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Best bulbs for a "led killer" enclosed fixture
lighting - Are CFL bulbs safe for enclosed fixtures? - Home Improvement Stack Exchange
What's more suitable for enclosed fixtures, standard LED or filament LED bulbs?
YSK that not all LED light bulbs are rated for enclosed light fixtures (where the bulb is fully surrounded and has no airflow), and using the wrong bulb will drastically shorten its lifespan.
We have an enclosed upstairs hallway fixture which trashes cheap LED bulbs. I only use "enclosure rated" bulbs, but they all fail pretty badly with obvious heat issues (browned/discolored bases, even cracks forming in the "heatsink"). Before I start buying more expensive bulbs, does anyone have experience with the less-cheap options which can hold up and not die from overheating?
On a related note, where are the 5W 60W replacements? Philips at least has been showing them on their website now for a little while (even in 120V 60hz configs, so presumably for us here in North America). But I can't actually find them sold anywhere. I figure a higher lm/w would mean less power is being dissipated as heat, right? So where the heck can I get them? Or has the market decided people just want the cheap crap and that's all they'll sell?
We have had CFL's in a number of enclosed fixtures for years now. They generate comparable light for much less heat. The main thing you need to worry about with CFLs is, you can't use them on a dimmer unless that dimmer is designed for them. Other than that - less heat means even less risk of fire in my book.
From the GE website:
Compact fluorescent light bulbs may generally be used in enclosed fixtures as long as the enclosed fixture is not recessed. Totally enclosed recessed fixtures (for example, a ceiling can light with a cover over the bulb) create temperatures that are too high to allow the use of a compact fluorescent bulb.