# Cree LEDs flickering



## Surge03 (Sep 23, 2012)

Just installed 8 4" can lights and purchased 8 Ecosmart 6 watt led bulbs that are equivalent to 40 watt Incandescent with a 2700K color dimmible. Everything was looking good, dimmed nicely but every now an than they flicker. It happens so fast it bothers the heck at of me, probably once every hour this happens and looks like there all doing it at the same time. Light switch is rated for dimming LEDs so I'm wondering if its the bulbs, has any1 had this problem with LEDs before? Also I am an electrician by trade so it's not my install lol


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I had the same problem with a Cree A-lamp. I thought I was going nuts but then I watched the lamp and saw it happen. 

Bottom line, LED is garbage.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Now that you said it , I zeroed in on the 6" Cree over my desk, I notice it .


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## Surge03 (Sep 23, 2012)

MTW said:


> I had the same problem with a Cree A-lamp. I thought I was going nuts but then I watched the lamp and saw it happen. Bottom line, LED is garbage.


Thanks, every1 tells me LEDs are the way to go and I probably got a bad batch but 8 bad ones in a row, that's crap and I paid a good penny for them too.


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## Bugz11B (May 12, 2013)

I love LED's myself, here is a few things to check. 1. Check what type of dimmer the bulbs need (yes you said you got a LED dimmer (Reverse phase dimming, used with most LED's, electronic transformers, and all dimmable CFL's), that will work with MOST led's but not all, some LED's are made for use with a standard incandescent dimmer (forward phase dimmer ((used with any led that has a magnetic transformer, or a product made for use with forward phase dimming)), so really it could be as simple as a switch.
2. Check the manufactures minimum circuit load raiting (do this for the bulbs and the dimmer) alot of LED's will flicker because there isnt enough resistance in the circuit. I.E your brand may need 6-10 6.5 watt led's for it to dim properly and not flicker when shut off (the dimmer itself should be ok with low load as thats what its made for, but may still have a min load), not having enough resistance in the circuit can cause flickering while on or intermittently while off. Just a few things to check, also a friend had a similar issue and bought a switch that required a neutral and the problem went away, I have only seen the problem once (I use both types of switches) and it was to little resistance.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Surge03 said:


> Thanks, every1 tells me LEDs are the way to go and I probably got a bad batch but 8 bad ones in a row, that's crap and I paid a good penny for them too.


Cree is HD, buy another batch and return the ones your'e unhappy with in their place.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

LED's should be ground into fine powder and deposited in a landfill.


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

I have a lot of luck with lutron maestro cl's, they seem to dim anything.

Probably blame your cheap leviton dimmer. :whistling2:


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## electricalwiz (Mar 12, 2011)

They make two different types of Ecosmart LED with the Cree chips, if you are dimming you need to get the older style which is a brownish color box.
I have never had a flickering problem with brownish color boxes but the newer boxes flicker
If you look at the two packages the new ones have a smaller heat sink in them
What stinks is they are both the same model number


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## howabout (Mar 25, 2012)

Installed 6" cree lights. Had to adjust the dimmer a little. It flickered one more time and now I have yet to ha e a problem.


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## FlyingSparks (Dec 10, 2012)

I have 13 9w LED Cree bulbs (5000k, 800lumens) and I don't have any flickering issues...


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## Surge03 (Sep 23, 2012)

Bugz11B said:


> I love LED's myself, here is a few things to check. 1. Check what type of dimmer the bulbs need (yes you said you got a LED dimmer (Reverse phase dimming, used with most LED's, electronic transformers, and all dimmable CFL's), that will work with MOST led's but not all, some LED's are made for use with a standard incandescent dimmer (forward phase dimmer ((used with any led that has a magnetic transformer, or a product made for use with forward phase dimming)), so really it could be as simple as a switch. 2. Check the manufactures minimum circuit load raiting (do this for the bulbs and the dimmer) alot of LED's will flicker because there isnt enough resistance in the circuit. I.E your brand may need 6-10 6.5 watt led's for it to dim properly and not flicker when shut off (the dimmer itself should be ok with low load as thats what its made for, but may still have a min load), not having enough resistance in the circuit can cause flickering while on or intermittently while off. Just a few things to check, also a friend had a similar issue and bought a switch that required a neutral and the problem went away, I have only seen the problem once (I use both types of switches) and it was to little resistance.


Thanks, I am not familiar with led technology yet but this helps and worth a try.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I haven't installed straight LED cans yet because of being "locked into" using LED lamps...

I only will use a basic say... HALO H7IC can and then use a LED insert....

Any problems from the customer and I can switch back to basic lamps...


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## Joefixit2 (Nov 16, 2007)

Have had good results with Lutron CL dimmers, both the Diva and the Maestro. Go to the Lutron site and there is a list of compatible lamps that their dimmers will work on.


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## Surge03 (Sep 23, 2012)

Bugz11B said:


> I love LED's myself, here is a few things to check. 1. Check what type of dimmer the bulbs need (yes you said you got a LED dimmer (Reverse phase dimming, used with most LED's, electronic transformers, and all dimmable CFL's), that will work with MOST led's but not all, some LED's are made for use with a standard incandescent dimmer (forward phase dimmer ((used with any led that has a magnetic transformer, or a product made for use with forward phase dimming)), so really it could be as simple as a switch. 2. Check the manufactures minimum circuit load raiting (do this for the bulbs and the dimmer) alot of LED's will flicker because there isnt enough resistance in the circuit. I.E your brand may need 6-10 6.5 watt led's for it to dim properly and not flicker when shut off (the dimmer itself should be ok with low load as thats what its made for, but may still have a min load), not having enough resistance in the circuit can cause flickering while on or intermittently while off. Just a few things to check, also a friend had a similar issue and bought a switch that required a neutral and the problem went away, I have only seen the problem once (I use both types of switches) and it was to little resistance.


they flicker mainly when there on at 100% not dimmed, I do not dimmed them much unless I have to.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

I have a pair of these that I got for free from Platt last year. I stuck them in the pendant lights over my peninsula/bar counter to replace the 60W incandescents that were in there before.










They are awesome. The light color is perfect, I've never once seen them flicker or crap out, and they're only 8 watts each. We leave them on pretty much all the time when we are at home.

Maybe the LEDs you guys are getting are junk but the Philips ones I've got, and others I've installed on the job, have been going strong.


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## Surge03 (Sep 23, 2012)

erics37 said:


> I have a pair of these that I got for free from Platt last year. I stuck them in the pendant lights over my peninsula/bar counter to replace the 60W incandescents that were in there before. They are awesome. The light color is perfect, I've never once seen them flicker or crap out, and they're only 8 watts each. We leave them on pretty much all the time when we are at home. Maybe the LEDs you guys are getting are junk but the Philips ones I've got, and others I've installed on the job, have been going strong.


are they dimmable?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

MTW said:


> I had the same problem with a Cree A-lamp. I thought I was going nuts but then I watched the lamp and saw it happen.
> 
> Bottom line, LED is garbage.



It wasn't flickering. MK Ultra was trying to communicate with you.


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## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

I can't remember where I herd it but Cree has had some bad batches recently. I think it hit my brother really hard on his property where he is a maintence man right after he had some in a 25' foot high fixture he just replaced them in, only to have them fail in like a week. I think I saw tears as he changed them.


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## J. Temple (Dec 30, 2011)

My supplier has recommended and I have used a Lutron MLV Diva dimmers with Cree retrofits when having dimming problems / flickering. It has alway worked. My supplier did some independent tests in his shop a couple of years ago with all different types of dimmers. FWIW, I did have a bad batch of Cree retrofits and had flickering develop on 6 out of 30 with no dimming. Had to change the out and return them (PITA).


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