Dimmer Advice - GU 10 bulbs

[John]

Just bought a light fitting for spare room / study that has four x 50 watt GU10 bulbs. As it is toasting my head when I am at my PC I could do with a dimmer for such times as I am using the PC or watching TV.

Advice I have read so far seems to suggest I need a touch or remote dimmer with these type of bulbs. Presumably the different circuitry makes them less liable to fry if a bulb fails.

I would prefer a conventional knob type as I expect them to be cheaper and SWMBO seems to have an aversion to anything 'complicated'.

Do I have any options?

[Andrew Gabriel]

You should at least swap out for lower powered bulbs. However, I would suggest looking for a light fitting more suited to your needs.

You might find that you have to replace the dimmer when a bulb blows, and on that basis, the cheaper the better. Being halogen, many dimmers will require derating, so you are probably going to be looking for a 400W one.

[Andy Hall]

Yes.

Have a look at the MK K1501

are soft start and work well with halogen lamps.

[dennis]

I have been using one of those for a few years with a cheap wall mounted knob operated dimmer. It has no problems.

However if its too hot you probably have the wrong fitting and/or bulbs.

You get two types of bulb.. one with a silver reflector that reflects all the heat and light forwards.. one with a dichroic reflector that reflects the light forwards but not the heat. So provided you have the right fitting and use dichroic reflector bulbs you shouldn't cook. Don't use dichroic bulbs in a fitting that can't handle the extra heat.

You could always replcae the lamps with energy saving ones as they produce much less heat..

(Does that have the correct base? Or am I getting my GUs mixed up as I thought it had two pins on a GU10.)

[John Rumm]

The picture shows a SES fitting. GU10 looks like:

[dennis]

That's what I thought they were. I wonder if you get a GU10 or a SES flood light?

[John]

I like the fitting. Made in China for Sainsbury's and only £3.92 whist stocks lasted - incl 4 bulbs. Couldn't resist it and it goes well with the room.

[whisky-dave]

Well I've not heard of that. I run my 4X50W halogens using a 400W dimmer

How about GU 10 LED's bulbs they comm in colours too, and are a coulpe of watts. But each bulb costs more than the entire light fitting.

'm planning on doing that for the hallway lighting

[daz9643]

the led lights are better but these cannot be used with a dimmer. I have a light fitting with 4 x 50W GU10 bulbs and a dimmer in the kitchen, works fine. Avoid cheap GU10's, i.e the ones supplied with the light fitting, these don't have internal fuses as i found out when one blew, red hot glass fragments that burnt the vinyl flooring.

[meow2222]

[whisky-dave]

Yes that's true I forgot about the dimmer side of it. I was just thinking of the heat generated, by the halogens. With dimmers I prefer the push/pull on/off, rotate to dim ones.

I did consider the flourescant replacements for halogens but I don;t think they can be dimmed.

Yes that's what I have. But plan on LEDs for the hallways. I even have a Red/Blue/Green 'disc' flashing one to try out, but at £12 each they are expensive.

Wow did't think of that, I do think the ones supplied don't last anywhere near as long, I just assumed this was delibrate, so they make up their profits from bulb sales that they lose on special offer light fittings. I'm just waiting for 500w LEDs for photoflood lighting. :)

[meow2222]

One way to get some improvement on heat output is to choose shorter life bulbs, ie 1500 hours rather than longer, as these are more efficient, and back off the wattage from 50 to 35. But you can only go so far this way, halogens are simply not an efficient form of lighting, so will always come with quite a lot of heat.

NT

[John]

Thanks - have fitted a 400watt touch/remote dimmer. I can control the light from my PC desk now.