LED lighting

Owain_Moneysaver

Better to use 12V fittings with a transformer, and use 12V LED lamps, rather than running 240V to the lamps.

However spotlights are exactly that - spot lights and are not intended for general lighting.

A wider beam angle can be had from http://www.lampspecs.co.uk/Light-Bulbs-Tubes/Megaman-GX53-Downlights/Low-Energy-GX53-Recessed-Fitting-Silver-Planex-Megaman type lamps and they're available in fluorescent or LED versions too. The fluorescent would be energy efficient now without the high initial costs of LED.

PheoUK

Just installed Eco led Zep1 in the kitchen, they're great. Much better light spread than led gu10 as the reflector is designed for LED.

almillar

Those Wickes LEDs are junk. They're 350 lumens, and they say that replaces 50W halogen. It does not. Closer to 35W. Look for around 500 lumens to replace 50W. 80 CRI is also terrible colour rendering isn't that right elstimpo?!
Don't read the wattage of LEDs for brightness, read the lumens, and in the case of spotlights, also the beam angle.

lstar337

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Better to use 12V fittings with a transformer, and use 12V LED lamps, rather than running 240V to the lamps.

From what I am seeing, the 12V lamps and transformer setup's are falling out of favour. They are overly complicated installations and too many bits to go wrong.

Everyone I know is switching out 12V systems in favour of standard GU10 fittings.

isotonic_uk

I have a halogen lights in our kitchen and one of them has gone. I have 2 questions.

How would if my lights are using a transformer or not?

I want to go led to save on cost. We have a strip lighting which has 4 bulbs. Could i insert one LED light and replace the halogen ones as they slowly drop off or do i need to use all LEDs?

I have taken down one of the halogen lights and it says B5H 240w 50w but i cant seem to find what type of equivalent LED i need. Is someone able to help me please?

Thanks in advance for any help

almillar

isotonic -

How would if my lights are using a transformer or not?

Take a bulb out. twist it anti-clockwise. Hopefully it's a GU10 fitting (Google this to see what it looks like) - looks like the tops of 2 big nails! If it's GU10, it's AC, and there's no transformer.

I want to go led to save on cost. We have a strip lighting which has 4 bulbs. Could i insert one LED light and replace the halogen ones as they slowly drop off or do i need to use all LEDs?

I want to go led to save on cost. We have a strip lighting which has 4 bulbs. Could i insert one LED light and replace the halogen ones as they slowly drop off or do i need to use all LEDs?
Absolutely. You might notice difference in the 'colour's of the lights. Halogens are actually quite yellow, like daylight. To match this, you want 'warm white' which is around 2700K-3000K on the scale. Some are 'cool white' which is bluer - think of the Xenon headlights on cars - 5000K-6000K.

Anyway, you've taken one out, and it's 240W. That means it's AC, and I presume GU10. If you want the same brightness as a 50W halogen, you'll be looking for around 500Lumens. Don't go by wattages for LEDs, that simply tells you, as with the other bulbs, how much energy they use, not how much light they put out. Ikea are decent, well-lit.co.uk are very good, B&Q, Homebase and the supermarkets are overpriced and dim last time I checked. eBay sellers might just make up numbers! In the case of spotlights, finally, make sure you check out the beam angle. If it's too tight a beam it won't spread light very well. You're probably replacing bulbs with a 60 degree beam, so look for at least that.

elstimpo

almillar wrote: »

Those Wickes LEDs are junk. They're 350 lumens, and they say that replaces 50W halogen. It does not. Closer to 35W. Look for around 500 lumens to replace 50W. 80 CRI is also terrible colour rendering isn't that right elstimpo?!
Don't read the wattage of LEDs for brightness, read the lumens, and in the case of spotlights, also the beam angle.

Sorry, missed this.

80 CRI is the standard for the LED industry across LED Spots and Bulbs and there is most certainly applications where 80 CRI is suitable and sometimes preferable.

However, when it comes to your home and people replacing halogens and incandescents that have CRI of 100 out of 100 and you want a similar quality of light, 80 CRI is 20% off.

Infuriates me when so called 'specialist' LED Retails tout their products as 'perfect' or 'like for like' replacements for halogens and incandescents when they know they are not.

Consumer needs to be giving the correct information in order for them to make an informed buying decision, at the moment, nearly all LED retailers are simply lying to consumers in order to make sales.

With the correct combination of lumens, CRI and Colour Temperature you don't necessarily need big lumens, however with 80 CRI you most certainly do need lumens more than 400 to achieve brightness of a 50w halogen.

Poppy9

If I use this what wire do I need to connect as I want a break in lighting over my hob i.e. I want light under 3 wall cabinets to left of hob and 1 double cabinet to right.

They sell connecting lead but is this only for strips

The wall cupboard sizes are

500,600,500 and then 1000 with a gap of 1000 between them.

pitkin2020

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Better to use 12V fittings with a transformer, and use 12V LED lamps, rather than running 240V to the lamps.

However spotlights are exactly that - spot lights and are not intended for general lighting.

A wider beam angle can be had from http://www.lampspecs.co.uk/Light-Bulbs-Tubes/Megaman-GX53-Downlights/Low-Energy-GX53-Recessed-Fitting-Silver-Planex-Megaman type lamps and they're available in fluorescent or LED versions too. The fluorescent would be energy efficient now without the high initial costs of LED.

And why would make sure a statement, what is your reasoning behind using a 12 v system over a 230v system??

Not only have you increased the setup cost with the transformer but you've made unnecessary work and added another thing to fail, with the transformer.

lstar337 wrote: »

From what I am seeing, the 12V lamps and transformer setup's are falling out of favour. They are overly complicated installations and too many bits to go wrong.

Everyone I know is switching out 12V systems in favour of standard GU10 fittings.

They have their place, such as bathrooms/wetrooms where voltages have to be reduced. For general use though they are pointless and as a lot of people find out the transformer can be prone to failure. A lot of people bought into them as they were being sold to unsuspecting people as an energy saving thing, which is total rubbish.

pitkin2020

Poppy9 wrote: »

If I use this what wire do I need to connect as I want a break in lighting over my hob i.e. I want light under 3 wall cabinets to left of hob and 1 double cabinet to right.

They sell connecting lead but is this only for strips

The wall cupboard sizes are

500,600,500 and then 1000 with a gap of 1000 between them.

you would need them as two separate pieces so would need two transformers, one for each which i guess isn't included as that price is for the light tape only by the looks of it.
You maybe able to use a joining wire between the two but would need to speak to the manufacturer as the length of that wire and where it needs to be routed could effect it.