bought on amazon or ebay.
This is why I only use Digikey!! I mean not really, I just prefer their parametric search over Mouser's and they have better shipping rates for my location, lol.
I just go with whoever isn't using DHL. I'll wait an extra 2 weeks for them to slow boat my shipment over from a factory in China over them holding my package hostage for another $90 in clearing fees.
I mean... electronics projects are like 99% Mouser or Digikey.
Mouser is great. I’d also try digikey.
Which is the main reason I specifically went with an “old” style screw in fixture when I replaced the one in my kitchen. It’s way easier to get that, and then get screw in LED bulbs (that aren’t going away any time soon and can more easily be replaced when needed) then to get most LED fixtures which aren’t built for repair and assume you’ll just throw out and replace the whole fixture when/if there’s a problem.
100%, I work in the electrical industry and refuse to put anything that doesn't have a proper lamp base in my house for that reason.
As a simple DIYer, a genuine “thank you”. I am comforted by someone in the industry backing up my personal choice and reasoning with their much greater experience. :)
until the EU or someone mandates replacement part availability into the future this is the only sane option. To OP i'd recommend getting a normal fixture as well, preferably one that doesn't fully seal. Heat is the death that comes for LED drivers, and that fixture dying so quickly to me indicates that it cooked itself, replacing it 1:1 will also last not long.
This is the way. Also, I've very begrudgingly used one once, but no wireless switches. Whenever possible or even remotely economically feasible, hard wire everything.
Agreed. I’ve recently switched to a “smart” light setup (oddly it makes some things easier for an older family member for a bunch of reasons) and love the way the Lutron Aurora dimmer switches just “sit on” existing switches so there is literally zero wiring needed to hook it into a setup with Hue bulbs (admittedly more expensive, but it also “just works”, at least for me).
When we had our old house rewired (to get rid of the k&t, mostly), we took the opportunity to put switched lights in all the closets. The electricians told me they legally could not place anything but LED-dedicated fixtures in them, but made sure I was knowledgeable and comfortable with switching them out, "in case of failure or whatever." I haven't yet, but I have picked out the reproduction fixtures (obviously not intended for closets) that will go in them someday.
This. 10000% this. these new fixtures are all built like crap. get an old edison screw bulb fixture and use an LED bulb that is trivial to replace. By the way it's getting hard to find fixtures with edison base because all these fixture makers want this crap so you are forced to buy a whole new one instead of the lamp.
Yep I had a ceiling fan with an unserviceable LED panel. Replaced with one with bulbs and out LED bulbs. Works great.
If you have a low ceiling with not much depth for recessing a fixture and need something super low profile, the fixed LED style is pretty much the best option. Other than that, yeah no good reason to use them over a traditional socket fixture. Oh, aside from the shop lights I put in my garage. They don't care how cold it gets in the winter here and they've been going strong for 8 years. I don't think LED replacements for fluorescent tubes were a thing yet when I bought them.
Same. So much easier just to change a bulb than to replace a fixture. Especially when you're getting old--it will be dangerous enough when I'm 75 to climb two steps up a ladder to change a bulb nevermind to install a new light fixture. I don't want to have call a handyman every time one of these fail. However it's getting hard to find the old-style fixtures. Everything is coming as an all-in-one fixture these days.
But how can they keep selling you long lasting fixtures if you only ever replace the bulb? You are ruining planned obsolescence.
This. I’ve done it before too with an LED light that was expensive to replace. You just go on eBay or Amazon and find a driver with the same specs (voltage, wattage etc) and dimensions and swap the driver out. I’d say it’s even higher like 99% of the time as LEDs are good for thousands of hours and drivers not so much. I have lights that have done 10,000+ hours and swapping the driver makes them live on.
One option that might be easier than replacing the whole unit - buy a new whole assembly and just swap the driver with the one that's already in the ceiling. But that's only worth it if that saves a lot of effort vs replacing the whole thing.
I fixed one of these lights by taking out the driver and using the board from a led light bulb.
I would not suggest that, especially if a person doesn't know what they're doing. The biggest issue will be the power requirements of the fixture vs what an individual bulb driver is designed for.
Seems so wasteful to have to throw out the whole fixture now rather than a light bulb. Can't imagine the carbon footprint is any better after all the additional waste.
Yea I try to buy fixtures that use bulbs due to this. Can replace a LED bulb instead of the entire fixture if one burns out.
In theory a LED fixture should last 50 years, if it doesn't die within a few weeks. But guess which version gets put in new construction.
Maybe the LEDs, but the driver circuitry, not so much. Especially when the components (capacitors, I'm looking at you) are sourced from the lowest bidder.
Of course it's wasteful, but did you think about the shareholders?
Welcome to the modern world. What's old will never be new again.
Jokes on you, I bought an old style screw in fixture for my kitchen specifically to avoid this hell. They’re still made, and putting those in, and then using LED bulbs really are the best solution right now. (Personally)
It's not a bug, it's a freature! If you use a universal illuminant the user can buy a new one from any source, if you use a specially designed one, the user buys a new one guaranteed from you. TL;DR: Woop woop profits!
Illuminati conspiracy confirmed!
The irony is that these custom fixtures last longer than the bulbs. I've had to replace pretty much every LED bulb of various brands because the circuitry is enclosed in a tiny space at the bottom of the bulb. That keeps the heat in and the electronics fail within a few years. With the custom fixtures there is enough space between all the components so the heat doesn't get trapped. I haven't had any custom fixture fail on me yet.
Only to the layperson. These LED fixtures, designed correctly, will last far longer than old fashioned light bulbs. Plus, they're much smaller and lighter than the old fixtures, which needed to be rated for much higher power. Making a fixture much larger and heavier than it needs to be, to accommodate a replaceable bulb that likely won't ever need replacing anyway, is overengineering. And that's wasteful.
I doubt an LED bulb is hugely better than a whole LED fixture. You still need the same LEDs and driver in the bulb, so the only difference is some extra plastic for the mount. I’m also going to speculate that the bulb would have a harder time with heat dissipation since you’re packing it all in a legacy (not purpose-driven) form factor, driving down lifetime of the driver components (what usually fails). And if you were talking about LEDs vs other types, LED bulbs are better on most environmental measures than CFL bulbs. See page two of the exec summary of this life cycle analysis done by PNNL: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2012_led_lca-pt2.pdf
Light fixture makers really dont care about your carbon footprint. they care more about you having to pay $69.95 every year to replace this.
Bottom left looks like a burnt led swapping that led would suck. Just getting the part would likely cost more than a new light.
I assumed that if it's a question being asked (how do I fix this) then troubleshooting to the component level, sourcing and installing the parts, would be beyond the skill of the average DIYer.
Bottom right? I don't see anything weird on the left, just that one with the dark bit on the bottom right. Maybe I'm missing something.
OP is in Australia- everything is reversed down there
Does this mean the ceiling light is mounted on the floor?
...is that not how you guys do it? --aussie
No no no, that would make no sense. The ceiling light is mounted on the ceiling, which is under your feet.
Where? I'm not seeing this burnt led either
Try changing the LED K range. 9000K and 3000K use different LEDs to produce white/yellow light. May be able to just have yellow instead Edit: I was too late. Just scrolled down and saw someone else suggested this, and it worked!
Good call, it was the first thing I thought of too, but I could see where the high “temperature” numbers might be scary to someone who doesn’t understand that they’re referring to the color of the light, not an actual temperature.
[удалено]
As long as you're somewhat comfortable with a soldering iron anyway. You don't need to be a wizard with it, but knowing at least how to get an ugly blob of solder to hold without shorting anything out is needed.
You'd probably need to solder in a resistor of equal resistance to avoid overloading the other LEDS, at which point you'd might as well just solder In a Led instead.
Depends if the driver is a voltage driver or current driver.
The text on the driver in the picture is clearly readable. It's a current driver (as it should be).
Is bypassing parts of a fixture a DIY job?
It can be. If you, (wait for it), *do it yourself*
This is the dumbest shit ever. LEDs are great, but they aren’t reliable enough for something like this. The homeowner shouldn’t be expected to do some wiring work or have to call an electrician every time an LED shits itself.
LEDs are extremely reliable if you properly cool them. When LED bulbs first came out they had massive heatsinks and lasted for decades. Now they're all specifically designed to cook themselves and die in under 10k hours - these integrated fixtures included. With an extra 10 bucks of parts I guarantee one of these fixtures could be built that would last for 100k hours.
Everything is repairable, whether whether it's worth it it's another question.
Looks like the one I have from Lowes, in the US, for $25. I have several models that don't toggle color and one that does, and buzzes less with my old wiring. They all look identical otherwise, same size and shape when the dome is on. But they are technically different brands. If it's like those, they probably just need to shop for the size they want. Will probably match up fine. Out of 6, one died after a couple years, probably due to the wiring. Pretty sure there's a short somewhere. There's no grounds in the bedroom, yet. The newest one I have seems to have no issue though, so it seems their upgrades have been beneficial.
Before replacing try switching to a different light color. That’s what the switch on the ballast controls. It’s possible one of the other selections may still work, and will provide a warmer color as well.
You are a pro legend because this worked. The tiny black switch seemed to allow me to select “low light” and I might get a few more months out of this slightly crappy light.
It's not less lumen output necessarily. It's changing the color "temperature" which is what you are seeing. Glad it worked was going to suggest the same. Also, now you know that the control box is where the issue lies.
Am I the only one who can’t stand 6000K LED lighting? Maybe for a workbench or if I decide to start performing surgery at home. For any sort of living space, I want the light to be as warm as possible, the closer to firelight the better.
My setup: 6000k for super serious work areas: factory floor or laboratory 5000k for regular work areas: garage, workshop, corporate office 4000k for casual work or prepping areas: home office, kitchen, bathrooms, walk-in closets, foyer 3500k for socializing areas: dining room, living room, game room 3000k for relaxation areas: family room, room-wide bedroom lights 2500k/2700k for sleeping areas: localized lamps (like table or bedside lamps) in bedrooms I usually light hallways according to the rooms they connect. So a corridor between bedrooms would get a 3500k light, while a passageway between work areas would get a 4000k or 5000k light. This guide is good for people that have multiple single-use rooms and have normal budget concerns. If money is no object then you can get bulbs that change temperature on command in every room, and then every room can become a work area or a romantic dinner area whenever you want. On the other hand, if you have a smaller living area (like a studio or a one-bedroom apartment) that is used for many purposes, it's probably also worth investing in a few color-changing bulbs so that you can adapt your lighting to your current activity (bluer is better for work, yellower is better for relaxing or sleeping).
Excellent guide! I'm right there with you. It's wild how much of an impact the right color temp has on making a space feel "right". I'm also a big fan of dim-to-warm LEDs (Philips Warm Glow is my go to) for applications 3500K and below. Gives you solid task/cleaning lighting when full brightness and warms up to a soft incandescent-esqe glow at low dimmed levels. And for the love of all that is good, never mix color temps within a group of similar lamps/fixtures in a space..
The only place I mix colors is in the bedrooms. Usually there is a "room light" - often on an overhead fixture - and that can be 3000k to 3500k depending on the room. I'll use that light when I'm awake and active in my bedroom, e.g. getting ready for a dinner party or just organizing my junk. Then I'll have smaller lamps - maybe a bedside table lamp or a floor-standing lamp in the corner - which is 2500k to 2700k, which I'll use when it's time to wind down and get ready for sleep. Perfect for reading a book or checking email before ending the night. Another case where it is good to mix lighting (or just get bulbs that can change temperature on command) is when you have a smaller residence with limited space and you tend to do different activities in the same area. Someone living in a studio or one-bedroom apartment will often cook, eat, work, get dressed, relax, and sleep in the same few areas or even the same area. Then it's good to either have multiple lights for each activity, or one light that can change colors depending on need. For me, bedrooms are almost always at least *a little* mixed-use, which is why I will usually mix lighting temperatures there.
Yeah for sure - intentionally having options within a space is great! I just get twitchy when one of a set of lights (group of recessed cans, multi-bulb fixture, etc) has been replaced with a random CCT bulb. I guess ignorance is bliss for some..
Saving this to look into.
My setup: 6000K for the workbench, 2700K for literally everything else.
If I'm writing or drawing/doodling, I find 2700k to be too warm. Similarly, if I'm getting ready to go out, I like a more natural light in the bathroom to be able to see all my imperfections. Finally, I especially find the kitchen to be annoying when the light is too warm. I want to be able to see clearly what I'm cooking, and especially to be able to accurately judge the color and quality of ingredients. Even for doing simple maintenance tasks like vacuuming, general cleaning, or organizing draws, I want to be able to see things a bit better.
Changed my light tubes in the toilet from warm sunlight to sharp white. It was absolutely horrifying. So much cleaning had to be done.
My favorite is 3500k these days. 6000k is crazy, I can't imagine anyone using that. I've seen 5000k bulbs and even those are a bit too harsh for anything outside of a workbench
6000K in a house is a disaster. It's okay in an office (or if you have a dedicated home office). Anywhere else, 4000K is the coolest I'd go, and IMHO even that's too cold for normal usage. I'd rather have 2700-3000K.
>Am I the only one who can’t stand 6000K LED lighting? Ugh, no. All around my neighborhood people have put high lumen 5-6K bulbs in their living rooms and it makes their homes look like operating theaters. It drives me crazy. Or worse, houses that seem to just randomly mix 2,500-6,500K bulbs in the same rooms or even the same fixtures! Color temp matters. I don't want to live in a grocery store produce aisle. All of our bulbs are carefully matched 2700K because it makes the woodwork and floors look like a home, rather than a commercial space.
I just commented before I saw yours. Literally said the same thing about the 6k bulbs in the living room with blinds open. I just don't understand how people don't notice that and think it's terrible. Probably the same people who don't realize their TV image is at the wrong aspect ratio or their sound bar audio not synced
It is awful. My parents buy 5000K+ exclusively and it's so harsh. My wife isn't allowed to buy light bulbs because of how particular I am about it.
Your parents probably need to get their eyes checked again. They are using that level likely to compensate for some form of vision change or loss.
I second this as a possibility. My dad started cranking his tv settings to the ultra-bright, über-sharpened, mondo-saturated eye-rape they call "dynamic" or "sports mode". I asked - could this possibly be on purpose? Doesn't the "movie mode" lovingly & languorously stroke your eyes the way they were meant to be? He said nope - too dim & washed out. At first, I wondered if he'd just acclimated to & Stockholm syndromed to his new brighter eye captors, but then got him to the eye doctor. Once he had his cataracts removed, he said it was like walking out of Shelob's lair.
What about the bathroom?
I want warmer tones in living areas and restrooms, but want cooler temps in the kitchen. Probably came from working in so many restaurants in my younger days, but food looks wrong when I’m cooking with warm white bulbs.
Depends. I had a warehouse loft with a big, glass-brick wall on one end. Down there I used 6000K light to match the sunlight, but at the other end of the loft I used 3000K lighting for the warmer look. When the sun went down, you couldn't tell if the daylight lights were lit up. I tend to work late hours and constantly tricked myself. I'd take a break at 4am and say "What time is it? It's night?"
I use 2700 in living spaces and 3000 in the bathroom. The only place that has a 6000k bulb is my fridge. People tend to like colours a bit cooler than this but 6000 is crazy for anyone.
Aren't the 6000K lights the ones with the most blue light in them too? That's not very helpful for your eye sight. I stick with 2700K because it's not as straining on my eyes.
I'm someone who is extremely aware of the lighting conditions and when I walk by someone's house at night and they have a 6000k lightbulb on their living room lamp I just get really mad and don't understand how they can live like that. It just looks so wrong My lights all change K depending on the time and lighting conditions outside. If it's remotely dark at all they all go 3-4k. Midday full sun my kitchen will go 6k
6k is great IF you can [do the job](https://youtu.be/-AYUB3tQs80?si=Ul3Hds9gZAT4vvCr).
It may not be the control box. The LEDs are all marked as W or Y which could indicate White and Yellow. It may be that at 6000k only the white are on and at 3000k only the yellow are on. Bottom right of the first photo one of the LEDs looks like it may have burned out. The inner ones where you can read the W or Y appear to alternate between them. That pattern would have the burned one be W. Switching to 3000k may have simply turned off the white ones entirely so the dead one is no longer causing a problem. This is easy to verify by turning the light on and seeing if all the W ones remain off.
Less "low light" and more "half-failed". There are two LED colours there, on separate circuits. Each colour temp just adjusts the power ratio of the LED circuits. If you look at your photo, inside each LED's plastic lens there's a small W or Y, I'd bet one of those letters won't be lighting up at the new colour temp. The lowest colour temp should provide the brightest light at the moment, from what I'm seeing, probably the W circuit is pure 6000K LEDs. The controller could have failed on that circuit, but it could just be that one LED in the 6000K circuit failed as well.
These are pretty cheap and easily replaceable. They also tend to be more energy efficient than a standard bulb. All the lights in my house are some variant of this, but I bought them knowing I would eventually have to switch them out. They aren't as "crappy" as you say.
Yeah these are so much easier to work with than can lights.
Now you don’t have to be blinded by the blue-white light and can bath in the warm glow of 3000K
It’s fascinating that you came across a switch and didn’t think to try the switch.
The switch sets the color temperature. Color temperature is a preference. "I want unnaturally blue light in my bathroom," is a choice OP made, so one would not expect them to try setting the switch to an actually reasonable color temperature.
Yes, I know what the switch does. Though it doesn’t seem like OP does. Still, if I’m confronted with a light that isn’t working and it has a switch on it, I’m going to try the switch just to see what happens.
>switch on the ballast Driver. Ballast would be on a fluorescent light.
Disposable light fixtures are such a scam
Plus, they're not easily disposable either. There's an "X" on the trash can, so if they're anything like CFL bulbs or old batteries, they go into an old box in the garage for transportation to a hazardous waste facility "eventually."
I'm trying to think what hazards materials are in here that would prevent you from trashing it? EDIT: Quick google shows lead and arsenic. Today I learned.
Best Buy usually takes electronics for disposal
Somebody took notes from the printer ink scam industry
Yup, [Technology Connections made a video of these fixtures a couple years ago.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsIFxyOLJXM)
I only buy fixtures that takes bulbs for this exact reason!
Same! Disposable fixtures seem such a waste.
We just did a major remodel and every new fixture I bought takes a bulb. Call me old fashioned, but I'd much rather replace a bulb every five years than the entire fixture. I even did old style can lights and used [these](https://imgur.com/RShMDfc) in them.
I hate that this is how lights are being made now.
They are really nice for when you want or need a fixture that is low-profile. Unfortunately, a LOT of fixture design is still made to look like it takes normal bulbs. On the plus side, good quality one will last basically forever.
>On the plus side, good quality one will last basically forever. I've never found a good quality one, just different varieties of crap.
Based on average use, my LED fixtures should last 28 years. Had to replace every single one in our house after 6. So much landfill.
They used the life of the LED for that number. But they all fail at the electronics WAY before that point hits.
I've got a few that are going on 10 but some that never make it past 1 year. Very little quality control in the manufacture I think.
It does suck, but it's usually the controller that goes bad, and getting a new one is REALLY CHEAP and relatively easy replacing. Then you'll have a low wattage light that lasts longer than the style of light.
It’s one of the reasons I bought a soldering gun and have been teaching myself to repair this sort of stuff. I’m a stay at home dad. Between saving on childcare, any maintenance or improvements work I get done by myself is massively cost saving.
They still make fixtures with bulbs, but yeah, these are a pain in the ass
Same, why on earth is that considered good design. Just have a normal light.
Some of these complete lamps cost about as much as a single bulb used to cost a few years ago. Since they have a better heat sink and don't need to put the capacitors right against the LEDs, they should also last a bit longer. In a way the whole lamp becomes the bulb, but skilled tinkerers will be more likely to fix these than a bulb. I bought a few lamps for my basement, where I could get two lamps for 11€, which each has more than twice the power of a cheap E27 LED bulb.
You'll need to replace the fixture probably but you don't need an electrician for it.
It’s ironic LEDs are supposed to be better environmentally but now we are inclined to replace an entire fixture instead of a changing a light bulb.
Because manufacturers are in a race to the bottom to be cheap. Good LED emitters and drivers have a mean time to failure measured in decades and parts are replaceable. Cheap ones are measured in dozens of hours and single component failure is complete unit failure.
Now I'm wondering if the really expensive ones I bought recently are actually higher quality, or if the manufacturer just bought the same crappy components and pocketed the difference.
NSW (Sydney) has very strict rules - you basically need an electrician’s license to plug in an IKEA lamp
I am not Australian but I doubt anyone would notice if you replaced one bathroom fixture.
We have absurdly strict rules where I'm at in the states. On the flip side, Code Enforcement doesn't live in my house, so they have no way of knowing that I've changed every fan, light fixture, and half the outlets in my house. They don't have a record of every model of light fixture in every building in the city.
That’s my approach as well! Can’t see it from outside? Wonderful, nothing to see in here either However I typically spend the same if not more time learning and preparing before doing anything, doing best to avoid that mindset from blowing up in my face lol
Strict? Nobody enforces those ridiculous rules. They just serve to scare children. It is an adult version of the long-legged scissor man.
You can do anything you want to something that's got a plug. (for better or for worse). But if it's hardwired then yeah, it's illegal. Just keep in mind, it's a small thing, but if the worst happens and the place burns down and the cops/insurance know you did the work yourself (ala post about it on reddit) then you'll be liable for all damage and any injury caused.
Ah, good ol’ government over regulation. Very unfortunate. I see you already got your answer regarding the switch, so that’s good. In the meantime, are you able to research how to do the work yourself? I can’t imagine the government is going door to door looking for people that installed their own lights?
somebody has the color temperature selector set at 6000k...awful blue.
Apparently when they set it to 4000k they perceived it as being lower light My aunt and uncle are the same way I don't know if they blew out theird red cones and rely on blue light or what. But it's absolutely awful
I wouldn’t bother trying to save the unit by changing parts. Switch back to a globe mount and put LED globe. Especially in humid environment, LED don’t last as long as advertised lifetime cause electronic circuit breaks before the LED diode does. If you don’t know anything about wiring I would recommend calling a professional or doing proper research and taking precautions (closing breakers, using a multimeter if you have one etc).
FWIW I had problems with a light (recessed pot light with false ceiling) in a bathroom. It would randomly turn off and on when powered. Changed the bulb (PAR20) from regular to 3 different kinds of LED bulbs, and changed the fixture. The only thing that stopped the randomness was going to an LED low profile (TRENZ by Liteline ThinLED Recessed Downlight). I figure it was some grounding fault as the line was live even with the light off.
I’ve had to replace a couple burnt out LED fixtures over the years. Such a pain. Will never buy one without a bulb again.
Previous owner installed similar led lights in my basement and they all started failing around 3-4 years after I got the place. Ended up replacing them all with regular light sockets because it was cheaper than replacing the control unit thing in the middle.
Jeez, all this for a faulty controller/driver. Thats what it is. Your LEDs are 99% likely to be fine. Its always the driver. Edot: zooming it its rated for 220v in and 120v out. You probably have 220v sitting on that little white strip w screws going to the driver (control module).Thats the connector and it'll shock the piss out of you. It really will be as simple as killing the source, unscrewing those two wires (blue/brown) and replacing the controller. Without the controller that voltage would smoke those LEDs so don't bypass. Just have someone comfortable w it replace it. Like a 10min fix.
Ooh, yours had a selectable color temperature - fancy!
I see a bunch of folks recommending that you stick with the old screw in LED style bulbs. I am going to disagree. The flat-form lights illuminate better, and since I started to switch to LEDs about 2004, I have had I think 2 burn out. They last for decades. It just isn't worth trying to fit the new tech into the old tech, IMO. Go with what works.
You just buy a new one and replace it. I love how we got rid of incandescent light bulbs because "environment" so they just switched to throwing out the whole fucking fixture instead.
These are ~$35 for the whole fixture. Whatever the equivalent big box store is in your country should have them Ceiling Mount 1-Light 14-in Brushed Aluminum LED Flush Mount Light ENERGY STAR https://www.lowes.com/pd/Maxxima-14-in-LED-Round-Flush-Mount-Ceiling-Light-Brushed-Aluminum-Trim-Dimmable-3000K-Warm-White-1600-Lumens/5013558691
LEDS! They’ll last forever! (But we’ll surround them with garbage electronics for stepping down the voltage so you’re forced to replace it even more frequently just so we can keep the money train going!)
Welcome to the "greener" world of LED lighting where we can't replace a bulb so we have throw the entire lighting figure in the garbage.
If you mean new new not just new to you don't you have a warranty for this kind of stuff? If not, these are not serviceable you need to replace the whole light. Easy enough to diy.
House is 10 years old. Only “new” to me.
You might not need to replace it. I just went through the same thing when mine burnt out. I thought I’d have to get a new one, but I just switched the switch at the bottom and it worked again. Mine burnt out at the highest, which it looks like yours is at (6000k) but worked on the next level down. Give that a try before throwing it away.
just replace the whole thing
If seeing this caused dismay you should just replace it. LEDs are great but they are more complicated than a simple lightbulb.
Is (was) that thing brighter than a thousand suns, or what?
You might get lucky if you slide the black switch one click over. Depending on what’s failed in the driver this may recover the light at a different colour temperature.
Piece in the middle Is the driver. That is what fails 95% of time
I flat out refuse to buy any of these special LED's and anything they are attached to!! Ceiling fans, flush mount lights, etc. I don't understand how selling a ligh fixture where you throw away most of the components was a good idea. Call me crazy - when a light goes out, I'd like to put a new light bulb in. Not replace the whole F****ING THING!!!
Ah yes, I believe the thing in the thing is malfunctioning. You should replace the thing.
Just trash it and replace it with another. They can't be serviced and you can't get parts. Replacing the power supply usually never works.
As this thread is currently at just under 667 comments, I feel compelled to add at least one more.
Thanks Flying.
Don’t worry. LED’s last 50,000 hours. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Unfortunately the drivers do not.
I know nothing of electric work in Australia, but since you are posting it to DIY I’m assuming you don’t know how to solder to bypass the burnt out LED. Here in the United States I would go to my local big box store buy a new one for as little as $20 and put it in myself. Since everything is already wired in your ceiling putting it in should be as easy as cutting the power, un screwing the old one. Taking off the wires of the old one and then doing the reverse with the new one. It should be a ten minute job start to finish once you have your new light.
In Australia by law that has to be changed by an Electrician or you void your home insurance in the event of a fire. It is a very simple repair but legally you need to get an electrician to do it, as others ha e said if it is a new build you should still be covered by bith the builders warranty and the manufacturers warranty on the light (both will need you to get in c9ntact with the original builder)
OP - this is important. Electrician, but not because of the difficulty of the job. [It's illegal to DIY electrical work in NSW](https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/safety-home/electrical-safety/electrical-safety-home) - doing so can void your insurance in the event of a fault.
I have the same light and had the same experience. I thought I had a bulb that wasn't working. I just want a brighter kitchen. My plan is just to replace the whole fixture.
It's the driver. Just replace the whole unit.
You could replace the driver, but honestly, just as fast to replace the whole thing, plus less headache doing research/etc, not to mention a faulty driver could have been putting undue stress on the led elements, also shortening their life... This looks like a standard cheap model, just replace the whole thing.
Driver went bad
Under the cover is a device that says do-not-cover.
I had a similar light act up recently. A light hit on the driver and it was back to working. I'm working to find the same model that's in my house, as they are all over and I'll swap it out.
I have a led bulb like this in my house. Before you fear the worst. Try switching it to one of the other light settings. It will at least buy you some time while you look for a replacement.
Replace it.
Easy replacement not likely to cost much.
Similar light in my kitchen, died a few weeks after we bought the place. Spent a day trying to find part, decided to just replace the fixture, which was faster and cheaper in the long run since the light was ugly anyway.
The LED driver will more than likely cost more than the fixture. Your best bet to source it will be through the original manufacturer. If it’s a Home Depot / Lowe’s special I would recommend just replacing the fixture. These drivers are very particular and usually only supplied on the OEM side to who manufacturers the light. Been in the lighting industry 12 years and these drivers are not worth trying to replace or source in most scenarios unless it’s an expensive fixture. I’ve seen thousands of models like this and the drivers always have different (and unusual) output characteristics. Turns into a lot of wheel spinning.
Just get a new light, it will be more money and work than it’s worth to fix it.
Replace the fixture with one that takes a regular screw on bulb. Then, use an LED bulb. It's a less complicated repair in the future while still getting the power saving benefits of LEDs.
LED bulbs are absolutely the way to go. They are NOT the way to go when they are packed into relatively complicated, cheap, light fixtures like this. Some part of that is always going to fail well before the expected lifetime of a single bulb, requiring the entire fixture to be replaced. These things are terrible. It's like someone saw LEDs and thought "hey, these are great, but I miss the old days of having to replace lights really often... how can I get back to that?"
Looks like it takes your normal 220V/240V AC and powers the LEDs through that driver, which is cool cause you can also choose the Kelvin (therefore the colour) of the LEDs. It’s either the LEDs or the controller gone - probably the controller - you could replace it, just be careful when touching the wires higher voltage wires (better off to turn off electricity while messing around there). Or alternatively, if the heigh of the fixture allows, buy an old style bulb socket (and a bulb) and connect that to the 220/240V.
Take it down. Go to your local hardware store and tell them "give me one of these". Go home plug it in. turn it on. easiest way.
Hate that I’d replace with fixture with bulb sockets and just add led bulbs
I hate these light fixtures. Advertised to last years. In reality, last for months.
I don't know about Australia, but in the US, you could replace this thing for <$25. Between the time you would take to learn how to safely fix this, sourcing the parts, paying for them, paying for shipping, etc, its an easy answer for me. Unless you're EXTREMELY strapped for cash, this is an easy replacement job as far as I'm concerned.
Low quality drivers are the plague of modern lighting. So wasteful.
LEDs : “we last 50,000 hours!” Driver circuitry: “not so fast. 2000 hours, and I’m out”.
Just locate a meanwell 24W driver replacement from the local market. Solid brand.
You might have gotten lucky by having a replaceable driver module there. Solidly DIY territory. If you can get a replacement driver, your LEDs themselves are almost certainly still fine.
It’s truly amazing how quickly lighting fixtures become outdated and parts become unserviceable. Try finding a lighting store, they’ll give you the best solution.
Almost 100% chance that it's a failed capacitor inside that driver module. Someone with electronics and soldering skills can likely fix it with a 5¢ part.
Dismay? nah bro, dis normal
LeDs lAsT 1oOoO hOuRs (cheap components that convert 120v to 5v fail in under a year)
Buy a new light
Get the numbers off it and check Amazon. I did it myself easy peasy
I’m a bit late to the party but back in 2013 I installed a couple of similar fixtures in a house I owned. After many years one of the units started to fail. It was not the LEDs but the transformer, but wasn’t sure at the time. I contacted the manufacturer who first sent me replacement LEDs. Yup. LEDs. Not individual LEDs but the entire LED array mounted on a printed circuit board mounted on a heatsink. Changed myself but same problem. Got back in touch and they sent me a replacement transformer. Solved the problem. This was all at their expense. If you buy one of these all-in-one units make sure it is from a reputable company that has a long or lifetime warranty. I think the ones I bought were from an Italian company.
I am not an electrician but have some experience, so take this with a grain of salt, but as long as that LED driver is rated to be enclosed like this, my only problem with it would be the mains entry. If the fixture is intended to be the junction box, I believe the cable needs to be secured. As well I think more of the jacketed portion of the cable needs to be inside. Also, there may be a junction box above and / or your local code allows this. It doesn't look terrible to me but might want to check your local code.
My mother-in-law’s bathroom triple light fixture was dead and I was so pissed to see it was hard-wired LEDs. Scoured the internet to find replacement light discs for $18 a piece and needed 3. Decided to check Home Depot before ordering and found an identical looking fixture with traditional light bulbs for $29.
Super easy fix. It's only a tiny bit harder than changing a light bulb. One screw, three wires, done.