| Author |
|
k2zs
Senior Member
Joined: October 22 2009
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 113
|
| Posted: November 29 2011 at 05:10 | IP Logged
|
|
|
My Electrician is recommending switching to LED lights
due to the number of lamps in the home. We've had to
replace switches quite often due to the draw caused by
incandecent lights.
I guess these new LED lamps are the future replacement of
CFL's and only draw 10% of the energy. My question is:
-Has anyone had any experience using LED lights with
Insteon? Do they work?
-Are they going to generate any noise on the network that
may hamper Insteon communication?
__________________
Scott, K2ZS
Home Automation Ideas
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Gadgets
Senior Member
Joined: January 28 2008
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 178
|
| Posted: November 29 2011 at 12:46 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I don't know about noise, but they may glow a little even
when off. There is a module recommended for LED use but it
is a outside appliance module. I don't know if there is
versions for indoor switches and plugs etc.
__________________
Friends, don't let friends install Norton Products
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
dhoward
Admin Group
Joined: June 29 2001
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4447
|
| Posted: November 29 2011 at 13:51 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Scott,
I have a few LED lights controlled by Insteon. They don't seem to introduce noise (that I can tell) and seem to work fairly well. The biggest problem I have is dimming even though I bought LED bulbs that are supposed to be dimmable. They do dim, but anything other than full brightness causes them to flicker or jump back and forth between the current dim setting and something dimmer. It does this back and forth, not continuously, but every 10 - 15 seconds so dimming is basically unworkable. Not sure if this is a function of the LED bulb itself or the Insteon 2476D switchlinc that is controlling it.
Dave.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
patrickm
Senior Member
Joined: February 22 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 188
|
| Posted: November 29 2011 at 22:39 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have a few Cree LED lights that are controlled by Insteon dimmers. They work very well through the dimming range. My only complaint is their cost (~$40 a lamp).
Patrick
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
BwiggleS
Newbie
Joined: October 26 2009
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 35
|
| Posted: December 01 2011 at 07:33 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I question your electrician. I understand the desire to replace the incandescent bulbs with energy efficient ones, but picking LED over CFL? Compare a 6W bulb from Philips web site of each technology.
LED Bulb, 6W, 2700k, 200 lumens, 45000 hours
CFL Bulb, 5W, 2700k, 215 lumens, 8000 hours
CFL bulbs are more energy efficient than LED. CFL bulb costs around $4 while LED costs $28, seven times more.
7 CFL bulbs at 8000 hours is 56000 hours of run time for the same cost.
If a bulb averages 4 hours on a day, thats 1400 hours a year so a CFL should last 5.5 years while LED 32 years.
Also, CFL are available for many different configurations while LED are just coming out. I have a couple LED bulbs because I just wanted to try them. They seem to work fine but are not on my insteon devices. But I won't buy any more until the price becomes more reasonable.
Brad
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
GadgetGuy
Super User
Joined: June 01 2008
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 942
|
| Posted: December 01 2011 at 14:39 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have changed to LED recessed and ceiling fixture lights
almost all over the house. Because I only dim the
recessed lights a little, they have worked fine with
Insteon.
The light bulb replacement LEDs on the ceiling fixtures
that I like to dim to 15% for night lites did not work.
It is almost impossible to dim a pure LED that far
because they are DC devices and on an AC power line they
need to have rectified DC which usually has a capacitor
to smooth out the rippling voltage waveform, and the
small voltage pulse from an Insteon triac dimmer circuit
is enough to significantly charge the capacitor and light
the very efficient LED considerably brighter than the
target 15%.
I have made everything work perfectly, however, in a two
bulb fixture by putting a 15W tiny incandescent bulb in
one socket and the LED bulb in the other. The
incandescent bulb helps to absorb the short Insteon
voltage pulse and "use it up" so the LED doesn't act like
a white-dwarf star all by itself! 
Edited by GadgetGuy - December 02 2011 at 07:47
__________________
Ken B - Live every day like it's your last. Eventually, you'll get it right!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
k2zs
Senior Member
Joined: October 22 2009
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 113
|
| Posted: December 02 2011 at 07:33 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks to all for the great feedback...
__________________
Scott, K2ZS
Home Automation Ideas
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Active Topics 
Memberlist 
Search 
Help
Register 
Login
PowerHome Messageboard : PowerHome General
Topic: LED Lights?
