Warning about those cheap LED retrofit kits from the big box stores

I was talking with a fire inspector at a job site in Springfield last week, and he said he's seeing more callbacks on flickering and overheating from those no-name brands. He told me point blank, 'The driver is the heart of the fixture, and those fail first.' Has anyone else had a specific kit fail within the first year?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_park1d ago

That fire inspector is spot on about the driver. What gets me is the heat buildup in the ceiling cavity, especially with those sealed "canless" wafer lights. They trap all the heat against the drywall with no real way for it to get out. Seen a few where the plastic housing started to warp.

leo_fisher1d ago

Tell me about it. They sell these things as the safe, modern option but they basically turn your ceiling into a tiny oven. I'm waiting for the day someone's popcorn texture starts popping for real up there.

mila_murphy211d ago

Yeah the "canless" part is actually the problem. They're not sealed units, they just don't have a metal can. That plastic housing Nora mentioned is all that's there, and it melts way before a real junction box would fail.