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traviswalken

Commercial Elec LED Disk Light

traviswalken
12 years ago

I will be starting a kitchen remodel in about a week and planned to install 6" recessed lights and probably LED retrofits from home depot.

I need shallow remodel cans, so I was having trouble finding an inexpensive LED retrofit.

I ran accros a new product at home depot that seems like a great solution. Commercial Electric LED Disk lights can be installed in an existing recessed can OR in a 4" ceiling box. They are not actually recess. they are flush to the ceiling and stick out about 1" from the ceiling. They are dimmable and 750 lumens.

Here is a link: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202823462/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

They are about $37. By installing them in 4" retrofit ceiling boxes, I can get LED overhead lighting for less than $40 per light. Plus I can convert my existing overhead ceiling light to a disk light.

I searched the forum and cannot find any info. Have any of you used them? What do you think?

Thanks.

Comments (13)

  • lee676
    12 years ago

    Yep, bought one for my hallway. I've been waiting for LED light manufacturers to do something inventive with LEDs, taking advantage of their small size, rather than simply replacing incandescent or CFL bulbs, and finally we have one that has. These can mount into 5" or 6" recessed cans, but can also install anywhere there's a 4" electric box. You probably have a few of these on your ceilings covered up with round plates, where a light or fan used to be, or where the builder offered it as an option but didn't install one.

    "Commercial Electric" is a Home Depot house brand; these are a rebranded version of Lighting Science Group's Glimpse surface-mounted fixtures (or *almost* surface-mounted - it looks that way but sticks about 1" into the ceiling box or can). It's bright, and it gives off a nice even light that's well-dispersed. I do wish HD offered the 2700K version, which gives off light similar to incandescent bulbs, rather than just the 3000K version (which may work fine but is slightly whiter than incandescents - nothing wrong with that, just a tad different than what you may be used to). The 2700K light is somewhat less bright though, which is probably why HD chose to sell the 3000K version instead. LSG makes a 4000K model too which is brighter still, which give off the color of tradiional long-tube cool-white fluorescent lamps, which can look good in kitchens with white cabinets.

    The link below has info, videos, and spec sheets.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Glimpse LED

  • traviswalken
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the response lee676. I had some trouble with these lights and will post more information on a seperate thread.

  • funfarm
    12 years ago

    FYI - I just installed 2 6" cans and 2 of these today - over my kitchen sink. A couple of observations:
    - They are nice and bright. Mine are installed in an 8' ceiling. The spread is pretty good. I've got them on a separate switch so I can turn them on alone when doing dishes.
    - I was happy to see that these were advertised to fit into 4" square boxes or the 5" or 6" recessed cans. I thought the 4" square boxes would be a lot easier. Well, the 4" boxes turned out to be a no-go. Even pre-building them at the kitchen table, there seemed like there was no way I was going to be able to get the components in the box as well as the terminations. I was using the 4" old work boxes and the internal space is just not very generous. Maybe you all would have better luck with the 4" boxes than I did.
    - I decided that I would have more flexibility with the 6" recessed cans. If I decide I don't really like the Commercial Electric offerings and decide to change them out for Crees something else, it will be a simple change.

    By the way, if you already happen to have cans installed and are just doing a retrofit, they couldn't be easier...

    Good luck, Dean

  • dseng
    12 years ago

    I've installed a couple of these. So far, we've been pleased. The first one I installed was a retrofit into an existing 6" can in a bathroom. Piece of cake installation! It may have taken me 5 minutes because I was reading the directions and climbing the stepladder with a broken ankle. I installed the second one in our kitchen in a 4" SQUARE junction box. You need a box at least 2.25" deep. It will not fit in a round or octagon box - I tried - but you cannot make it work (or at least I couldn't). We liked the one that we installed in our kitchen enough that we're going to use them in our upcoming kitchen remodel - but the primary factor in this decision is that we only have 3.5" of void space between the ceiling drywall and the subfloor above it. (It's a timberframe home - 2x4 furring and drywall between the beams). I think they're a great solution.

  • funfarm
    12 years ago

    Dseng, for your application these really are the ticket - since you were able to find the right 4" boxes. The boxes I tried were octagonal and, even without the wire-nut terminations, it was like 10 pounds of ...... In a 5 pound bag. Unfortunately, Neither Lowes nor Home Depot had anything with more internal volume. I'm glad you found the ones that will work.
    As it turns out, I'm moving these disc lights to the utility room and using all Ecosmart CR6 equivalent (for only a few bucks more each than the Commercial discs) retrofits in the kitchen... Just like the slightly lower profile look for that room. For that reason, I'm glad I went with the 6" recessed cans - just for the flexibility. But I certainly see how these fit a need in applications similar to yours.

    Happy lighting!!

    Dean

  • lee676
    12 years ago

    FYI, according to a recent press release, "adding to this product line will be a planned 4" version by mid- 2012" that HD will sell.

  • Frogscm
    12 years ago

    I installed 2 of these lights in a 4" round box (UPC 34481178240) from Home Depot, I believe it is for a ceiling fan. They are 3' deep plenty of room for everything to fit. I was able to use studs in my ceiling so I did not use the steel support bar. Used 2.5" drywall screws to secure to studs. I started the screws at the hole closest to the stud so I could screw in at about a 15 deg angle going toward the ceiling. I also did not mount them flush with the ceiling, Only about 1/4" in from above. That gave me a little more room also. I calked around the edge to make it air tight as possible. The link below shows the box without the steel support bar.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ceiling Fan Box

  • lee676
    11 years ago

    Should note that since my earlier posts to this thread, HD has changed sourceing for these to Cree rather than LSG and they're completely different than they were previously (and better), though similar in concept. Still available in 4" and 6" versions. Doesn't use the "TrueWhite" technology that Cree uses in the CR6/CR4 can lights that keeps their color consistent and the color rendering isn't as good - it's more like a CFL, low 80's, but overall the light still looks decent and it's a great way to get what looks almost like a normal recessed light where you already have an electrical box, or don't have the necessary depth above the ceiling for a regular recessed can housing.

  • attofarad
    11 years ago

    I bought one of those a couple of weeks ago, and returned it. It dimmed okay for where I was going to use it (not so low as the CR6), but I didn't like the turn-on delay of about a second. It was the newer one that says Cree.

    Side note: the newer Ecosmart "CR6" that puts out 625lm instead of the 575lm is much lighter -- missing most of the heat sink, and the 3 arms that hold it in are quite rinky and don't have the 3-click positions that the older units had. Given the lesser heat sink, I don't expect them to last as long, even if they do make the same 30k hour claim.

  • lee676
    11 years ago

    Cree has been making running changes to the Ecosmart/CR6 since it first became available. It may put out less heat or dissipate it better than the older ones and thus not need as big a heat sink. Besides the 50 lumen increase, they also lowered the stated wattage from 10.5w to 9.5w and added wet-location certification. The plastic lens in the new ones is also easily removable if you want to see the insides; the three tabs that secure it used to be melted in place. The CR6 has two small red LEDs to help with color rendering and accuracy; the disk light doesn't.

  • attofarad
    11 years ago

    The older CR6, with the heftier heat sink, also is now rated at 9.5W, so I expect that it may last longer, depending on what other changes were made. I already popped the lens off of the new one and took a look (although accidentally).

    Edit to add text and link:

    Check out photos and comments about the guts of the original 575lm, and the updated/cheapened 625lm. The comments on the newer one start with the posting of 11-20-2012. The latest HD version is in a December posting, and shows the rinky arms. It may be that the official CR6 version is still better made. Note that they are now using less LEDs, and obviously driving each one harder. One reviewer reported higher operating temperatures, which would imply (other things being equal) a reduction of life in the range of 20%.

    Here is a link that might be useful: guts of the CR6

    This post was edited by attofarad on Fri, Apr 19, 13 at 16:38

  • lee676
    11 years ago

    Fewer LEDs in the new ones doesn't necessarily mean they're being "driven harder" - since the CR6 first became available, LEDs that produce more lumens per watt have become available, and Cree may have redesigned it so it could use fewer LEDs that produce the same light output as before but less heat, and thus they can get by with a smaller heat sink.