LED uses in the home

[mayday0017]

I am considering using some LED back lighting in the home, I need to install crown still in the living room and thinking about installing some LED's behind it for back lighting during movies. Also thinking about using LED's under the cabinets or above the cabinets on my walls for accent lighting.

What have you guys done with LED's in your house besides just replacing a standard lightbulb with LED bulbs?

EDIT: Please make sure not to post about a new LED fixture you put in, or the new LED bulbs you used, that is not what this thread is for, not to rant I appricate the feedback but try to keep it on topic. Simple explination If what you have looks like a traditional fixture this thread is not for you.

 

[Nick DL]

I haven't used them, but am looking forward to see what others have done.

 

[vfr-rider]

That looks really cool!

Sent from my HTC EVO View using Tapatalk 2.

 

[info2x]

I was thinking of the LED lighting as seen in your pic for my bedroom. I'm waiting for prices to do the rest of the house. I figure by the time the CFLs burn out the LEDs might be low enough in price to make sense for some of them such as hard to reach ones that I never want to deal with.

 

[adragontattoo]

At the condo I was renting before I purchased my home, I had installed LEDS as ambient lighting in the pretty much the entire place (it was only 4 rooms and a closet).

Other than in the kitchen, I rarely had any other lights on.

I havent installed any in the house yet. After a year of living there, I still havent fully decided what goes where.

 

[wnstwolf]

Mayday,
Just finished our new home build about 1 year ago. After being in the home now I have to say the LED's are not a warm light. I installed Juno under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, pantry and laundry room. Our great room ceing fan also has LED lighting. The light that comes off is very "white" I am still old school and like the warmer light from a halogen or incond. with a dimmer.. Our great room is timber frame construction and the recessed lights are 26' above the floor so I used LED's in those as I never want to change them. I hate the color of them! I am told with new technology they will be offering warmer looking LED's but so far I have only seen the whiter variant and it is not comforting in my opinion..

 

[mayday0017]

Mayday,
Just finished our new home build about 1 year ago. After being in the home now I have to say the LED's are not a warm light. I installed Juno under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, pantry and laundry room. Our great room ceing fan also has LED lighting. The light that comes off is very "white" I am still old school and like the warmer light from a halogen or incond. with a dimmer.. Our great room is timber frame construction and the recessed lights are 26' above the floor so I used LED's in those as I never want to change them. I hate the color of them! I am told with new technology they will be offering warmer looking LED's but so far I have only seen the whiter variant and it is not comforting in my opinion..

Good point on the "warm lighting" this is the same reason I use the Soft White CFL's instead of the others.... For the LED's I'm only considering the use of them for some backlight, and honestly not sure if I want them white even... kind of thinking a blue might look nice as it wil mostly just be for at night to give enough light not to trip over things and for a little backlight in the room for movies with out being to bright....

Have any pics of your setups other then just direct replacements for bulbs?

 

[slickgt1]

Crappy pics, but you get the idea. They are between my crown moldings and the ceiling. So many people are asking me to install their crowns the same way, and put LED rope lights in there.

without paint

 

[ddawg16]

The advantage of LED is that they will fit in places other lights won't.

Look for the low voltage (12 volt) flavors....it gives you more options.

 

[the_saint]

Crappy pics, but you get the idea. They are between my crown moldings and the ceiling. So many people are asking me to install their crowns the same way, and put LED rope lights in there.

without paint

Nice.

We are doing this in our current build.

This will be in the master bedroom, the foyer, living room, and dining room.

 

[Blacklisted]

I'm also interested in how people are using the led lighting.

 

[slickgt1]

Nice.

We are doing this in our current build.

This will be in the master bedroom, the foyer, living room, and dining room.

Thanks. Yea it is my personal house. So it is sort of a showroom for advanced carpentry for clients. Everything you see was built on premises. Even that door.

People are crazy about mood lighting these days. That rope light in my house surrounds my hallway, about 40', entire living and open kitchen. Something around 140'. It takes less juice than 1 light bulb. I found this out the hard way actually. I have Maestro Dimmers everywhere. So the switch that controls the outlet for the Led light, wouldn't even power on the dimmer. If I plug in one light bulb into the same socket, the dimmer starts working. Called them up, and they told me basically what I read. Not enough draw to make the dimmer work. Go figure. So now I have one ugly *** switch for the rope lights. I will put in a dimmer that is meant for LED one day, but for now, it is fine.

 

[Big-Foot]

I just installed some 120v direct wire LED pucks in my new kitchen cabinets.. I'll see if I can get some pictures uploaded..

 

[Holbrook]

I put them in the garage under my shelfs and do not like them at all. They are from Ikea and harley put out any light.

 

[nine4gmc]

Thanks. Yea it is my personal house. So it is sort of a showroom for advanced carpentry for clients. Everything you see was built on premises. Even that door.

People are crazy about mood lighting these days. That rope light in my house surrounds my hallway, about 40', entire living and open kitchen. Something around 140'. It takes less juice than 1 light bulb. I found this out the hard way actually. I have Maestro Dimmers everywhere. So the switch that controls the outlet for the Led light, wouldn't even power on the dimmer. If I plug in one light bulb into the same socket, the dimmer starts working. Called them up, and they told me basically what I read. Not enough draw to make the dimmer work. Go figure. So now I have one ugly *** switch for the rope lights. I will put in a dimmer that is meant for LED one day, but for now, it is fine.

you need a load on the line for a dimmer to work, like when you put led lights in your cars turn signal and they no longer blink, you need a resistor load.

 

[softailgarage]

I dig the rope lights and would have 'em all over the house... but the price, jesus. Home Depot has 5' rope lights on sale...$75.00, no way.

 

[Gary S]

I'm using them as nightlights in the bedrooms. Other than that, I've found no real use for them yet. They still cost 20-30x what a florescent costs and don't save any energy compared to florescent.
Someday they will be priced at what they are worth, and I'll look into using them.

 

[abstamaria]

You can get LEDs in different color temperatures, so can avoid a white light. I replaced some halogens with LED and find that the LEDs are not as bright. i can only get 5W bulbs here. It seems early days still for LEDs.

Andy

 

[mayday0017]

I dig the rope lights and would have 'em all over the house... but the price, jesus. Home Depot has 5' rope lights on sale...$75.00, no way.

I wouldn't buy rope lights, not from home depot either... Buy ribbon it is cheaper, & smaller, plus you cut it to length.


$10/16ft from amazon

 

[CoconutPete]

I wanted lights in my deck stairs since they face away from the house and all the other lighting. I looked at "Deck LED kits" but realized they are marked up 3453242354243% so I decided to make my own.

I hit up a marine supply place and bought 8 recessed ones for $3 a piece, then I picked up a spool of wire and found an old 12V transformer I had laying around. Countersunk those suckers into each side of each step - bing! Instant stair ilumination.

 

[slickgt1]

I dig the rope lights and would have 'em all over the house... but the price, jesus. Home Depot has 5' rope lights on sale...$75.00, no way.

Here you go. I get them here all the time. I have the Orange kit in my lights. Yes the pics are ******. Either way, 3 years so far with no issues.

Edit, oops wrong link.
http://www.1000bulbs.com/category/led-120-volt-amber-rope-light/

 

[thehazmatguy]

Mayday,
Just finished our new home build about 1 year ago. After being in the home now I have to say the LED's are not a warm light. I installed Juno under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, pantry and laundry room...

Juno lighting? I think I looked at that stuff at The Great Indoors (or whatever that Sears spinoff is called). That's the mini track light type of thing, right? I don't suppose you have pictures of your installation you could share? That seems like a very nice system!

 

[trainer]

LED floods outside. Kinda pricy, but they should last forever and don't attract bugs at night!

 

[Lippyp]

Just redone the kitchen with 21 4w led downlighters and its great, a nice even light and still less power used than one of the six 100W bulbs that werer in there previously.

 

[rickhigginshtbr]

so, while redoing my "mancave" styled basement, I needed somewhere to put all my bobbleheads from various Philly-area sports games. I sanded and stained the main support beam of the basement, then took some old pieces of paneling, sanded, stained, glued old ticket stubs from concerts/sports events on it, then cleared over. Then got some 1x10, stained it, routed out a groove for the LED ribbon stuff, and wired it off an old PC power supply I had laying around.
https://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/599888_10151027999529493_1831965326_n.jpg

Lights up pretty bright, this is a 6' section, think I have 30 more feet to go, unless I knock down another wall, then can go further... IIRC I used soft white SMD 5050 strip, 60 LED's per meter. Still want to do a top piece to match, then put in a piece of plexi to protect them from dust / people playing with them. I definitely want to do the crown molding trim when I get to the rest of the house.