GU5.3 12v or 240v - how to identfy

utterlydiy · 7 Dec 2016

Drat,

Changed all 12 Halogen lamps/bulbs to LED keeping the GU5.3 holders and transformers.

Then 1 of the 12 lights started flashing after 10mins use, tried another lamp/bulb still same. So it looks like this transformer does not like LED's, so it looks like I am having to replace the holders to GU10 and remove transformers as when/if they start to fail.

JohnW2 · 7 Dec 2016

utterlydiy said:
Drat, .... Then 1 of the 12 lights started flashing after 10mins use, tried another lamp/bulb still same. So it looks like this transformer does not like LED's, so it looks like I am having to replace the holders to GU10 and remove transformers as when/if they start to fail.

It's pretty unlikely that the LEDs will cause the transformers to 'fail', but it's possible that they may not work your LEDs satisfactorily. Ones that are working satisfactorily now will probably continue to work satisfactorily.

Even if you do have to change (some, or even all of) the transformers to ones more suitable for your LEDs, I still don't really see why you would need to change to GU10s.

Kind Regards, John

winston1 · 7 Dec 2016

utterlydiy said:
Drat,

Changed all 12 Halogen lamps/bulbs to LED keeping the GU5.3 holders and transformers.

Then 1 of the 12 lights started flashing after 10mins use, tried another lamp/bulb still same. So it looks like this transformer does not like LED's, so it looks like I am having to replace the holders to GU10 and remove transformers as when/if they start to fail.

That is because they are almost certainly NOT transformers but switch mode power supplies.

But you know what to do.

JohnW2 · 7 Dec 2016

winston1 said:
That is because they are almost certainly NOT transformers but switch mode power supplies.

Very probably, but no matter what one calls them, the point is that at least some do not seem suitable for supplying LEDs

winston1 said:
But you know what to do.

Maybe - but, as I've said, I don't personally see why that has to include changing to LEDs with a different base.

Kind Regards, John

winston1 · 7 Dec 2016

JohnW2 said:
Very probably, but no matter what one calls them, the point is that at least some do not seem suitable for supplying LEDs
Maybe - but, as I've said, I don't personally see why that has to include changing to LEDs with a different base.

Kind Regards, John

Well one either changes the power supplies or the holders and lamps. Less to go wrong with new holders and lamps.

JohnW2 · 7 Dec 2016

winston1 said:
Well one either changes the power supplies or the holders and lamps. Less to go wrong with new holders and lamps.

It's not really 'either/or'. The OP seemingly wants to stick with 12V LEDs, so even if he changes to new holders and new (LED) lamps, he will presumably still have to change at least some of the devices providing the 12V as well, since at least some of them do not appear to like supplying LEDs.

I don't really see why 12V GU10 LEDs and holders would offer any advantage (other than being new) over the 12V GU5.3 LEDs and holders that the OP already has, do you?

Kind Regards, John

winston1 · 7 Dec 2016

Can you actually get 12 volt GU10s? All the GU10s I have seen are either 240v or 120v.

EFLImpudence · 7 Dec 2016

https://www.amazon.com/eTopLighting-GU10-Brightest-White-LEDGU10-12V-3W-WW-1/dp/B0078UQP86

JohnW2 · 7 Dec 2016

winston1 said:
Can you actually get 12 volt GU10s? All the GU10s I have seen are either 240v or 120v.

Yes, and we spent pages of this thread discussing such issues. See post #57 in this thread.

Kind Regards, John

utterlydiy · 7 Dec 2016

JohnW2 said:
I don't really see why 12V GU10 LEDs and holders would offer any advantage (other than being new) over the 12V GU5.3 LEDs and holders that the OP already has, do you?

Kind Regards, John

There seems some confusion,

As said: one transformer/switched mode does not like LED's. And already said: The high street seems favor either 230v GU10's or 12v GU5.3's LED.

So as I already had 12 - 12v MR16 GU5.3's Halogen's with transformers/switch modes and tried being clever to just change the lamps/bulbs from Halogens to LED's without changing/renewing anything else. Now because the one light will not work with a LED, I was going to remove the transformer/switch mode and change the holder from GU5.3 to GU10 to favor the high street 230v GU10 LED, then if and when any other light fails I would do the same again renewing the holder etc. to suit 230v GU10 LED as when needed.

JohnW2 · 7 Dec 2016

utterlydiy said:
As said: one transformer/switched mode does not like LED's.

That appears to be the case.

utterlydiy said:
And already said: The high street seems favor either 230v GU10's or 12v GU5.3's LED.

Probably, but that doesn't mnean that they are the only options available.

utterlydiy said:
So as I already had 12 - 12v MR16 GU5.3's Halogen's with transformers/switch modes and tried being clever to just change the lamps/bulbs from Halogens to LED's without changing/renewing anything else.

Indeed, and I think I suggested that.

utterlydiy said:
Now because the one light will not work with a LED, I was going to remove the transformer/switch mode and change the holder from GU5.3 to GU10 to favor the high street 230v GU10 LED ...

You obviously could do that, but you could also just change that one transformer/SMPSU to one that was LED-friendly.

utterlydiy said:
... then if and when any other light fails I would do the same again renewing the holder etc. to suit 230v GU10 LED as when needed.

Yes, you could do that if/when there were further 'failures'. However, as I said, I think it fairly unlikely that any other transformers/SMPSUs will fail (unless 'there time has come'!) if they are working satisfactorily at present. I can't tell you why just one out of 12 of your 12V sources doesn't like LEDs, but that seems to be the case. Are they all identical?

Kind Regards, John

utterlydiy · 7 Dec 2016

JohnW2 said:
You obviously could do that, but you could also just change that one transformer/SMPSU to one that was LED-friendly.

Would that be more costly than buying a holder and led lamp/bulb ?

Are they all identical?
Kind Regards, John

Yes all identical

JohnW2 · 7 Dec 2016

utterlydiy said:
Would that be more costly than buying a holder and led lamp/bulb ?

It could be, but I don't think necessarily. There is so much price variation around (for LED lamps, holders and power supplies) that I imagine it could work out either way around, depending upon what you chose.

I suppose the main reason I would favour 'my' approach is that (although I obviously may be wrong), I suspect that most of the GU5.3 LEDs (with present power supplies) will carry on working and (although the different base sizes would avoid any catastrophes) I would personally probably not want the 'untidess' of having 'one or three' of the lights being 230V and the remainder 12V!

Kind Regards, John

333rocky333 · 7 Dec 2016

Not to mention you will be putting 240 volt inside an unearthed metal fitting designed for only 12 volt

333rocky333 · 7 Dec 2016

EFLImpudence said:
https://www.amazon.com/eTopLighting-GU10-Brightest-White-LEDGU10-12V-3W-WW-1/dp/B0078UQP86

Are they all chinese crap though, or are there any reputable brand ones

diynot

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GU5.3 12v or 240v - how to identfy

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