LED ceiling lights melting lenses

dieselguy · 08-06-2015, 11:08 PM

I've had 3 ceiling lights that have the on/off button either fry the wiring up in the ceiling and pop a fuse or melt into the round lenses that snap off the base. The two that melted into the lenses had the circuit board come out of the detents in the base and lay directly on the lenses. The other one got so hot it melted the wire insulation creating a direct short above the light itself. All three instances involve the lights being on for less than an hour.I thought LED's are supposed to run cool and draw less energy?? Measured by a heat gun, mine run over 185 degrees at the circuit board. All Bright Line want's to do is replace the lights at no charge since they say they have a lifetime warranty. I'm kinda scared to leave any light in my fiver on for any length of time. Anyone else have this situation ... I can't believe I'm alone here?

spock123 · 08-07-2015, 08:02 AM

I would think something is wrong with the wiring, I have all led's in camper and at home too and never had a problem. This is the third camper with led lights and no problem. LED lights save energy and most of all battery power

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kcjoe1 · 08-07-2015, 08:09 AM

Start by checking your voltage to your lights.

mcnabbwr · 08-07-2015, 08:13 AM

I would doubt it's a wiring issue other than a bad circuit board or fixture. LED's do operate much cooler and save energy, however they are still a 12 volt appliance and if the circuit shorts out it will produce heat. I believe the best action would be to replace the entire fixture this way everything is new.

accumack · 08-07-2015, 08:17 AM

I 2nd checking the voltage to the fixture.

**Flybob** · 08-07-2015, 08:19 AM

LEDs themselves operate much cooler than filament bulbs, however the associated drive electronics can run hotter. In addition several manufacturers have used cheap Chinese components that fail. There have been several threads on this and FR will replace them. If you are slightly mechanical, best solution is to have dealer send you replacements and do it yourself as it is an easy fix and avoids a long stay at the dealer.

In the photos you posted, the LED chips are the salmon colored devices. The drive circuits are the ones that show the burn marks.

Jim Schings · 08-07-2015, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybob

LEDs themselves operate much cooler than filament bulbs,..... .

Yep, (Lumen per Lumen)

LED's are constant current devices and when used in multiples they require driver circuits to equalize brightness and draw. When operated at the high end of their specs they can get warm. But, will most always destroy themselves before they would ever burn anything. I suspect the driver circuit you have is the real problem. AND given that it is getting hot enough in a few minutes to burn things, I highly doubt you are saving any power with that lamp fixture. IE. The LEDS aren't drawing much current but the driver circuit is drawing more than a regular incandescent lamp.... Warranty or not, I would dump those things, they are dangerous.

dieselguy · 08-07-2015, 09:45 AM

Jim ... there are over 2 dozen of these things in the ceiling from one end to the other in my 2016 Silverback ... stock installation straight from CC assembly line. They are 12V and nothing else running off 12V has issues. There is no particular run that has issues ... one was in the overhead above the sofa in the rear ... the other two were in the overhead above the bed. I agree about operating on the high end of their specs ... it make the light brighter but generates heat. I've had a lengthy conversation with CC about these and they do say others have had the same problems, but no cure as yet other than sending me new ones. I had replaced the standard 12V bulbs with LED's that fit right in the same light socket/fxture on my SOB's ... they never ran this hot, but didn't have the circuit board either.

Jim Schings · 08-07-2015, 10:15 AM

ouch! Well as you have found, they have told you and I suspect. The issue IS the fixtures (LED driver circuit). Apparently poorly engineered. I know of no way to resolve easily than to replace the fixtures. I would certainly go after the coach manufacture. (You won't find the Chinese company.) In my non-legal expertise you have a good case. Fire in a coach is not pretty. Best of luck..

Ditchdigger · 08-07-2015, 01:00 PM

I replaced all of my Heligen light with LED's light and I can touch the LED's even after they have been on for hours. there must be something wrong with the manufacture of the LED's. The LED's look like they are bigger than the ones I have. I wonder what the wattage is on each LED in the on the board? If they are high wattage( 5 - 10 watts) they will get hotter and need a bigger heat sink,or they will get hot.

danno2u · 08-07-2015, 01:50 PM

I had the exact same melting on one of my lights. Two others just went dim with most of the LEDs not working. Got replacements from the company & the new lights (same lights) are working just fine for 3 months now. It was just a shorted out circuit board that melted my light & cover.

**Flybob** · 08-07-2015, 01:57 PM

It is not the LEDs it is the cheap junk drivers, Notify FR in writing that you want them all immediately replaced . If you get push back ( I don't expect you will) go to CPSC. FR certainly does not want to recall every unit out there to replace light fixtures.

LI Guy · 08-07-2015, 09:55 PM

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offduty11 · 08-08-2015, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Jim ... there are over 2 dozen of these things in the ceiling from one end to the other in my 2016 Silverback ... stock installation straight from CC assembly line. They are 12V and nothing else running off 12V has issues. There is no particular run that has issues ... one was in the overhead above the sofa in the rear ... the other two were in the overhead above the bed. I agree about operating on the high end of their specs ... it make the light brighter but generates heat. I've had a lengthy conversation with CC about these and they do say others have had the same problems, but no cure as yet other than sending me new ones. I had replaced the standard 12V bulbs with LED's that fit right in the same light socket/fxture on my SOB's ... they never ran this hot, but didn't have the circuit board either.

My 2016 29re has the same problem with the led light over the kitchen sink. After being on for 15/20 min. when I would push the button to turn it off the section of the lens was sticky. I removed the lens and found that the button switch is glued to the light and also had discolored marks on the board.

pmsherman · 08-08-2015, 12:17 PM

Are you at the International rally in Goshen? If so, send me a private reply and I'll bring my good (commercial) meter down to your rig to check out the fixtures.

I converted all of my Georgetown lights to LEDs which run very cool but I needed to make modifications to the fixtures/LEDs to get everything working properly.

Phil

dieselguy · 08-08-2015, 09:32 PM

Phil ... thanks, but I'm in Kansas still punching the ole time clock each day. There isn't much to go wrong with the supply power to a 12V DC light. I have a bit over 13V at each run plugged into shore power. (They run hot on shore power or straight of the battery boondocking it) Like has been pointed out, these lights are factory supplied from one end of the fiver to the other. They are not at all like the old overhead lights that had the 12V twist in light bulbs that can easily be converted over to LED's. These are (as seen in my photos) a stand alone unit with a square circuit board screwed into the ceiling. The circuit board has 5 LED's potted on them and that circuit board gets damned hot. The ones with the push button on/off switch seem to run hotter than the ones on the main ceiling that have no on/off switch but are controlled by a wall switch. I've used a heat gun to discover this.

Sagecoachdriver · 08-09-2015, 12:10 AM

Is there a real fire hazard here? I know my old incandescent bulbs in my 04 Winnebago got HOT to the touch. I changed to the bayonet type LEDs and no heat at all. Since the fixture is round, would the oblong old style work as a replacement with bayonet type LEDs? Guess it could get very expensive!!

dieselguy · 08-09-2015, 09:31 AM

Sagecoachdriver ... I believe there could be a hazzard. If I have another issue with my lights and CC doesn't have any long term answer other than sending new ones ... I was thinking along the same lines about going back to the old oblong ceiling lights like in my SOB's. I kept the LED bulbs I had bought for my SOB when I traded (they ran cool), so I would only need to buy the oblonged lights themselves. It just pains me to think I bought a brand spanking new fiver and have to replace all the light fixtures in the ceiling on my own dime. On the other hand ... peace of mind is priceless.

rick03hd · 08-10-2015, 08:38 AM

In the first picture the board had jarred loose and was contacting the lens. I had several do this.

Rick & Cindy
2015 Cedar Creek 36 CKTS
2015 Ford F-350 DRW
2003 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic

NCBBA11043 · 08-11-2015, 03:10 PM

When I was at Camping World looking at a Silverback, I noticed smoke coming from the bedroom. The LED light over the head of the bed had melted and was actually dripping plastic onto the bed!!!

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