I've only had 2-3 failures so far. One that was a path fixture and the irrigation guy put a sprinkler right next to it and was spraying under the canapy and eventually water got inside and destroyed it. Thats wasnt supposed to happen and the rep knew about it it was already being redesigned and since has. I replaced it and put a bead of clear silicone on that one and never another issue.

When there is a bad one just yank and replace.
I dont really like service calls, and that is a selling point for these fixtures to a client in that no yearly service or maintenance costs on fixtures themselves.

V*** is very nice stuff. As nice if not nicer than any other manufacturer I have come across. We do not install, but we spec a lot of it. I also personally use it.

Thanks Z. I'll look at Kichler and hopefully they have the color change option as well.

no color change option now, maybe when the new stuff comes out 3rd quarter.
You can get filters though for the spot fixtures to change colors but not at the touch of a button.
i think color change is a novelty 99% of the time though. To me not truly a good lighting design.

It's not necessarily the lamp that will fail. The socket the lamp plugs into will get corroded and the internal contacts will fail. I have replaced many over the years and intend not to do another.

Another big problem with LED lamps in standard fixtures is the lack of heat generated. In the past halogens were so damn hot they evaporated a lot of the moisture. Water will build up in LED fixtures until the lamp is completely submerged.

When there is a failure you yank it and replace with new fixture. Really good warranty with good products. Kichler had a bad run of a certain path light a few years ago (where stake connects to body would crack). Other than that we have had 0 failures in 8 years.

We use a corrosion inhibitor (Noalox) on the pins when we install them. Haven't been doing LED's long enough to know how well it works in the long term, but so far, so good.



And they don't melt snow. That is the biggest complaint I get about LED's. The fixtures we use will drain water so that is not an issue.

Interesting idea with the Noalox on pins. Not sure how well it will work but I would love to hear back from you in a few years.

I thought this too but I have to admit I like the Hue bulbs in my home to set a mood so it makes sense to me (I am a techno-geek). Not seeing others with color change options to consider.

Guess you could say landscape lighting is a set-and-forget kind of system that comes on at dark and off at midnight/sunrise but seems there should be more control to it for what we do.

Well there's the other 1% :)

Seriously though, the only I feel color changing would be ok is on holidays or occasions.
Let's say St patty's day you want green. Fourth of July you want red,white, blue....etc.
High school graduation you want to have the school colors at the backyard party...etc.

Color changing is all I'm ever asked for. Most of my installs are all DMX based systems anyways for indoors and outdoors.

I wouldn't say its a fad or for just the 1%. Most of my clients are middle class peeps.

All the color changing lamps I have seen have issues with white. There is always a thin line of color at the edges of the beam spread.

i can see color changing on multiple evenings. I think it needs to be an offering. Not a fad. Not a 1% Mood is mood. doesnt take a holiday. but we all like different things.

Well most of the color changing fixtures only have a R, G and B led. To make white, each led is on full blast. In DMX world, it would be 255,255,255.

The white is more of a bluish white.

Most of the lighting in my home are either incandescent or halogen based can lighting. I also have some RGB led strips all around my rooms behind the cove molding, under cabinets, etc. It makes for a really great effect and also works awesome as night lights during the wee hours.

I've been able to closely match my can lighting with the RGB strips, so it doesn't look weird or have different temperature lighting.

Working well so far.

As for my outdoor lighting, I've been using these fixtures, which have held up pretty damn well in the New England weather. They aren't super bright but give enough light output for walkways, lined driveways, some uplighting (depending on size required).

[Link: torchstar.us]

That works fine until a manufacturer no longer makes that fixture. So it can't be replaced. We are running into that quite a bit with some Nighttime Decor integrated fixtures. The dealer is gone and the company changed their business model so I can't get them. In one case I rebuilt 5-6 path lights to use bi-pins so all of them would match.

I have been called worse :)


I only understand the basics of DMX so I could be off, but having additional conductors to wire in an outdoor systems seems like a real pain - correct?