Introduction: LIGHT THE ROOM
HERE'S THE ANSWER TO MAKE A LIGHT THAT REALLY DOES LIGHT UP THE ROOM. ONLY USES 14 WATTS BUT IT IS BRIGHTER THAN THE OLD 100 WATT INCANDESCENT!
Step 1: LIGHT UP THE ROOM
WE HAD A FAN LIGHT THAT USED A 100 WATT QUARTZ LIGHT! IT WAS DIMMABLE BUT EVEN SO IT PUT OUT NOT ENOUGH LIGHT AND GOT VERY HOT. MY IDEA WAS TO REPLACE THE BULB WITH AN LED BULB. I COULDNT FIND ONE THAT WAS OK AND WOULD FIT IN THE SPACE. I DECIDED TO USE A STRIP OF LEDS DESIGNED FOR 120 VOLTS AND DIMMABLE.
Step 2: LIGHT UP THE ROOM
THE STRIP CAME BUT HOW TO PUT IN SPACE ? I DECIDED THAT A CYLINDER THAT COULD HOLD THE LIGHT STRIP BY WINDING IT INSIDE WITH THE LIGHTS POINTING OUT WOULD WORK. RUBBERMAID MAKE JUST THE PERFECT CONTAINER. BUT CONNECTING THE STRIP TO THE EXISTING LAMP SOCKET WAS A CHALLENGE.
Step 3: LIGHT UP THE ROOM
I CUT OFF THE OLD LAMP SOCKET AND USED TWIST NUTS TO CONNECT THE STRIP . THE NEW STRIP WAS ONLY 14 WATTS SO HEAT IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM.
Step 4: LIGHT UP THE ROOM
WOUND THE STRIP IN THE CONTAINER AND FASTENED IT TO THE OLD CAVITY WITH A COUPLE OF SHEET METAL SCREWS. YOU CAN SEE THE INSIDE BUT IT LOOKS OK TO ME. THE LIGHT IS AMAZING AND LOOKS COOL!
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2 Comments
5 years ago
Nice lighting design. Do you have any other pictures of how it is wired up?
Reply 5 years ago
The wiring was very simple. I left the existing bulb and it's socket in place ( just in case my idea was no good). I then cut through the two lead wires going to the lamp socket, carefully making sure that the power was off and no-one could switch it back on!! I then stripped the two leads and using wire nuts connected them to the two leads from the little converter that came with the LED strip. The LED strip was the kind that are coated with silicone rubber so it is kinda sticky, enough so that it stayed in the Rubbermaid food container. Total cost for all this was about $18.00.
If you don't like the LED bright spots it would be easy to put some translucent paper in side or to use a scouring pad to roughen up the plastic. My GF likes it the way it is now. BTW the existing dimmer works fine with LEDs going to very dim to a really bright room.