I probably should have started a new thread with a more appropriate title, but .....
I just got re-involved with my household LED’s. Several years ago I bought all Cree brand bulbs, 40, 60, 75, and 100 watts, all 1st generation, the ones with the heavy base with visable COOLING FINS. All worked fine with the dimmer listed below. Recently, the 75w bulb that had an occasional flicker spike now and then, just failed, this one in an open air fixture in the bathroom NOT on a dimmer.
So I looked at the Cree lineup again, to discover there was a 2nd generation series with cutout slots on the bulb for heat escape, these are no longer made. The latest 3rd series have a smooth, no fin design. Example:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-100W-Equivalent-Bright-White-3000K-A21-Dimmable-Exceptional-Light-Quality-LED-Light-Bulb-TA21-16030MDFH25-12DE26-1-11/304473207This is a new option in this wattage, and not yet available in other then 100 watts just yet. It’s color temperature is 3000K, before this, you only had 2700K, and 5500K. Also rated at a higher 90 CRI. I bought two of these to replace the 1st generation 100w ones I have on dimmers. I left the review below on the Home Depot site:
“This 3rd revision Cree 100w bulb NO longer works properly with the Lutron Maestro CL MACL-153M dimmers. ISSUE: Enter room, press ON, dimmer leds (on left side of switch), ramp up, bulb does NOT dim up, a second later, ramps up a 2nd time, light dims up. A total DELAY of 3 seconds before light is on.”
I spoke to both Cree and Lutron tech support departments, as these 100w bulbs as well as my specific dimmer are listed as “compatible” on their CONFUSING websites. Basically I was told I could try replacing my $25 dimmers with $90 dimmers, here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EFVJDM/?coliid=I3UGHWLDLCYU7C&colid=1LVJPD6XPZIME&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_itThese are called ELV type (Electronic Low Voltage) and are much more expensive. I mentioned to both companies it’s ridiculous and expensive to suggest people change all their dimmers to try and match bulbs, and there is no guarantee they will work as expected, though you could return the bulbs easier then the dimmers.
While dimmers are upgraded/updated with less frequency, the bulbs from all the manufacturers are constantly being changed, new housing designs, but more importantly, the internal electronics, I suspect the LED drivers getting updated or just them using a newer or different type then in the past, or perhaps even in the same series. These companies do their own testing, and don’t talk or share a common database, as was my suggestion to both the companies I spoke with.
After posting my “warning” review on Home Depot, I received an email from a Cree customer service rep. with an invitation to call if I wanted to. I called and it was an odd conversation. The rep got frustrated after awhile, and kept claiming people didn’t have to buy $90 dimmers, and they had some on their “compatible” list that were cheap. These of course had no where near the functionality of even my $25 lutron dimmer. I was then asked if I wanted my money back, as I declined, saying I was calling to try and give their company some real world feedback. Basically a waste of my time.
Someone had given me a daylight version of a Home Depot “storebrand”, called “EcoSmart”, not sure who makes them for HD? They are less expensive, and I tested the one I had on hand, and there was NO long delay when turning on. So I bought two 100watt in that brand. A bonus is the bulb shape is the smaller A19, not like the Cree 100w, that is the larger A21 size. The color temperature is also 3000k, which I prefer over the warmer 2700K, though the latest 100w Cree is now offered in 3000K which is what I bought and tested, and ended up using in two non dimmed lamps. The downside to the EcoSmart 100w. bulbs are they are only 80 cri, not 90 cri like the Cree. And while they are instant “ON”, the slow dim out setting that is programmable on my Lutron dimmer, is not as smooth a dim off curve. I tried resetting the dimmer to default, as well as setting both high and low end, no change. I can live with that, but not a 2-3 second ON delay.
So what’s it all mean and what have I learned? If you don’t use LED’s on dimmers, you have a lot less to worry about. If you do use dimmers, expect a lot more compatibility issues between every type and brand bulb and dimmer. These companies don’t seem to care about creating any real standard of testing. The point I tried to make with both companies, is most folks go into a store to perhaps change from their old standard, working tungsten bulb, to an LED, then go home assuming it’s just a simple matter of screwing in the new bulb. Most folks, for many understandable reasons, are NOT going to research what type or brand, or model dimmer, works with certain brands and wattage LED bulbs. And even if they did, as I tried, they may find all those variables listed as “compatible”, when they may not be, and the fine print relieves them of any responsibility. Sure you can keep going back to the store and try another brand, or worse keep shipping them back, that’s a huge hassle.
The consumer LED bulb and dimmer world, is still the WILD WEST!
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