MR16 and GU10 LED low power lights

[sawtooth]

How many of you have swapped out your power hungry 50W bulbs for low power LED types?

I worked out that I have 18 of these spread across the house some MR16 and some GU10 types.

I've ordered half a dozen 2W LED warm white types from china for a few quid each. I've seen some working, they look quite good now, bright enough that you get dazzled when you look at them and its not a bluish white light. They look just like halogens.

18X50W = 900W versus 18x2W =36W if I swap them all over.

Got to be worth £200 a year savings I would think.

 

[thecraw]

Farneyman is the man for all this information he used to sell them and knows all about the savings!

 

[Essex_Stu]

I changed all my 50w halogen Gu10's for 7w compact flouresents, don't bother with them. The C/F's are £4.26 each with massive discount from the wholesalers. They take ages to come on and blow very easy. The LED's are a lot better and are at full brightness almost straight away. How much did you pay if you dont mind me asking. Cheapest I can get them is nearly £7 each and thats with us being the wholesalers biggest customer.

 

[USER1999]

There is currently no legislation for led lighting.

This is fine, but for some, the in rush current is frightening. If you have lots of spot lights, you really need top quality wiring. Also, they won't work with a lot of dimmers, or Dawn/dusk timers.

Compact fluorescents take ages to turn on, and never bung much light out.

I would stick with gu10 halogens. They are not that expensive to run, last a reasonable time, and bung out ok light.

Led light is very directional, very unreliable (cheap ones), no British standards, don't necessarily last very long, need to dissipate a lot of heat, not keen. The technology changes weekly.impossible to keep up with. The LEDs in theory last forever, but the drivers could last a week.

 

[sawtooth]

$4.69 a US seller but shipped from Hong Kong.

Sorry my post meant to read 6W each bulb not 2W. so thats 18x6 = 108W

Still better than 900W though.

CE approved and RoHs compliant. Early ones from other manufacturers were poor quality and not bright enough and yes Murph dead right, they didnt work with my dimmers. I think these could be the answer.

 

[Dellboy]

Last year I was fitting lots of LED's for customers, but slowly people are coming round to the fact there are not as good ( Yet but are getting better ) as halogen and now its going back towards the gu10's

My house I have GU10s in my Kitchen, both loo's and shower room, did try led's a while ago which are now sitting in a box in the garage.

 

[sawtooth]

Last year I was fitting lots of LED's for customers, but slowly people are coming round to the fact there are not as good ( Yet but are getting better ) as halogen and now its going back towards the gu10's

My house I have GU10s in my Kitchen, both loo's and shower room, did try led's a while ago which are now sitting in a box in the garage.

I bought a few to test before I go mad and do the whole house. But the early ones were crap, you only had the bluish white at 1W per bulb. These are now 6W so see how I get on when they arrive.

 

[DappaDonDave]

Just got a nice swirly energy saving bulb to replace the landing light as its left on quite a bit for my two year old. Can't tell much of a difference in light, just ismt as instant...which means jack twoddle to me.

 

[DCB]

Led light is very directional, very unreliable (cheap ones), no British standards, don't necessarily last very long, need to dissipate a lot of heat, not keen. The technology changes weekly.impossible to keep up with. The LEDs in theory last forever, but the drivers could last a week.

Found this as well, every rep that comes in has a different angle on LEDs. Just get them to work and we'll be happy. Got two lying in the office at the moment, both supposedly the same rating, one you could fry and egg on when it's on. Not what you want in a recessed fitting

 

[Bikky73]

Last year I was fitting lots of LED's for customers, but slowly people are coming round to the fact there are not as good ( Yet but are getting better ) as halogen and now its going back towards the gu10's

My house I have GU10s in my Kitchen, both loo's and shower room, did try led's a while ago which are now sitting in a box in the garage.

I tend to disagree.... looking at my bike lights (check up lumicycle) their LED lights on a 5.2ah battery pack last longer and are brigher, and not as hot as the halogen mr11 50w (or a 12w flood and 20w spot) on a 6ah battery. LED's are lasting longer than the mr11's from actual experience. Having said that, how many people fall off their kitchens (like i do my mountain bike) in pitch black woods bouncing down a hill in the cold weather, with scorching hot lights, bouncing off trees and boulders. :clap:

 

[need_my_wedge]

My house was laced with spotlights (Kitchen x 5, hall x2, ensuite x2, main bath x2) I swapped them out for low energy spots, they protruded about 1cm more than the originals, but the saving on my bill was significant, i don't worry about the spot not being flush. Also replaced the halogen lights in the lounge with low energy lights.

 

[dan25]

My house was laced with spotlights (Kitchen x 5, hall x2, ensuite x2, main bath x2) I swapped them out for low energy spots, they protruded about 1cm more than the originals, but the saving on my bill was significant, i don't worry about the spot not being flush. Also replaced the halogen lights in the lounge with low energy lights.

I did the same thing and saw my bills drop greatly.