Title: Switching To Energy-Saving Bulbs: How Many Of Your Lights Are Actually LEDs?
Mixing color temps definitely takes some fiddling—I’ve had the same drawer full of “reject” bulbs after a few missteps. I agree, the 2700K-3000K range feels way more natural for most rooms, but I do like a splash of cooler light for reading nooks or highlighting plants. About the dimmer issue: yeah, I’ve had buzzing and flickering too, especially with older dimmers that weren’t designed for LEDs. Swapping to LED-compatible dimmers fixed most of it, but not all. Sometimes it’s just the bulb brand... weirdly inconsistent. Anyone else notice certain brands play nicer with dimmers?
- The dimmer thing drives me nuts. I’ve tried Lutron and Leviton dimmers—Lutron seems to play nicer with most of my bulbs, but Philips bulbs still buzz a bit sometimes.
- About color temps: 2700K for main rooms, but I actually love a 4000K in my closet. Makes it feel like a fancy boutique, ha.
- My “reject” drawer is now a small box... progress?
- Anyone else notice IKEA bulbs are surprisingly chill with dimmers? More reliable than some of the big-name brands, weirdly enough.
- Still have one stubborn chandelier that refuses to stop flickering, no matter what combo I try. At this point, it’s almost a feature...
IKEA bulbs have been a surprise for me too—never thought I’d be recommending them over “premium” brands, but here we are. The dimmer struggle is real though. I’ve had better luck with Lutron, but even then, some LEDs just don’t want to play nice. That chandelier flicker? I gave up on mine and just call it “ambience” now. At least the energy savings are worth the hassle... most days.
That chandelier flicker? I gave up on mine and just call it “ambience” now.
Ha, “ambience”—I’ve tried selling that to guests too. But honestly, is there a dimmer out there that actually works with every LED? I’ve swapped out three different brands and still get that weird buzzing or random flicker. At this point, I’m wondering if it’s the wiring or just the universe telling me to stick with halogens in the dining room. Anyone else just leave a few old bulbs in for sanity’s sake?
I hear you on the flicker—some of these “dimmable” LEDs just don’t play nice, no matter what the box claims. I’ve had better luck with Lutron dimmers, but even then, it’s hit or miss depending on the bulb brand. Honestly, I still keep a couple of old incandescents in my living room fixture just to keep the peace. Sometimes it’s not worth the hassle if you want smooth dimming for dinner parties... The wiring could be a factor too, especially if your house is older. You’re definitely not alone in mixing bulbs for sanity’s sake.
