Incandescent lighting frequently used at WDW

[_caleb]

Airstasker had a survey done that more than 80% of millennials( ages 18-24) say they don't know how to change a light bulb. These are the future leaders of our country.

Millennials are 27-42 years old, and marketing content from a platform selling menial task services (like changing lightbulbs) probably isn’t a great source of data on this.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

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The flickering is the problem I'm having. I have these in my kitchen ceiling. I've called two electricians both told me that there is nothing wrong with the wiring and that these bulbs "flicker" after a year or so. These were the cheaper varieties, should I stick with a better brand??

I agree with the other posts…the cheapest brands use cheaper quality components and while they advertise that they are long lasting, they’re not. Watch the brands you buy. I’d take those back to where you bought them and get an exchange or credit towards another brand. I’ve had to do the same with my kitchen lights. They went after six months. Took them back to the Depot and they credited me for another brand…several years, no problems.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Millennials are 27-42 years old, and marketing content from a platform selling menial task services (like changing lightbulbs) probably isn’t a great source of data on this.

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Never heard of the Post war but it would make as much since as the last one being WWII. WWI is more likely. Post war at best is the greatest generation, so they think. but that is quite a span. My Dad was in WWII and he would be 102 right now if he were still alive.

 

[NickMaio]

I did the same thing about 2 years ago in my old home. But it cost $400 to switch over the house to LED, which is a cost it would take me at least 7 or 8 years to recoup via monthly electricity bills.

And then about a year ago I sold that old house and moved to a brand new house in a new state. So I ate about $300 in lost costs by switching to LED's. My new house has a mixture of LED's and incandescent bulbs, but in my new state (Utah) the electricity costs are less than half what they were in California with its very high taxes on energy, so I don't really give a crap.

Now that I type that last sentence, that might be a good suggestion for my tombstone.... "He Didn't Really Give A Crap"

Wow - 400 American?
I did not cost us that much. We bought a few boxes at costco and 4 strands of LED christmas lights.
The bulbs for our house are still kicking strong - - the christmas lights - - not so much.

We are going on our 4th replacement for those over 7ish years.

Still not having to change any household bulbs has been a big plus.

 

[SteveAZee]

View attachment 756334
The flickering is the problem I'm having. I have these in my kitchen ceiling. I've called two electricians both told me that there is nothing wrong with the wiring and that these bulbs "flicker" after a year or so. These were the cheaper varieties, should I stick with a better brand??

I've had flicker issues when two dimmable switches are on the same 'home run' (share a breaker) and both are mid-dim. It's annoying. There is also an occasional 'tick' sound with the kitchen lights. Both things are mildly annoying. I'll probably get an electrician involved... likely some incompatibility between the dimmer switch and the lamp/bulb itself.

I like the energy savings and color options with LEDs but the complexity of them (and debugging the problems with them) can be frustrating.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I've had flicker issues when two dimmable switches are on the same 'home run' (share a breaker) and both are mid-dim. It's annoying. There is also an occasional 'tick' sound with the kitchen lights. Both things are mildly annoying. I'll probably get an electrician involved... likely some incompatibility between the dimmer switch and the lamp/bulb itself.

I like the energy savings and color options with LEDs but the complexity of them (and debugging the problems with them) can be frustrating.

The dimmers have to be purposely made for LEDs (most of the time).

Incandescent dimmers reduced the electrical throughput and so the filaments shone less brightly.

LEDs are dimmed by very very quickly shutting them off and on again so fast you don't notice that it is indeed flickering, but you only perceive less light. Some LED drivers (circuit boards) can handle the less electrical flow of an old dimmer and translate that into LED dimming, and thus work with an old dimmer. Some LED drivers need a dimmer that 'works' with LED dimmable bulbs.

 

[SteveAZee]

The dimmers have to be purposely made for LEDs (most of the time).

Incandescent dimmers reduced the electrical throughput and so the filaments shone less brightly.

LEDs are dimmed by very very quickly shutting them off and on again so fast you don't notice that it is indeed flickering, but you only perceive less light. Some LED drivers (circuit boards) can handle the less electrical flow of an old dimmer and translate that into LED dimming, and thus work with an old dimmer. Some LED drivers need a dimmer that 'works' with LED dimmable bulbs.

We built the house in 2020 to be all LED, so unless the electrician used incompatible dimmer switches (I guess it's possible) they should all be LED compliant. I think the frustrating thing is I can have a light dimmed and it's fine. If I dim another light elsewhere, then the flicker happens... it's the dependency between lights in two separate rooms which is annoying (on top of the flicker). Both the builder and electrician threw up their hands (why they ate their hands in the first place, I don't know) but if there's a solution, dadgummit, I'm going to find it.

 

[TP2000]

Wow - 400 American?

It was a 3,400 square foot home with 4 bedrooms, den, formal dining room, etc. and I replaced every single bulb in every single fixture (I hired a guy to do the ceiling and exterior fixtures, not included in the bulb costs, but I can still unscrew a light bulb in a desk lamp thank God so I did many myself! )

Thinking about it more, it was the fall of 2019 when I did that. So 4 years ago now, instead of 2. Time flies!

But it was far too big a home for me as an aging bachelor, and I wanted to get out of California, so I downsized in a new state. My new place is only 2,800 square feet, built in 2021-22, and came equipped with "smart" controllable LED exterior and ceiling mounted fixtures from the builder. Very convenient! But I still use incandescents in the dining room, because I like the look for dinner parties or stuff like last week's Thanksgiving feast with the family.

I did not cost us that much. We bought a few boxes at costco and 4 strands of LED christmas lights.
The bulbs for our house are still kicking strong - - the christmas lights - - not so much.

We are going on our 4th replacement for those over 7ish years.

Still not having to change any household bulbs has been a big plus.

Agreed, it's incredible technology.

I would hope that Disney would be using it as much as possible in the parks now that the tech is able to recreate "antique" bulbs with a 2700K to 3000K look for themed environments like Main Street USA, Adventureland, Animal Kingdom, DHS marquees and street lamps, etc.

Disney used to brag that they replaced every light bulb in the parks when it hit 80% of its lifespan to avoid burned out bulbs. LED tech would allow them to only have to replace bulbs every 5 years or so, taking into account the heavy use lighting in the parks get.

As you are clearly a lighting aficionado, do you think LED tech is currently at the level to replace more bulbs in themed areas of the parks? Or is the technology not quite there yet? I'd be interested to hear your opinion on if LED's are ready to take over the parks now, or if incandescents are still better in many themed areas?

 

[bpiper]

We built the house in 2020 to be all LED, so unless the electrician used incompatible dimmer switches (I guess it's possible) they should all be LED compliant. I think the frustrating thing is I can have a light dimmed and it's fine. If I dim another light elsewhere, then the flicker happens... it's the dependency between lights in two separate rooms which is annoying (on top of the flicker). Both the builder and electrician threw up their hands (why they ate their hands in the first place, I don't know) but if there's a solution, dadgummit, I'm going to find it.

Are those two dimmers on the same circuit breaker? Have you verified that both the dimmers and LED bulbs are Dimmer rated?

Tradesmen will use whatever materials they have handy and not necessarily go purchase the correct one. Saves them $$$$$.
My MIL just had me replace her toilet tank valve since it was leaking at the top, when I went turn off the water valve to the toilet, it didn't have a handle, just a square nub. Had to use Vice grips to turn it. Looking it up, its a commercial toilet water valve. It has a detachable special handle so that customers can't turn it. The plumber must have had left over ones in stock when they built the house so to save $$$, they used it. Half the water valves were residential with handles and half were the commercial handle less ones.

Pull the plate off of those dimmers and find the model number and check it for LED compatibility.

If both dimmers are LED compatible and on the same circuit breaker, one or both might be feeding noise back up the circuit effecting the other one. Replacing them or worst case, putting one of the dimmers on its own circuit from the breaker panel might be needed.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Are those two dimmers on the same circuit breaker? Have you verified that both the dimmers and LED bulbs are Dimmer rated?

Tradesmen will use whatever materials they have handy and not necessarily go purchase the correct one. Saves them $$$$$.
My MIL just had me replace her toilet tank valve since it was leaking at the top, when I went turn off the water valve to the toilet, it didn't have a handle, just a square nub. Had to use Vice grips to turn it. Looking it up, its a commercial toilet water valve. It has a detachable special handle so that customers can't turn it. The plumber must have had left over ones in stock when they built the house so to save $$$, they used it. Half the water valves were residential with handles and half were the commercial handle less ones.

Pull the plate off of those dimmers and find the model number and check it for LED compatibility.

If both dimmers are LED compatible and on the same circuit breaker, one or both might be feeding noise back up the circuit effecting the other one. Replacing them or worst case, putting one of the dimmers on its own circuit from the breaker panel might be needed.

A bit of a tangent, but this touches on part of the reason why projects take longer to design and build. Even outside of Disney the design process now takes longer than it did decades ago because there is much, much more documentation of designs in part because contractors cannot be relied upon to just provide the appropriate work.

 

[MisterPenguin]

We built the house in 2020 to be all LED, so unless the electrician used incompatible dimmer switches (I guess it's possible) they should all be LED compliant. I think the frustrating thing is I can have a light dimmed and it's fine. If I dim another light elsewhere, then the flicker happens... it's the dependency between lights in two separate rooms which is annoying (on top of the flicker). Both the builder and electrician threw up their hands (why they ate their hands in the first place, I don't know) but if there's a solution, dadgummit, I'm going to find it.

Oh, that surely sounds like crossed wires somewhere. Either in the fixture or dimmer or the circuit. Some neutral or ground somewhere isn't attached right. Good luck finding it.

 

[SteveAZee]

Thanks for the dimmer feedback! I have an electrician I trust now (vs the one the builder used to do the work) so I'll probably have him root around and diagnose the problem(s). I'll double check he's fully up to speed on LED issues.

 

[DisAl]

Do you have one of the "on demand" pod type coffee makers that heats the water as the coffee is made rather than having a hot water reservoir? While more efficient, they have higher off and on current spikes that can make lights on the same hot leg of your electric service flicker a little. My coffee maker makes the lights in one of my bathrooms flicker...
I would imagine tankless electric water heaters would do the same thing only worse. As for dimmers most dimmers work by only allowing current to pass during part of the a.c. cycle that "chops" part of the sine wave. This could affect other things on the same circuit.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I agree with the other posts…the cheapest brands use cheaper quality components and while they advertise that they are long lasting, they’re not. Watch the brands you buy. I’d take those back to where you bought them and get an exchange or credit towards another brand. I’ve had to do the same with my kitchen lights. They went after six months. Took them back to the Depot and they credited me for another brand…several years, no problems.

Awesome thanks

 

[KeithVH]

All this talk and we still can't keep the strings on the GF lit consistently . . .