What LED failure rate is acceptable?

[Davisonp]

Hi,

What do people consider is an acceptable failure level for LED bulbs?

I have two examples, both from TLC "LEDLite" home brand lights.

1st, I fitted 6 of their 8W filament LED bulbs with 2 years guarantee in my parents house, and 3 have failed within the first year. (50% failure in half the guarantee period)

2nd I fitted 45 “LED Fire Rated Downlight” lamps (all in one fitting) with 5 year guarantee. Two years in and there are already 6 lamps that have failed, so that is over 10% failure in less than half the guarantee.

I would like to tell TLC that a 50% failure rate is unacceptable and get a full refund on all 6 lamps since they are not fit for purpose, but what about the 10% failure on the 45 lamps?

 

[Andy78]

Depends what is deemed acceptable to you and to the supplier ?
50% is obviously a batch replacement or refund.
10% after 2 years on sealed units is worrying too. Did you get those from TLC too ?

 

[Davisonp]

Depends what is deemed acceptable to you and to the supplier ?
50% is obviously a batch replacement or refund.
10% after 2 years on sealed units is worrying too. Did you get those from TLC too ?

Everyting from TLC. I am stopping using them. Problems with the LED GU10's as well.

 

[chudson]

If the integrated lights are halers then TLC have had massive amounts of returns on them. In some cases 100%. The LED lamps they sell are made by ledlite and some batches have been pretty poor, whilst overs are very good. Pot luck really

 

[Marvo]

Both failure rates are unacceptable. If I installed lamps and encountered a 50% failure rate in the first year I'd be lodging a claim for a complete set of replacements as well as my labour and travelling costs.

 

[HandySparks]

If the integrated lights are halers then TLC have had massive amounts of returns on them. In some cases 100%. The LED lamps they sell are made by ledlite and some batches have been pretty poor, whilst overs are very good. Pot luck really

I mostly fit LEDlite from TLC and I've had occasional bad batches. However, I've always had a good, no-quibble, response to problems; either supplying replacements for failed units or (once) for a whole installation where about 4 out of 15 had failed.

For future reference, has anyone fitted a large number of a particular LED downlight over an extended period with zero failures?

 

[Andy78]

I mostly fit LEDlite from TLC and I've had occasional bad batches. However, I've always had a good, no-quibble, response to problems; either supplying replacements for failed units or (once) for a whole installation where about 4 out of 15 had failed.

For future reference, has anyone fitted a large number of a particular LED downlight over an extended period with zero failures?

Me and a mate have both fitted hundreds of LEDhut GU10s with less than a 1% reported failure rate. This info is dependant on customers getting back to us of course. Having said that, I also had some intergrated led downlights from them with a 100% failure rate.

 

[chudson]

For future reference, has anyone fitted a large number of a particular LED downlight over an extended period with zero failures?

Never had a failure on a Click integrated downlight yet.

 

[Midwest]

I installed some Ledlite GU10 lamps in my property 7 years ago, with no failures. Shame 'cos I would like to use something a bit more modern/efficient!

Fit loads of JCC FGLED fittings, and had a few failures. But they were replaced no quibble, except my time in replacing them. Considering to use their Hybrid models in future, easier to replace.

 

[David Prosser]

I have had fitted Luceco LED down lights in the offices at work (48 in total). They are on about 10hr day for the last four months with no failures. They come with a 7yr guarantee if registered, and from Screwfix who have never argued with any returns. Of course I don't have to make any money from the job but £20 a go for something that so far looks like you can fit and forget seams reasonable.

 

[SJD]

Like several other posts, I have installed quite a few LEDlite from TLC, some batches have been fine while two batches in particular the failure rates have been over 50% - in one case 6 out of 8 failed. I wouldn't use them ever again.

Nowadays for integrated fittings I install Aurora Enlite E8. So far have only had one fail - faulty new out of the box, which was due to an earthed PCB pin puncturing the N cable when it was assembled.

 

[Davisonp]

If the integrated lights are halers then TLC have had massive amounts of returns on them. In some cases 100%. The LED lamps they sell are made by ledlite and some batches have been pretty poor, whilst overs are very good. Pot luck really

These are all the LEDLite range, and the first 10 lamps I installed 3.5 years ago are all still working. New ones are not reliable at all. I am switching to Phillips lamps from Screwfix where I can, but the LEDLite all in one downlight is a class 2 light and the only one I could find, so today I advised a client with no earthing to 12V lights that to replace them would be worth using the class 2 light from TLC but they need to be aware that even with the 5 year guarantee there is likely to be a 10%+ failure rate that they must be aware of.

 

[Wilko]

Nowadays for integrated fittings I install Aurora Enlite E8. So far have only had one fail - faulty new out of the box, which was due to an earthed PCB pin puncturing the N cable when it was assembled.

Yes, easy to fit and good light level. So far 100% good (sorry, sure to have jinxed the whole product line now )

 

[Davisonp]

I have had fitted Luceco LED down lights in the offices at work (48 in total). They are on about 10hr day for the last four months with no failures. They come with a 7yr guarantee if registered, and from Screwfix who have never argued with any returns. Of course I don't have to make any money from the job but £20 a go for something that so far looks like you can fit and forget seams reasonable.

Luceco is part of British General, and as far as reliability for lights in general goes I have been advised a while ago that I should stick to Phillips, British General and Osram.

I have used Luseco LED before. I had purchased two LEDLite LED florescent replacements from TLC and one tube buzzed badly when installed, so I got a replacement from TLC, and both worked. Two days later and a call from the client to say one of the lamps has gone out, so only one tube working out of three. I swapped them both for Luseco from Screwfix and no problem for over six months now.