Home LED lighting systems?

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
For you electrical guys...
I'd like to put a series of recessing lights in the living room. Probably 8 cans, maybe 2 additional eyeball lights for highlighting walls. Ideally 2 dimmers for separate regions to set lighting for movies vs reading vs "general" etc.

Does anybody know of a kit w/ a single controller/transformer/remote for several lights like this?

Alternative would be to just buy several independent lights, but that's really inefficient given that it means bsically buying 8+ separate AC/DC converters etc.I'd much rather just run A/C to 1 box, then low voltage everywhere else - esp if it means a cool easily controlled (RF?) box.
 
AC to DC is rectified. You could run 120VAC to a rectifier, then run your 12v DC run however long you wanted it. Figure out how many amps you want to be on your conductor to size it correctly.... low voltage power loses voltage easily, as compared to high voltage power. I was under the impression that LED lights have built in recitifiers, and thats why they're so expensive per bulb? Usage hours are impressive compared to CFLs, but I have some 10W CFLs that I replaced the 60W incandescents with in my home and they were quite affordable. Most utility companies will sell them cheaper than your hardware store will.
 
For you electrical guys...
I'd like to put a series of recessing lights in the living room. Probably 8 cans, maybe 2 additional eyeball lights for highlighting walls. Ideally 2 dimmers for separate regions to set lighting for movies vs reading vs "general" etc.
Does anybody know of a kit w/ a single controller/transformer/remote for several lights like this?
Alternative would be to just buy several independent lights, but that's really inefficient given that it means bsically buying 8+ separate AC/DC converters etc.I'd much rather just run A/C to 1 box, then low voltage everywhere else - esp if it means a cool easily controlled (RF?) box.


My brother works at DTE Energy in Detroit and was given some LED light bulbs to try out in his house. They were worth every penny he paid (nothing). The light they gave off was like trying to light a stadium with a candle. Now, this was a couple years ago and I understand that residential LED lighting has come a long way in that time frame.
 
AC to DC is rectified. You could run 120VAC to a rectifier, then run your 12v DC run however long you wanted it. Figure out how many amps you want to be on your conductor to size it correctly.... low voltage power loses voltage easily, as compared to high voltage power. I was under the impression that LED lights have built in recitifiers, and thats why they're so expensive per bulb? Usage hours are impressive compared to CFLs, but I have some 10W CFLs that I replaced the 60W incandescents with in my home and they were quite affordable. Most utility companies will sell them cheaper than your hardware store will.

yeah that's why it seems kind of crazy if you're starting from scratch with a bunch of them, more efficient to just convert 1 time, and LED bulbs w/o the rectifiers should be alot cheaper.

I'm sure I could cobble something together, there are tons of LED control boards out there and bazillions of LED lights, I do DC wiring at work all the time, heck it's just like a car at that point. But I really just rather get something already intended for this application.

However I don't know if you can really even buy LED bulbs like that - I mean everything I see are either 120v drop-in replacement bulbs etc or 1 piece units, or just LEDs (12v, 5v, etc) for many different applications...
 
I'd check with some electrical suppliers in the area. I'm sure there are some high end home builders ordering stuff like that. Or contact the electrical contractors themselves and ask them what they are using.
 
Until the 60W incandescents get banned in 2014, LEDs aren't worth it. As was stated above, they're not designed to run on DC, 99% of recessed ceiling fixtures are 120V (good luck finding a UL listed 12V-source LED fixture) and useful life span on LED is 5-7 years. And the bulbs run about $50. We're seeing some traction for LED in locations where bulb replacement is a problem, but that's about it. Payback is in the 3-5 yr time frame, including A/C savings.

Color temperature is getting better with LED, but it still tends blue. It tends to be narrow-spectrum, too, which can cause color-rendering problems with cameras.
 
First they came for the 60 watt bulbs,
but I didn't speak out, because I wasn't a 60 watt bulb...
 
I would get some 12V DC LED lights for the DC power systems that RVs use, and use a rectifier before the array of lights from 120VAC to 12VDC.

Boats and RVs use 12V DC lighting systems.

After a (very) quick search: http://www.easternmarine.com/RV-Camper-Interior-Lights-12v-Bulbs/

48V lights would be awesome. The conductor would be smaller too.
 
See... we should have stuck with DC power systems...

Truly and Edisonian statement....

Nikola Tesla would disapprove
 
One distinct difference with AC and DC is that 3-phase AC has more energy potential per area than DC. Stacking up the waves back-to-back-to-back is more effective, and DC power inherently does not have the ability to do this.
 
First they came for the 60 watt bulbs,
but I didn't speak out, because I wasn't a 60 watt bulb...

Actually, first they came for the 100 watt bulbs.

Only 25 days left before they join the band.
 
I would get some 12V DC LED lights for the DC power systems that RVs use, and use a rectifier before the array of lights from 120VAC to 12VDC.


Until your house burns down, and you find yourself trying to explain to the insurance adjuster why you permanently installed 12VDC fixtures in your house....
 
Until your house burns down, and you find yourself trying to explain to the insurance adjuster why you permanently installed 12VDC fixtures in your house....

I would be positive that there are by-laws in the NEC for DC appliances/lighting. A lot of Off-grid homes use DC refrigerators because they're much more efficient... and its code compliant...

BTW - The Solar Decathlon homes on the National Mall a few months ago were grid-tied homes that used Sunfrost DC refrigerators.
 
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