[CalcTeacher]

We want to switch all of our recessed lights to LED. Went by Pike's Electric in LSL...they told us that the entire fixture/unit gets replaced. Approximately $50 for each recessed light and then a variable/decreasing labor charge to do the work ($85 for the first, a little cheaper for the next few, cheaper still for the next few).

Does anyone know if this is something we can do ourselves? And why can't you just switch the type of bulb?

We are just REALLY tired of light bulbs burning out waaaaay before they're supposed to (yes, we mail them back to the manufacturer for replacement, but that gets to be pain in the you-know-what)...and we're tired of the slight buzzing the lights will make. LED lights seem so much whiter/brighter/cleaner.

Any thoughts?

[elevatorman]

You can get the lamps at Lowe's. You don't need to replace the fixture just the lamps. I replaced mine with florescent less costly. LED was an option just to expensive for me. My front lamp post has 1 40watt lamp and I was replacing it once a month. I did replace it with a LED at $14 (guaranteed for 30 years???) 29 years left.

[pooh]

We replaced the floods in the recessed kitchen fixtures with LED floods that can dimmed. Each bulb was a little under $30. There are also retrofit kits available at Lowes and Home Depot that make those recessed lights LED lights. That's what a friend did in her kitchen.....looks great....and also another alternative one can do themselves.

[GaryW]

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and talk to the rep in the lighting dept. They can give you alot of info.

[JP]

I think LED's and fluorescents are the way to go.
They are more energy efficient and produce less heat which can be safer.
I just have a problem with their hours of use ratings.
I have had several fluorescent bulbs burn out way before they were "supposed" to and they were quite expensive to buy.
Disappointing.

[ijusluvit]

I recently purchased 7 LED lights from Home Depot for $22 each. Do not go to the light bulb area. There the recessed lights are $36-47. Go where the light fixtures are sold and find the commercial models.

Went home and unscrewed the existing floodlights. It took me five minutes to install each new light in the existing fixtures. Most of the time was spent bending back the tabs in the fixture wall with a screwdriver to accommodate the spring clips on the new lights. Very simple. Good instructions if you need them.

The results are fantastic. The new lights are so bright we had to install a dimmer switch. But it's always great to have the possibility of making the kitchen as bright as an operating room.

The prognosis is that the bulbs will last longer than me. Change those old floodlights a few times when the heat burns them out and the new lights are paid for. A no brainer.

[buzzy]

Definitely a DIY job. We noticed that the kitchen is brighter and cooler with LED flood lights.

[villagetinker]

I replaced all of the flood lights with 'standard' LED lamps from Lowes (about $12 each). These are much brighter then the original 130 volt incandescent bulbs, and much cheaper then the "flood" LED lamps. By the way if you compare packing, the flood lights are NOT as bright as the normal table lamp bulbs that I used. These have been in for several weeks so far, with no negative effects. I also used these same bulbs in all of the hanging fixtures, with the same results, lots more light. We now regularly have the LEDs dimmed.
Hope this helps.

[OnTheCourse]

Agreed. We love our LED's! We converted our whole house, and haven't regretted it for even a moment!