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Questions tagged [lighting]

Planning, installing and using either indoor or outdoor artificial lights.

This is a catch-all tag for any question related to artificial lighting, either indoor or outdoor.

See also:

  • for questions related to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs.
  • for questions about supplying electricity to your lighting.
  • for questions about halogen light bulbs.
  • for questions related to LED light bulbs.
  • for general questions about light fixtures.
  • for questions about recessed lighting (also known as can lights).
3048 questions
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11 answers

When I turn down the dimmer switch on my lights, do I actually use less electricity?

My wife and I have several lights on dimmer switches throughout our home. We generally prefer the ambient lighting provided by dimmed lights. I am curious, though, if we are saving any electricity by dimming the lights. I feel like I read somewhere…
ahsteele
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42
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4 answers

How should I rewire a miswired 3-way switch?

I have a 3 way switch that was wired incorrectly when the switches were replaced with a different color switch. Is there a methodical way for me to identify which wires represent which piece of the system so I can correct the bad wiring? Currently…
Doug Porter
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42
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3 answers

Why do my LED lights stay on, even when the switch is off?

I have two LED lamps in my corridor, and when I switch them off, they keep emitting light (not very strong, but it's annoying at night). What can it be? How can I fix it?
opalenzuela
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34
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8 answers

LED Light bulbs burning out much sooner than expected

My family at my house use EcoSmart LED lightbulbs that are rated for 9W, and the box says they are replacements for 60W incandescent bulbs. It says have a "long life". However, upon connecting them to light sockets, they immediately get very hot.…
Proxy303
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31
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9 answers

Why do my led bulbs state: not for use in totally enclosed luminaires?

I recently bought some nice inexepensive LED bulbs but I noticed the warning states: (see image below) not for use in totally enclosed luminaires I am guessing that it gets too hot but I find it interesting that it doesn't add that part to the…
raddevus
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30
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17 answers

How do I change a light bulb I can't grip?

We have two bulbs in our house that need replacing. They appear to be PAR38 bulbs. The bulbs are both in recessed sockets. There is not enough space between the bulb and the well to get fingers around. The bulbs are in too firmly to budge with what…
Shay Guy
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26
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3 answers

Do I really need a special bulb in the oven?

My oven light burnt out recently. After dismantling it I found a 40W 130V "appliance" bulb with a standard Edison connector. The bulb is slightly smaller than a normal incandescent bulb. Looking for replacements at the local stores, all the…
cabbey
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25
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9 answers

Are integrated LEDs a riskier purchase than screw-in bulbs?

A lot of LEDs on the market these days are "integrated", meaning that the LEDs themselves and the housing is all bundled together. You screw the whole thing into the ceiling, and connect the wires to your circuit. But what do you do when the lights…
gomennathan
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23
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3 answers

Do new wire runs in an existing ceiling need to be stapled down?

I've heard some people say that code requires wiring in the wall to be stapled to framing every so often (how often?), but when you are doing a remodel, is that necessary? I have a two story house, and would like to remove one standard dome light on…
JPhi1618
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6 answers

Can I safely use a 9w LED bulb in place of a 40w incandescent?

I bought a reading lamp that on the box says: Max 1x40W The shop also sold me an LED light bulb that says: 9W=75W So my question is, can I use light bulb or not? I am confused between the 75W and the max of 40W mentioned for the lamp
Jim
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22
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8 answers

Are standard light bulb bases being phased out?

Recently we've been shopping for light fixtures, and have noticed a dramatic increase in non-standard bulbs. CFLs in particular seem to be drifting away from the common threaded base, in favor of 2-post snap in bulbs. I know there are efforts…
Scivitri
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5 answers

Are there LED lamps available for ovens?

The only place I now use an incandescent bulb is in my oven. It went out the other day and I was looking for a replacement. I am using LED all over these days but realized it may not be possible to use LEDs in a heated environment like an oven. Is…
Christian
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1 answer

What do I need to install LED strip lighting?

I've been looking to install LED strips, either RGB or white for lighting and ambiance. It wouldn't be the main lighting of the room, so no necessity for high power LEDs. The perimeter of the room is a little less than 25 meters. Looking around in…
sazpaz
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21
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6 answers

What should I do to increase the dimming range of LED bulbs?

We started doing most of our homes in LED last year. I am a big dimmer fan and would pretty much put a dimmer on any light switch. One thing that I haven't gotten down is the dimming range of the LED vs what I am used to with the incandescent…
DMoore
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21
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4 answers

What does that mean if my LED light bulb starts blinking when I turned it on?

I have an LED light bulb: Philips 60W incandescent equivalent I've owned it for about a year and have been very happy with it. This morning when I turned it on, it started blinking. Not flickering, but a very deliberate one second on, one second…
Stephen Ostermiller
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