Hi, freshman, I'm at the same decision point as you. I had spec'd out 2 LED cans and was planning on installing a separate Panasonic fan, when we discovered plumbing for the upstairs bath was going to make that impossible. So now I'm looking at one combination fan/light to pair with the other recessed light. I was hoping to go LED all the way....and am looking for feedback on this new product. What did you decide to buy? And if you bought the LED version, can you tell me what the trim size/equivalent can size is of the unit? I'm thinking it is equivalent to a 6 in can recessed light (need to purchase the other can....) Thanks!

We used Hitlights. We sent the plan to them and what our needs were. Ours is a reno, so we already had an electric switch and line to the wall. For around $250, we have a transformer to attach to the wire, a round of light tape, and extenders to attach that run behind areas (like behind the range) where we don't need lighting. We will do that ourselves and figure it will take about an hour and running to the basement to turn the light breaker off and then on again. ETA - We still need a dimmer for the lights -- around $30. We could have bought a cheaper transformer, but wanted a bigger one just in case we want to expand the lights on it some day. If you want all the runs to turn off and on together, easy peasy. Also, look at Ikea lighting. They have ones that are hard wired like what we got, and also ones that need a plug somewhere.

The answer to your question changes with the changing design of lamps [manufacturers call light bulbs "lamps"] therefore it is best to ask the electrical supply house staff instead of guessing. Avoid all CFL's; look for warm (2700K to 3000K, lower is warmer) LEDs that do not cast too harsh a shadow (most do and it can be disorienting). Many enclosed fixtures cannot use LEDs but some LED manufacturers say their lamps can be enclosed so that's another question for the supply house staff. And not all lamps can be dimmed. I have found that every time I go to buy a lamp they are different so you can waste a lot of time looking for what you need at Home Depot and not be sure you have found the right one. And then there are accent light fixtures that take line voltage GU10 or low voltage MR16 lamps. Some people prefer the softer wider spread light from a PAR 20 lamp especially with a frosted face which are difficult to find. Without knowing the fixture and where it is located it is impossible to tell you what lamp to use. HERE is a good resource.

LED lights on a house circuit require a "driver" to change 120 volt AC to low voltage DC and protect the LEDs from fluctuations in voltage and current that can cause the diodes to vary in output or degrade faster due to high temperatures within the diodes. This is especially important inside of a small recessed light fixture. In an integral LED recessed fixture the "driver" is a small brick-like thing in the housing external from the rest of the fixture with a wire to the "light engine" which is the diode array sandwiched between a lens and a cast metal heatsink. The life of such a light is usually rated at 50,000 hours ... whatever that means. An LED lamp (commonly called a "light bulb") is similar but has an internal miniaturized driver in its base connected to an array of diodes behind a frosted lens. Some have a metal surround with holes that acts as a heat sink but more commonly they rely on the wide spacing of the diodes and the closeness of the lamp to the fixture opening to reduce the chance of overheating. These lamps usually have a rated life of 25,000 hours but often fail much sooner. If you pay $15 for a PAR 20 LED lamp and $24 for the appropriate dimmer it might take a long time to break even unless you're putting the PAR 20's in existing 5" fixtures.