LED replacements for halogen lamps

[Charles Fearnley]

Absolutely right if you use the GU10 fittings with a fixed base - as I know to my cost - anyone want a box of fixed base GU10 fittings?

However, if you use the other type, where the lamp is held in by a wire circlip, and the connector is on loose cable, there is no problem with the longer lamps.

I'd agree about using the GU10 CFL's if you use a good make. I fitted 8 Megaman 9 watt ones in our kitchen two years ago, and have had no failures to date. After the 30 sec warm up already mentioned they give an excellent spread of light when spaced at about a metre over the worktops, and the reduction from 400 watts (halogen) to 72 is very welcome - not least because of the reduction in heat in the summer.

I'm sure leds are the way to go eventually, but at present I think good CFLs have a better mix of light output, cost, and longevity.

Charles F

[funkyoldcortina]

Our house had 16 50W GU10s for illumination. I changed the majority (left a couple that were directly over worksurfaces) for GE CFLs when we moved in. Yes they are longer but the outside matches the colour of the light fitting so it looks like part of the design, and I'm sure their cost has already been recouped by the cheaper running costs. Definitely preferable to leaving all those GU10s in there.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Or change to 35 watt GU10s. Surprisingly, the lower light output isn't that obvious.

[Adam Funk]

Thanks for the advice. I'm almost certain she has the kind with the circlip, but I'll take one out and measure the available depth before getting her anything. (Then I'll get one CFL to start with, and let her evaluate it before getting more.)

[Windmill]

They say the eye's response is logarithmic, but don't say logs to what base, not that I ever heard. (Possibly 'natural' logs to the base 'e' ?)

Anyway, such a response is likely to mean that increases/reductions in power aren't especially obvious. (Compare with the ear's logarithmic response, which turns out to mean that you can hardly detect a 3 db. increase, which is a doubling in power.)

It also means that when a 1watt LED is nowhere near as bright as a 3W. CFL, the conclusion must be that for that variety at least, the light output is way lower than that of the CFL. I had hoped for better.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've yet to be impressed by LEDs - apart from some specialised tasks. But never for domestic lighting.

[Rob]

I think it'll depend on the use, and susceptibility to the type of light LEDs generate. I recently replaced the 11W CFL in a desk lamp with a 2W LED (£5 from Aldi IIRC) and it's just fine for my purpose, and a good light to leave on when I'm out. Not as white or bright as a halogen though.

Rob

[Biggles]

The word to search for in LEDs is "Cree" - they seem to be much more powerful than other LEDs. Snag is they are also very expensive. This company do a 9W GU10 replacement with 3 Cree LEDs:

have bought one (warm white) to try out and I can't see much difference in the light output between this and a GU10 50W Halogen bulb

- there's a fair variation between makes of halogen possibly due in part to different beam angles. It's certainly very bright.

Biggles