Do my mr16 lights have a transformer?

hotcookie101

I have halogen downlights in my kitchen, recessed into a false ceiling. I have bought LED replacements, but they are dim. I have since read they need a transformer? I don't know if I have transformers-the inside of the fitting is shown above.

Appreciate anyones opinion (we didn't fit them, so I don't what exactly they are-they don't buzz or anything with the led bulbs)

withabix

MR16 lights always have a transformer, because they are only 12V

keystone

CLICKY

Cheers

penrhyn

What is the watts of the bulbs you are replacing and what is the wattage of the replacements.

hotcookie101

keystone wrote: »

CLICKY

Cheers

lol I had already googled it and couldn't make sense of it!

Are they individual to each lamp? Or is there one main one? Is that black thing the transformer? Do you have to change them for led lights? Do I just keep the halogens for the ease of it?

Thanks

hotcookie101

penrhyn wrote: »

What is the watts of the bulbs you are replacing and what is the wattage of the replacements.

They were between 35-50W and I have got 3W warm white LEDs (3x 1W LEDs) which said they were replacements for 50W

penrhyn

You have been misinformed, at best a 3 watt LED is probably equivalent to a 25 watt incandescent bulb.
I replaced 3 GU10 35 watt halogens with 3 5 watt LEDs which use surface mounted LED chips and these are a similar brightness.

hotcookie101

Thanks,
I have SMD gu10s and am very pleased with them-so may just go for those in the kitchen. My main concern is do I need a transformer? (or rather a different transformer to what I have, and how do I find out what I have?)

penrhyn

GU10s are mains bulbs wheras MR16's as pointed out are 12 volt and require a transformer.
I did read that replacing a 50 watt MR16 with an LED version will not load the transformer to the same extent resulting is a higher voltage being fed to the lamp shortening its life. THerfore an LED lighting specific transformer may be needed.
To answer the original question MR16's require a 230 v - 12 v step down transformer.

hotcookie101

Thanks, I've just switched them back to halogen, its getting too complicated for me. will use leds in my gu10, but the little ones can stay halogen until I next have an electrician in.

Linton

penrhyn wrote: »

GU10s are mains bulbs wheras MR16's as pointed out are 12 volt and require a transformer.
I did read that replacing a 50 watt MR16 with an LED version will not load the transformer to the same extent resulting is a higher voltage being fed to the lamp shortening its life. THerfore an LED lighting specific transformer may be needed.
To answer the original question MR16's require a 230 v - 12 v step down transformer.

LED lights may well not work at all on a halogen transformer, you need a LED-specific transformer . AIUI the LED amperage is so low that it can confuse the controls on a halogen transformer, possibly activates a safety cutout as if the halogen light had blown.

I know this because when we had our kitchen redone the wrong transformer was delivered.