This 12W GU10 LED spot light burned out after several hours of use. Took it apart to find out what failed. Looks like insufficient thermal was applied to the back of the LEDs. Also not enough grease was put between the LED plate and the metal heatsink.
By Julian
Youtuber, shed dweller, solar charge controller aficionado
It might be worth buying them still, if you fix each new one you get.
Can we assume the electronics (I.C. and Electrolytic capacitors will not fail prior to the 50000 hours?
I gave up trying to find good LED's on ebay… just buy from a reputable dealer in the UK; it's relatively expensive; but at least you'll know they've been designed and assembled properly…. if that thing burned up and set fire to a carpet or furniture whilst you were out of the room it doesn't bear thinking about. Some things just aren't worth it.
does anyone not see the iron man similarities here? "Pepper, let me see your hands…"
This is why I don't like LED lights they have just as many problems as a CFL, and they can die just as easily and I don't trust super compact power converter circuitry that kind of circuitry can be a fire hazard in my eyes I get a bit OCD with appliances that can be a fire hazard in my home even a small house fire sucks. I know from experience not something you want to wake up to at 3 in the morning. If your gone and one of those LED lights start to burn you better hope your light fixture can hold the burning plastic, otherwise you better hope it dosent get out of the holder. My bulb holder is a hanging glass bulb so it probably wouldn't do much but I don't like leaving it to (its fine it will probably smolder out). I want close to 100% fire safety as possible sure a alarm system can call for help by then its too late.
This is just another example of the major problem with Chinese made products. They go to all the effort (and consume all the resources) required to make a product, but completely stuff it up in assembly. They have no idea about quality control, yet are happy to slap "QC" stickers everywhere 🙂
I think the LEDs got more current or tension than necessary.
Did you actually meter it when it worked ?
I've now bought six MR16 lamps in similar housings and found that they were accurately described when they were sold as "6 watts", but they were all subsequently hyped up to 9 and then "12 watts".
Hilariously they were claiming 50 watts equivalency by virtue of claiming that LEDs are 8 times more efficient than incandescents !
Looks like a Chinese LED.. Although I'm somewhat new to them, because I now live in an RV, I've had a crash course in them. I've noticed that they vary enormously in brightness and durability, depending on where they're made…
TCP and Sylvania make good GU10 LED lamps. I tested a TCP one and have found it to be pretty good, see: /watch?v=KpPKQyGNbo0
3 Watt LEDs need to be soldered to the PCB, accept nothing else! The slug on the LED is to small to give a reliable thermal dissipation with just grease, especially with LEDs > 1 watt.
Well, if you live in the states, Home Depot carries them. Otherwise, i would go to Cree's website and search under dealers for your area. A great bulb. I hope this helps. You can see it used in a few of my videos if you want.
Bill
have you got a link for a good supplier of these?
That's too much grease if anything, it's just badly spread. It should be as thin as possible. Layered on thick is worse for it.
I use the Cree 60 watt equiv. (800 lumens) and they put out great light and so far, many months with no problems. It is very well designed and built. Only about $12 US and much better than all of the $30-$40 bulbs I have tested. Also, very easy to modify to run on my 1.5 volt joule thief circuit.
Bill
I bet they would be more popular if they came with a ten year warranty. That would also require better manufacturing quality. The Chinese brand X knockoffs couldn't do that, though.
Thanks for the heads up, you may have saved a few people and houses going up