I wanted to buy a ceiling fan last year, and just gave up.
LEDs integrated into fans are the worst idea. If they're not bright enough, you're hosed. You generally can't change the color. Just stick to proven fixtures, and let me put my own choice of bulbs in it!
The other problem is just how houses/apartments are designed in the US. You should always have a separate wall switch for fan and lights! Why they couple the two - I can't fathom.
> Just stick to proven fixtures, and let me put my own choice of bulbs in it!
LED retrofit bulbs (Edison screws) are just shit no matter what - your choice will basically almost always be inferior to something that can be integrated into a fan by virtue of the technology.
Down-facing light from ceiling fans is also just bad, even on a $2000 Big Ass Fans Haiku. Central-point overhead lighting is displeasing.
You're not wrong - but what do I do when the light is not bright enough (hint - almost all of them are not bright enough for my needs)?
And how many of them can I control with SmartThings, etc?
With my own bulbs, I can have it how I want it. I pick the fan based on the fan's capabilities, and not worry about the light.
> Central-point overhead lighting is displeasing.
No arguments there, but most houses/apartments in the US are built in this brain dead way. When I lived abroad, it was much better. The lights were always on the walls - often opposing walls. This way, light is coming more at an angle downwards, and you can position chairs/beds/couches such that the light is behind you, and if you're reading a book, the pages are being lit up by it.
> You're not wrong - but what do I do when the light is not bright enough (hint - almost all of them are not bright enough for my needs)?
Replace the entire LED base with a brighter one if you need more lumens. If you do the same with a standard e26 or candelabra bulb setup, you’ll have the exact same issue with bulb longevity. Brighter bulbs stuffed into the tiny enclosures will absolutely cook.
you're telling me I can find a replacement for the LED base?
When I looked, the fans were all listed as having irreplaceable bulbs. That is one of the complaints in the article.
> If you do the same with a standard e26 or candelabra bulb setup, you’ll have the exact same issue with bulb longevity. Brighter bulbs stuffed into the tiny enclosures will absolutely cook.
LED bulbs shouldn't cook. I'm not talking incandescent, but LED bulbs. I use them all the time. They last a decent amount of time.
> you're telling me I can find a replacement for the LED base?
Depending on which one you mean in the article… the super gaudy ones with extremely custom light fixtures would be hard. The basic led based that have crazy fan blades? Yeah, no problem.
Here’s an example (there’s a million like this in a variety of sizes, lumens, and color temps, just the first example I found on Amazon):
<a href="https://a.co/d/0aP9nKdJ" rel="nofollow">https://a.co/d/0aP9nKdJ
> LED bulbs shouldn't cook. I'm not talking incandescent, but LED bulbs. I use them all the time. They last a decent amount of time.
But they do. They’re obviously not as much heat as incandescent lights, but if you’ve ever felt an LED bulb after it’s run for awhile, they’re typically too hot to touch. And fan enclosures are very harsh environments: no airflow and fully enclosed typically.
I have led retrofit screw bulbs in all my fixtures. They're the right color temperature and brightness. We replaced them years ago and have only had one go bad. Why are they shit?
> The problem is almost all the LED fans can’t be controlled with a second switch.
The problem is coupling the light source with the fan. Ceiling fans should not supply light. Period. As I said in another comment, in other countries, you have separate fixtures for these. No one buys a fan with light fixtures. It's stupid.
BeetleB · · focus · HN ↗
LEDs integrated into fans are the worst idea. If they're not bright enough, you're hosed. You generally can't change the color. Just stick to proven fixtures, and let me put my own choice of bulbs in it!
The other problem is just how houses/apartments are designed in the US. You should always have a separate wall switch for fan and lights! Why they couple the two - I can't fathom.
15155 · · focus · HN ↗
LED retrofit bulbs (Edison screws) are just shit no matter what - your choice will basically almost always be inferior to something that can be integrated into a fan by virtue of the technology.
Down-facing light from ceiling fans is also just bad, even on a $2000 Big Ass Fans Haiku. Central-point overhead lighting is displeasing.
BeetleB · · focus · HN ↗
And how many of them can I control with SmartThings, etc?
With my own bulbs, I can have it how I want it. I pick the fan based on the fan's capabilities, and not worry about the light.
> Central-point overhead lighting is displeasing.
No arguments there, but most houses/apartments in the US are built in this brain dead way. When I lived abroad, it was much better. The lights were always on the walls - often opposing walls. This way, light is coming more at an angle downwards, and you can position chairs/beds/couches such that the light is behind you, and if you're reading a book, the pages are being lit up by it.
Kirby64 · · focus · HN ↗
Replace the entire LED base with a brighter one if you need more lumens. If you do the same with a standard e26 or candelabra bulb setup, you’ll have the exact same issue with bulb longevity. Brighter bulbs stuffed into the tiny enclosures will absolutely cook.
BeetleB · · focus · HN ↗
<a href="https://mcmansionhell.com/post/829127919552151552/what-is-going-on-with-ceiling-fans" rel="nofollow">https://mcmansionhell.com/post/829127919552151552/what-is-go...
you're telling me I can find a replacement for the LED base?
When I looked, the fans were all listed as having irreplaceable bulbs. That is one of the complaints in the article.
> If you do the same with a standard e26 or candelabra bulb setup, you’ll have the exact same issue with bulb longevity. Brighter bulbs stuffed into the tiny enclosures will absolutely cook.
LED bulbs shouldn't cook. I'm not talking incandescent, but LED bulbs. I use them all the time. They last a decent amount of time.
Kirby64 · · focus · HN ↗
Depending on which one you mean in the article… the super gaudy ones with extremely custom light fixtures would be hard. The basic led based that have crazy fan blades? Yeah, no problem.
Here’s an example (there’s a million like this in a variety of sizes, lumens, and color temps, just the first example I found on Amazon): <a href="https://a.co/d/0aP9nKdJ" rel="nofollow">https://a.co/d/0aP9nKdJ
> LED bulbs shouldn't cook. I'm not talking incandescent, but LED bulbs. I use them all the time. They last a decent amount of time.
But they do. They’re obviously not as much heat as incandescent lights, but if you’ve ever felt an LED bulb after it’s run for awhile, they’re typically too hot to touch. And fan enclosures are very harsh environments: no airflow and fully enclosed typically.
Loughla · · focus · HN ↗
hammock · · focus · HN ↗
illusive4080 · · focus · HN ↗
BeetleB · · focus · HN ↗
The problem is coupling the light source with the fan. Ceiling fans should not supply light. Period. As I said in another comment, in other countries, you have separate fixtures for these. No one buys a fan with light fixtures. It's stupid.