Electrical question

[snowwolfe]

One of our LED recessed ceiling lights has burned out so we need to replace it. The closest replacement I found has the same style plug as the old light, but there is also a separate wire with a round fitting soldered on the end. I am guessing its another ground wire?

Do I need to attach this wire to something?

Is it possible to buy just a replacement for the LED portion of the fixture? It is removeable but I came up empty on finding a replacement.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Those are all good questions...but tough to answer without seeing what you are talking about.

It seems LED technology is changing every year, so I doubt there is identical replacements available for the elements or entire fixtures that are a few years old.

If the separate wire with "Ring lug" is green, it is likely a ground. But it could also be a safety wire, so when the fixture is removed, it doesn't fall to the floor if you have butterfingers.

[snowwolfe]

This is the replacement light:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079Z8Q6Z7/?coliid=I1XB8SY5ID62LE&colid=3M6HP60U5LYDY&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

You can see the wire in the second photo from the left.
Thanks

[10x]

Does the old one have a 2 prong plug (Black is hot and white is neutral)
Is the separate wire on the old fixture 3 wire, (BLack, white green(Ground) connected to anything?

Your best bet is to buy a complete new light. Check the date the old light was installed, there may be a limited warrantee on it. I upgraded my recessed kitchen 8 foot florescent bulbs with an 8 foot LED, cost was $300 for the led and fixture, The bill is taped to the underside of the fixture. and the date of installation is written on the fixture.
New technology gives longer life, less expensive operation, and more light for the dollar spent -
Look up the brand name and UPC code of your old light if you have it, if you have the bill for when it was purchased and there is warrantee then you are in luck.

When in doubt on electrical circuits, hire an electrician

[10x]

This is the replacement light:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079Z8Q6Z7/?coliid=I1XB8SY5ID62LE&colid=3M6HP60U5LYDY&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

You can see the wire in the second photo from the left.
Thanks
That appears to be a ground wire, it does not hurt to hook it to the grounded portion of the electrical box

[Rcmaveric]

That separate copper wire with the leg i the safety ground. You attach that your fixture. Your fixtures should have a green wire attached to it.

Those are the safety grounds. Its for incase your light or fixture internal shorts to the case. It will pop your breaker/fuse instead of lighting you when you touch it.

I am not a house electrician. I am aviation electrician but the concept is similar to case ground.

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[Drm50]

If 3prong with another external wire it’s a bonding ground. I just bought 4’ LED shop lights at Wally World, $19@. The difference from flo lights is night & day.

[snowwolfe]

Its a new house, lights were installed when it was built 5 years ago. No brand name on the lights. They seem pretty generic. Yes, they have a two prong plug. All you do is unscrew the fitting from the socket, screw in the new one, and plug it in.
I was planning on buying a new light, the one I posted. But it came with the extra wire and the plug. Thats why I asked what to do with the extra wire.

[tankgunner59]

Like said above that is a ground wire. Connect it to the electrical box your light fixture is wired through. If electricity shorts to the fixture that wire will ground it to the electrical box instead.

[snowwolfe]

Lowe’s had a replacement that was almost an identical match. Without the additional wire so I am good to go

[MaryB]

Ground wire, it also helps stop radio interference. If you turn lights on and your radio signals go away or get noisy you have cheap Chinese lights that are probably not UL approved despite what it says on the box.

[MT Gianni]

I have not heard of an LED burning out. I would double check my power circuit first. Halogen yes, Flourescent yes, Incandescent sure, LED no. You might have a bad solder connection somewhere. The light is easy to replace and the wire is a ground, expecting that it screws to a metal box. If yours is plastic I would direct wire it to the ground wire.

[dbosman]

I grow greens for my wife and I, under LED shop lights. The first three were single strip LED shop lights from Menards. They ran for over a year before two failed completely and two quarters of the third, died. Covid was new so I didn't bother to try to return them. I replaced them with less expensive Chinese single strips that have been fine for ten months.
I've lost several Cree 60 watt equivalent lamps. Those were replaced with $1.00 Sylvania's which have been more reliable.
Yes, all the failures might have been failed solder joints but it would require more effort than the replacements cost.

[.429&H110]

LED in a can fixture will get hot, shortens their lifespan.

[Rcmaveric]

LEDs... depends. Low wattage lights dont generate much if any heat. My grow light LEDs on the other and and our aviation LED position lights make some heat. They have cooling fans and heat seriously degrades their life.

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[GregLaROCHE]

More than half the led bulbs I’ve installed don’t last near as long as they are supposed to. Being more expensive in the beginning, but cheaper in the long run is only marketing. They do use a lot less current though.

[HATCH]

I worked for a company that sold 8 foot LED replacement bulbs. They were direct wire no ballast required.
They had a 10 year 100K hour warranty which I always thought was funny as 10 years is 87600 hrs if my math is right.
So why not just say 10 year warranty???
They been up at my house for 5 years so far. Its in my attached garage. 12 foot ceiling in there so hoping they last another 5 years.

On another note, my bathroom fixtures have the standard round bulb (look like 60watt incandescent) and I have replaced them twice already.

I think what kills the LED isn't the ON time but the cycle time. How many times have you turned them on and off.

[MT Gianni]

I believe fixtures have a lot longer life than bulbs.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

As I understand it. The LED element (Junction is probably the correct term?) rarely burns out ...it's the electronic circuitry (Driver circuit) that dies, Now heat kills electronic components, so the design of the fixture and/or bulb shaped unit will likely be a key reason of dying, if it is able to overheat. You'll see some high output LED lites that have aluminum heat sink fins.

I've had many of the incandescent bulb shaped LED lites in my house, since they came out. I bought some early one's off ebay (shipped from Hong Kong), they created static on my AM radio, and they died within 2 years. After I lost the first of those china LEDs, I started buying Sylvannia, which are FCC approved. No radio static and I haven't had one Die yet...they are at least 5 years old.

[dbosman]

In the 1980s Sears sold Die Hard branded 100 watt incandescent bulbs. I got a great deal on them, at the then high price of $1. each, and installed many in our new to us house in 1992. The last survivor died about six months back.

For LED lamps, The GE straight sided bulbs have held up very well for us.

[smoked turkey]

I recently replaced 3 LED "can" type lights at our church. I didn't think their life span should have been up as they are only a couple of years old. However I needed to get them installed ASAP before a big meeting. I didn't do any trouble shooting on them and cost and replacement was quick and relatively cheap at $15 each at Menards. I have usually found that these type of lights do a good job of putting out more lumens and at less operating cost than the older filament type bulbs, but they seldom live up to their quoted life expectancy. I concur that the wire referred to in the original post is a bare ground wire and should be connected to the metal box the new fixture mounts into. It is a safety ground and will keep stray ground current at bay. I have felt a "tingle" on ceiling grid due to ungrounded 4 tube fluorescent fixtures.

[samari46]

A lot of the old style incandescent light bulbs that I have bought at Lowe's aren't even made in the U.S. anymore. I have a couple boxes of GE soft white and heavy duty and says made in Hungary right on the box. Lady next to me at the aisle where they keep the light bulbs picks up two boxes. And I said made in Hungary. Pointed on the country of origin. We both laughed at that one. Frank

[snowwolfe]

I have not heard of an LED burning out. I would double check my power circuit first. Halogen yes, Flourescent yes, Incandescent sure, LED no. You might have a bad solder connection somewhere. The light is easy to replace and the wire is a ground, expecting that it screws to a metal box. If yours is plastic I would direct wire it to the ground wire.

There is no bad wiring or solder connection. I unscrewed the old one and installed the new one without the extra wire and it works. $12 replacement from Lowe’s. Am a little surprised you never heard of a LED burning “out”. I have replaced them before and expect to replace them in the future.