Review Lithonia 7" LED Versi Lite FMML 7 830 M6. AC-Powered LED, 3000°K

Lithonia LED Versi Lites are found at best price, at Home Depot among surface mount lights, not among downlights. 

They are currently stocked in-store, only in 4000°K color temperature. Those 4000°K lights were reviewed in a prior post. 











I now add experience in installing two at 3000°K, which I ordered at homedepot.com, and received promptly with free shipping. I am well pleased with these lights, and have offered customer comments at homedepot.com.











This post is an abbreviation of a Picasa Web Album .

With AC LEDs, there is no converter block. The LED circuit board is immediately at the under-side of the mounting surface. There will be space between the ceiling and the luminaire for wires, but not twist connectors, as the rim contacts the ceiling. This is good surface-mount design.





I criticize the depth of the cast-aluminum rim. Only 1/4" of the lens is revealed, and needed disassembly torque must come by palm. The rim also recesses the light diodes, blocking some light.


Mounting hole pitch is 3 1/2", which is good for most ceiling junction boxes. I will have the rare bad luck of working here, with little Challenger bakelite boxes with holes only at 2 3/4" pitch.

Replace the found boxes then, with RACO 175.

Scrap lumber gives simplest mounting of the RACO 175. For flush fit in 5/8" ceiling drywall, use 2x4 blocks 1 5/8" tall. Here I used 1 3/4" blocks, and boxes are acceptably recessed 1/8".






We are looking down here past composite beam reinforcement and thickening of the garage ceiling to 9 1/2".  2x4 truss bottom elements may not bear loads, and beams are effectively 2x10. 2x10 depth is required too, to contain the height of the excellent Calvert ladder frame.

I securely twisted box and romex ground wires, so the luminaire ground could loop over  and give a first good restraint of the hanging luminaire. Then connect power leads.

Clear acrylic fully seals against circuit board access.

I think this photo is an accurate rendering of the nice, soft, cheerful 3000°K color. Of other commonly-offered LED color temperatures, I think 4000°K is too blue, and 2700°K is too yellow.

Found lights were 53 watt halogen, 75-watt incandescent equivalent. The improved garage is 200% brighter in the condition with door lowered. The opener CFL has little value.

Packaging is fully recyclable. There are only leftover connectors and screws. Good riddance to dangerous bare dimbulbs, though still operable. Good riddance to porcelain lampholders.














Could I have done as well, just screwing these in, in place of bulbs? Commercial Electric 7” LED Easy Light, $19.96, 830 lumens, 11.5 watts, 72 lumens per watt, 4000°K. I don't like the 4000°K color. There is virtue in the tall skirt, only for those too wiring-averse to toss out the antiquated lamp holder. I think the Versi Lite is much prettier, especially at  3000°K.

Here is a review of this alternative light, brighter and $10 cheaper:

What To Do With Porcelain Lampholders

There is never enough light in a garage, and in cavernous space, 4000°K might be OK. I reject this for a small, painted hallway with lampholders. There, trade excessive brightness, for better 3000°K color of a Versi Lite or Glimpse. Dispose of lampholders.









If Lithonia tracks this review, I wish for full reveal of these diodes with their 140° beam angle. Push the light surface out into the lens. Find a way to couple to the junction box without a detachable lens, like other disk LEDs. Get out of the big-box store Surface Mount display, as a simple down light, outclassing all that are foolishly recessed, beam angle wastefully reduced. Offer smaller 4" luminaires to match the 450 lumens so-wonderfully useful 4" Glimpse. See if you can move toward the vision of LED Starry Skies . Prefer 3000°K color temperature or a diode color mix on each board.