We redid our kitchen a few years ago (fall of 2017) and they replaced the previous kitchen lighting with some nice LED can lights. Over the last 6 months or so first one and now two of the lights don't come right on when you flip the switch. They sort of glow dimly and then pop on and then a few minutes later dim again and then pop on. Since I've flipped them on 15 minutes ago one of them has probably cycled 6 times.

I think once they finally get up to temp or are stable then they stop doing it. I've tried to change the bulb but it doesn't seem removable. It's flush with the inside of the can. Even bought a little suction cup to try to twist it. The trim pieces around the can are caulked to the ceiling so I've been reluctant to try and pry one off to see if I can get the bulb out.

My wife called the GC who did the kitchen and his response was, "Sure I can send my guy out to look at it, for $225".

I can't believe I'm looking at paying someone to change a lightbulb, but I'm sure these are supposed to have a 20 year life. Any ideas?

Pic doesn't really do it justice. Dim light is probably at 10% lumens of the normal ones.

I'll also add that it doesn't really bother me and I'm content just turning them on and letting them warm up but my wife has light issues so she just about always leaves them off and lives with the uncercounter lighting.

Our remodel was completed about 16 months ago. Our gc out in retrofit event though it was a gut in the kitchen. One was doing something similar and I just replaced. Odd because they should last for lots of years.

i would wonder if they put in LED's or had some of the left over CFL can lights that had to warm up

They last years when installed in places they run for short periods of time. 20 years in a closet or hall maybe. In kitchen maybe 1/5 to 1/10 that and its up to 20 years so 1 in 10 will last the 20 years. Actually the leds are fine the capacitors in the power supply are the failure mode. See if they have some warranty, and buy name brand replacement and mark when installed and keep picture of receipt.

This is what we used to switch out our can lights
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-5-6-in-Matte-White-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Trim-5-Ways-4-Pack-NS01aA11FR1-259/303780877

Jack Klompus said:

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This is what we used to switch out our can lights
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-5-6-in-Matte-White-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Trim-5-Ways-4-Pack-NS01aA11FR1-259/303780877

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When we moved to our home we changed about 35 lights.

We used the ones Jack used in most of our bedrooms.

We used these in our "common" areas as wife liked the "deeper" recess. She wanted them in all rooms but they definitely cost more so we comprimised.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-6-in-Selectable-CCT-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Light-Trim-with-Night-Light-Feature-670-Lumens-11-Watt-Dimmable-53804101/306080129

It is super easy to do. Its a big hit on the wallet upfron but hopefully they last as long as they are suppose to and it will be 100% worth it...


OP: I could be wrong but I dont think yours are sealed....I think if you just grab the trim it should slide down as a unit with easy connectors for removing / adding...

just replaced some lights with the CE ones, but I spent a few extra $$ to do smart lights. They are super easy to swap out.

Are they on a dimmer? I had very similar behavior with LED cans on a dimmer (and the dimmer said led compatible, and the lights said dimmable)

Not sure why they are caulked to the ceiling but if they are retrofits like they look, they are spring loaded and will pull down to replace. I'm a big fan of the CE retros from Home Depot. I've put them in numerous remodels and never have one fail. Have some out there from 2012 in a whole house remodel still going strong. The other thing Is they are dirt cheap so I always leave my customers a matching set of 4 in case there are failures down the road and can no longer be matched.

Perhaps they are stuck to the paint on the ceiling. I've had quite a few items stuck to paint and some even pull paint off the wall or ceiling when trying to remove them. Just carefully slide a sharp blade under the edge and then all the way around the trim before trying to remove.

I guess I am the only one that prefers the look of the traditional bulb and trim. I only have the retrofit trims in the shower as they are wet rated.

But for OP, just run a knife around the lip of the trim and pull. Everything else will be self explanatory from then.

I own a landscape lighting and audio company and deal with LED products every day. While i am not a huge expert on the technical electronics inside of the housing, i do know that not all LED chips are of the same quality. On top of that, the LED chip is usually not what fails, but rather the driver, and not all drivers are of the same quality either. This is why some LED products are $10 and some are $40. So while the packaging may claim something like 60k hrs, i would not expect a driver to last that long. Most of the time the culprit is heat. In my field, some LED lamps are engineered to dim quite a bit once a certain temperature is reached to stop it from getting too hot and damaging the electronics. This is also why the more expensive products incorporate heat sinking while less expensive products will not have this feature. Some of the cheaper stuff does not do this and will just fail when it gets too hot.

Also, the incorrect voltage can make an LED lamp flicker or strobe. While i doubt the 120v side is the culprit it could be a transformer or driver inside the lamp housing. It could also be a bad "dimming" feature that is meant to reduce heat as mentioned above.

In the interior lighting i have done I have used all retrofit products because of this. LED gets better every year it seems, but no product lasts forever. I have seen lamps fail after a month, and i have seen first generation products still kicking after 10 years.

Try replacing one of the lights and see what happens.

planoaggie123 said:

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Jack Klompus said:

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This is what we used to switch out our can lights
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-5-6-in-Matte-White-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Trim-5-Ways-4-Pack-NS01aA11FR1-259/303780877

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When we moved to our home we changed about 35 lights.

We used the ones Jack used in most of our bedrooms.

We used these in our "common" areas as wife liked the "deeper" recess. She wanted them in all rooms but they definitely cost more so we comprimised.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-6-in-Selectable-CCT-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Light-Trim-with-Night-Light-Feature-670-Lumens-11-Watt-Dimmable-53804101/306080129

It is super easy to do. Its a big hit on the wallet upfron but hopefully they last as long as they are suppose to and it will be 100% worth it...


OP: I could be wrong but I dont think yours are sealed....I think if you just grab the trim it should slide down as a unit with easy connectors for removing / adding...

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Nice! I had never seen these before with the 'nightlight' feature. For those, it looks like they don't have the traditional springs that go into the can.

Do they fit well with 6in cans? And do they stay in 'sync' with the nightlight feature since you have to flip the switch quickly to turn it on and off?

Those would be my concerns with them compared to the lesser expensive ones.

Ezra Brooks said:

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We re-did our Master Bath a year ago - our GC with went retro-fit LED's for standard cans....when I asked why he said "they aren't supposed to go bad, but if something happens, it's far easier to replace them this way".

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I did the same, for the same reason. A matching retrofit LED would probably be a whole lot easier to find than another one of the same fixture.

I am wanting to have recessed lighting installed in living room, kitchen and dining room. Is it cheaper to have the LED discs installed? I am looking these. They are dimmable, but also give the option to change color temperature. I am so indecisive that I don't want to get something installed and then hate the color. Sounds like the disadvantage is these are a little harder to replace when one goes out?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for someone that could install in the BCS area? Does not have to be a company, just someone that is trustworthy and affordable. OP, not trying to take over your thread, but before I started a new post, thought it might be better to ask under here first.

We just went through and replaced all of our existing lighting with a similar product (different brand) and it's a pretty easy install to do yourself. We had a painter come through and he said his electrician buddy charges something like $80 a light which I thought was pretty outrageous for the amount of work involved. It's pretty easy to switch them out of you need to, you can see the disconnect between the light and the junction box in the link you posted. The bigger concern in my mind would be if the manufacturer discontinues that specific light then you've got to go back and replace all of them. We just bought some extras to keep on hand in case they burn out.