Energy Spotlights/Downlighters

[Waterloo-Farm]

Hi,

Apologies if this has been asked before, but does anyone have any experience of replacing standard 'GU10' 50w halogen spotlights with low energy LED replacements or equivalents? What is the light like? Do they fit in existing cavities?

Thanks, Nigel

[Big Al]

Hi,

Apologies if this has been asked before, but does anyone have any experience of replacing standard 'GU10' 50w halogen spotlights with low energy LED replacements or equivalents? What is the light like? Do they fit in existing cavities?

Thanks, Nigel

I've just done this about 3 weeks ago in my sons bedroom. he had 4 x 50 w bulbs and I've replaced them with 4 x 7 watt cft bulbs. These are the low energy flourescent tube ones and although not LED they do give off a very cold blue light. They fit the existing cavities well but they do cost around £7 each.
At first when you put them on they are so, so, so dim it is hard to see anything but they soon brighten up and the room is a plesant well lit place. The room is 15' x 12'.

I was going to go for the LED version but my electrical main dealer said they were not very good and he gave me some to try..... they soon went back. The LED bulbs are ok for close work say like a desk top light of a background light if using a computer but for overall lighting you will need a lot of these.

HTH.

Alan

[Waterloo-Farm]

Hi Alan,

This is really helpful. I was suspicous this was the case with LEDs, but I did notice the CFTs so might give them a try.

Cheers, Nigel

[Shirley]

Interested in this - we've got these silly lights all over the place... I had heard that the low energy equivalent had a habit of exploding though - not sure where I read it, but have a feeling it was on Ish!

Of course I could be talking twaddle and remembering something completely different - I'll have a look and see if I can find out.

[Shirley]

was the LED GU10's and in this thread

[Waterloo-Farm]

Eeek! Exploding bulbs...thanks for the heads up.

Cheers, Nigel

[Big Al]

Eeek! Exploding bulbs...thanks for the heads up.

Cheers, Nigel

Well I can say that the cft versions in my house don'r blow or explode in the first few weeks of life. mind you this first few weeks of life probably equates to many years as they are in my son's room and he must have been bit by a vampire because he sure is nocturnal and the bulbs are on at least 8 hours a day/ night.

Also these have been the biggest contribution to reducing my energy consumption down to an average of around 8 units a day now, ( 8 a day when son is home).

[weatherwax]

We've just put the LED ones in the kitchen, it is quite a hard light and not quite as bright as normal but what we are saving in terms of energy out weighs that. They were expensive though, got them from B&Q, only place I could find them, think they are about 2 watts each, compared to 50 on the normal ones. They were about £8 each, bought 4 to try in kitchen, am saving up now to replace the ones on the stairs :)

[Waterloo-Farm]

That is quite a saving! I think we need to get an energy monitor to see what is going on.

Cheers, Nigel

[Big Al]

We've just put the LED ones in the kitchen, it is quite a hard light and not quite as bright as normal but what we are saving in terms of energy out weighs that. They were expensive though, got them from B&Q, only place I could find them, think they are about 2 watts each, compared to 50 on the normal ones. They were about £8 each, bought 4 to try in kitchen, am saving up now to replace the ones on the stairs :)

Have a look for an electrical main dealer or supplier. Electricians don't go to B&Q for their bits,lol.

We have a couple in my town and I found one of them by following .... at a discrete distance an electrician in his van. You could look in yellow pages or do one of the yell.com searches for your town / area etc.

Also I find these type of businesses really helpfull and knowledgable. Sad as I am I also get copies of the trade catalogues from these places to look at what is on offer for futre projects etc. HTH,

Alan

[Green Aura]

We bought some low energy halogen-type bulbs on ebay (a necessary evil up here). Don't know if they're the same as others have mentioned though as they give off a much softer, yellowy light. No problems with them exploding though.

[Big Al]

We bought some low energy halogen-type bulbs on ebay (a necessary evil up here). Don't know if they're the same as others have mentioned though as they give off a much softer, yellowy light. No problems with them exploding though.

The low energy might still be 25 watts... worth checking if cost is an issue

[Green Aura]

Will do.

[Stew]

I have 4 GU10 halogen spotlights in the kitchen, each a 50w bulb.

Some time back I saw some replacement LED spotlights with 60 LEDs that would be equivalent to the 50W bulb (allegedly). Looking at the different colour types, I plumbed for Cool White as opposed to Warm White.

The bulbs arrived and I put them in. Not only were they too dark but the colour also had a nasty tint to them that gave the kitchen a weird colour.

Later on I saw some spotlights with 78 LEDs. I have replaced one halogen in the kitchen in Warm White and it seems much better than the 60 LEDs I tried. These consume approx 3W.

I now see that there's a Day White version.

Has anyone tried them? Is it worth me replacing the last three or should I wait until a spotlight with even more LEDs is produced?

What about the Megaman style spotlights?

This listing shows the three colour types:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0305268453

I can now tell that Cool has a strange tint. Day is tempting to try but it's a fair price if I'm wrong.

For about 6 months I've only been using 2 x 50w halogen and 1 x 78 led spotlight as the other fitting is loose and I don't want to keep taking bulbs out of it an possibly damaging it to a state where it needs replacing so I figure that if I get all four on LEDs, it will be brighter than it has been.