GU10 bulb recommendations please

[Deleted User]

I know this may seem like a silly question but I need bulb recommendations please. 

I have 35 spot lights in my home which was installed less than 5 years ago, but they have now started to flicker/blink and one was blown. With every flicker/blink, my anxiety level gets higher and higher because I’m worried about the lights blowing up and causing a fire 😭

I believe these bulbs that I currently have now are the cheap ones (LAP) which has caused me many problems. I am completely clueless at diy stuff and I just can’t seem to get reliable workmen. 

After searching YouTube, I finally managed to get a bulb out. (Yay me) so I think I can buy the bulbs and do this myself (gulp) 
I don’t have access to a trade shop but I do have a screw fix and a tool station near me. 

I don’t want cheap bulbs but I do need to buy 35 of them. So what bulbs do I buy that will last a bit longer? 

Thanks 

FreeBear

Cool white - https://www.screwfix.com/p/sylvania-refled-gu10-led-light-bulb-345lm-4-2w-10-pack/283pp

Warm white - https://www.screwfix.com/p/sylvania-refled-gu10-led-light-bulb-345lm-4-2w-10-pack/666pp

The one you have is a cool white.

Rodders53

There's a number of things you need to decide before the brand:

Colour temperature:  Your one shown is  4000 Kelvin = a cool white but not as cold as daylight (6500 K).  Tungsten/incandescent lamps were 2700-3000K aka warm white.  Do you want all the same or a different CT in different places (rooms)?

Lumens:  Your 5W one is 345 lumens... are they too bright or not bright enough now?  The 4.2 W Sylvanias linked above have the same lumens so will burn less electric for the same light output  Ikea sell some that claim 345 lumens for only 3 Watts input (but I don't know how reliable theirs are!  

Dimmable/non-dimmable:  Do you have dimmers on them now? Would you like dimmers in the future on all/some??  Ensure you get dimmable lamps if you have or will want dimmers!!

Almost all Trade shops will sell to the public (but not always at a good price)... But if you don't ask you can't get...

[Deleted User]

Rodders53 said:

There's a number of things you need to decide before the brand:

Colour temperature:  Your one shown is  4000 Kelvin = a cool white but not as cold as daylight (6500 K).  Tungsten/incandescent lamps were 2700-3000K aka warm white.  Do you want all the same or a different CT in different places (rooms)?

Lumens:  Your 5W one is 345 lumens... are they too bright or not bright enough now?  The 4.2 W Sylvanias linked above have the same lumens so will burn less electric for the same light output  Ikea sell some that claim 345 lumens for only 3 Watts input (but I don't know how reliable theirs are!  

Dimmable/non-dimmable:  Do you have dimmers on them now? Would you like dimmers in the future on all/some??  Ensure you get dimmable lamps if you have or will want dimmers!!

Almost all Trade shops will sell to the public (but not always at a good price)... But if you don't ask you can't get...

Aww, your posts are always so informative and in depth. 

Colour temp: I guess, I’ll keep it the same. They are mainly in the kitchen and bathrooms. 

Lumens: Again, I guess they’re ok, so I’ll keep it the same. 

Dim or non dim: only the kitchen ones are dimmable but I never use this function. So I’ll probably get all non dimmables and then also get a new on/off light switch and swap the wires in the switch over like for like? 

I think then, l’ll get the ones above as I can easily get to a screw fix. 

Arfa__

Deleted_User said:

I have 35 spot lights in my home which was installed less than 5 years ago, but they have now started to flicker/blink and one was blown. With every flicker/blink, my anxiety level gets higher and higher because I’m worried about the lights blowing up and causing a fire 😭

I believe these bulbs that I currently have now are the cheap ones (LAP) which has caused me many problems.

Ah, I put over 50 of them cheap LAP bulbs in last year when I moved into a new house... They were cheap mind, worked out at around ~£1 each, and were certainly better than all the old halogen bulbs that were there previously. Will have to see how long they last, but I guess it's as they say, "buy cheap, buy twice".

TBH they may flicker and die, but the odds of them causing a fire a very low indeed. LED's usually just pack up and are far less dramatic than say an old incandescent bulb blowing.

[Deleted User]

Arfa__ said:

TBH they may flicker and die, but the odds of them causing a fire a very low indeed. LED's usually just pack up and are far less dramatic than say an old incandescent bulb blowing. 

Thank you, but the blinks just sets me off. One bulb blew in a room which my child was in by himself. There was a really bad burnt smell and I thought it was rare for leds to blow, so my anxiety went through the roof. I did have someone check the light and was reassured that the smell was from the bulb and not the electrical wires. But I’m still avoiding using the lights unless I have to. 

chrisw

I personally wouldn't replace all 35 in one go. I'd buy the box of 10 and replace the bulbs one by one as they failed. It should be many years until you get through the box.

If they are slightly different style or colour, you could shuffle them around to keep similar bulbs in the same location. Leave the LAP bulbs in locations where they're used less frequently.

Rosa_Damascena

Can I just add a cost-saving dimension to the discussion? I bought these bulbs for £1 from Poundland a few months ago. The price may have gone up now and you may find cheaper in bulk at Screwfix, Toolstation etc but the ones I bought do the job (table lamps) w/o any problems.

[Deleted User]

chrisw said:

I personally wouldn't replace all 35 in one go. I'd buy the box of 10 and replace the bulbs one by one as they failed. It should be many years until you get through the box.

If they are slightly different style or colour, you could shuffle them around to keep similar bulbs in the same location. Leave the LAP bulbs in locations where they're used less frequently.

Is it ok to mix different brands/types in one room? So if I bought the bulbs above, I could mix them with the LAP ones?

In some rooms, the lights blinks, but the blink is so quick, I don’t know if it’s all the bulbs or just one bulb. 

What you’re saying makes sense cost wise, but I’m not sure if my anxiety can cope with ‘waiting’ for each one to fail/blow. 

chrisw

Deleted_User said:

chrisw said:

I personally wouldn't replace all 35 in one go. I'd buy the box of 10 and replace the bulbs one by one as they failed. It should be many years until you get through the box.

If they are slightly different style or colour, you could shuffle them around to keep similar bulbs in the same location. Leave the LAP bulbs in locations where they're used less frequently.

Is it ok to mix different brands/types in one room? So if I bought the bulbs above, I could mix them with the LAP ones?

In some rooms, the lights blinks, but the blink is so quick, I don’t know if it’s all the bulbs or just one bulb. 

What you’re saying makes sense cost wise, but I’m not sure if my anxiety can cope with ‘waiting’ for each one to fail/blow. 

It's fine to mix different makes of bulb, it's just that there may be a slight difference in colour or light pattern.

If one or maybe 2 bulbs flicker, then replace them. If a whole room full of bulbs flickers then it's more likely to be a wiring issue. Although led bulbs do flicker to some extent, it's usually not noticeable, but some people are more sensitive to it than others.

[Deleted User]

I know I’m being a right pain. Can I ask another question please?

So, I managed to replace the one bulb that was blown. But when I switch the lights on, the one new bulb comes on a second before the other bulbs come on. Is this ok or not? 

Thanks