Dissecting a Cree LED Incandecent Bulb Replacement

[mondrasek]

If it's under warranty then a replacement, in theory, should come...although they may question its failure mode if you've already dismantled it 

I only dismantled the first failure that occurred last year.  I did not expect that to be covered under warranty.  I did not dismantle this second failure.

[mondrasek]

I received an e-mail from Cree today stating they would ship two warranty replacement bulbs on 10/13.   That was all.  I am satisfied with that response at least.

[Pirate88179]

That is as it should be and it is good to hear.  It would have been much better if they wanted to dissect the failed bulbs to find the problem but...I guess we can't have everything.  Thanks for keeping us up to date.

Bill

[mondrasek]

Two replacement bulbs arrived yesterday.  I have no idea why they sent me an e-mail saying they would ship them out on 10/13!

The new bulbs have a slightly different cooling fin design.  The fins are a bit longer and extend down over the electronics holder in the base a few millimeter where they round (taper) inwards to a point in an aesthetically pleasing way.  This would provide more surface area for improved convective cooling.  And since modifying the dies for this change and possibly use of more cast material are both cost increases, I have to believe it was done to improve these bulb's tolerance to a heat issue (at least in some applications).

I'm still not putting them back into the same fully enclosed ceiling fixture that has no openings for air exchange with the rest of the room.

M.

[Pirate88179]

Good news.  I will have to look for some here with the new fin design, then I can stop making my own additional heat sinks for them.  So far, however, I have not lost any of them after about 6 months or so.  I am running them in open fixtures like table lamps though.

Bill