I'm installing 120v LED recessed lights in a room, and I'm concerned about them wearing out prematurely. I've had bad luck in the past with florescent lights on the same circuit as the refrigerator. I think it's the power fluctuations caused by the motor stop/starts.
Similarly, I notice whole house fluctuations when the central A/C starts/stops. My theory is that the transformers and circuitry in the bulbs are vulnerable to these fluctuations, and I worry the same about the $80 fixtures.
Would an inline surge protector, placed between the wall switch and the lights, help prolong their life? I'm not interested in a whole house surge protector, since it's expensive, and the motors are on the inside.
Best Answer
First, if you put a whole house surge suppressor on a single circuit, I won't tell :)
The biggest issue I see is where to put such a device. You can't stick it just anywhere. It would offend aesthetics to mount it on the wall surface, and you can't bury it inside the wall.
If you have a multi-gang light switch and you're willing to sacrifice a switch position, it might fit there.
It might also fit up in the "can" of the LED light.
When hooking up a 120/240V surge suppressor 120-only, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
With LED durability, it's all about the electronic driver. The finest, most expensive light won't stand a chance if they went with a cheap Cheese driver off Alibaba. On the other hand, drivers are commodities and are not that hard to replace.
When I want extreme durability from LEDs, I use 12V or 24V LEDs (which have no particular electronics on board, just a dropping resistor) and any expendable, swappable, commodity 12/24V power supply, which I expect to fail from time to time (unless it says GE). This has the added advantage that it plays extremely well with DC backup power systems.