Advice on lighting

[NBee]

Hi all. In my kitchen I have a 3-way round spotlight fitting, working from a standard dimmer switch. It takes E27 R63 halogen spot bulbs. I have a number of questions:

1) I've already discovered to my cost that newer LED bulbs aren't compatible with the dimmer. I'm struggling to find a decent source of the same bulbs - the last lot I bought off ebay have been useless, all blowing within a couple of weeks. What bulbs can I actually use? Do they have to be spots, or can I use anything which is halogen with an E27 screw fitting?

2) Bulbs aside, I'll probably replace the entire fitting as the base is cracked and it's old and faded. I'm confused about which new fittings I can use which are compatible with the dimmer. Could someone provide a link to a suitable retailer or actual light fitting which is suitable?

3) When replacing the light fitting, is it the fitting that needs to be dimmer compatible, or the bulbs, or both?! I asked this question in B&Q and no one seemed to know the answer, and the boxes didn't say.

4) While I continue with the existing dimmer switch, can I assume that LED bulbs are out of the question regardless of the fitting?

Hope someone can help me out

 

[chivers67]

https://www.wholesaleledlights.co.uk/led-light-bulbs/e27-led-bulbs.html is this link any good for you?

1 = some are but cost a fortune

2= Most lights are compatible with dimmers it's the lamps that make the difference

3= see above

4 = see 1

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Most fittings will do, what you must do is find dimable LED lamps and the compatible dimmer for them. Not all LED lamps are manufactured as a dimerable version.
You can get E27/R63 leds that dim and don't buy shyte from ebay! Expect to pay in the region of £7.00-£10.00 per lamp

 

[333rocky333]

Most if not all 220/240volt fittings will be ok for a dimmer provided you get dimmable lamps and compatible dimmer.

most problems derive when dimming a fitting that takes lower voltage lamps like 12volt, as then whatever is in the fitting that transforms the voltage from 220/240 volt down to the lower 12 volt, that is the thing that needs to be dimmable and compatible with the dimmer as well as the lamps fitted.

The packaging usually states the lamp voltage or if in doubt is usually obvious by the type of cap that goes into the lampholder

 

[333rocky333]

another option looking similar to an R63 is to use these with dimmable compatible GU10 lamps

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Produc...=finalurl_v2&gclid=CMncofrDrtICFe8y0wodxoMJRw

 

[ianniann]

One question that nobody quite seems to have hit. Yes, you can use any E27 light bulb in your fitting. Of course it won't necessarily direct the light in the same places so it might not be entirely successful. Non-directional lamps may give poor results if the spot fitting blocks much of the light, although to be fair halogen/incandescent R63s produce woefully low light levels. I've used a standard LED bulb in an R63 fitting and results were OK. Watch out for heat problems if you try to put a non-directional halogen in an enclosed spot fitting.

R63 LEDs are relatively rare and relatively expensive, since R63 lamps pretty much stopped being made by the time GU10s came along. If you do find an LED R63, check the beam angle carefully. It is likely to be directional, but may have a much wider beam angle than the rather narrow one that was standard for these bulbs. Dimmable ones are even rarer and even more expensive.

Sad to say, an extender and a GU10 lamp may be the simplest solution. Obviously it will look slightly strange but GU10s are far more common, far easier to find in dimmable versions, quite a reasonable price by comparison, and mostly in the same sort of beam angle you'll be used to (near 38 degrees).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I asked this question in B&Q and no one seemed to know the answer

Imagine my surprise.

 

[NBee]

That's a fantastic help, thanks very much to all who replied.

Clearly the adapter and GU10 bulbs is the way to go. Cheers.