Bathroom down light replacement

[chumley0312]

A couple of bulbs have blown in the bathroom down lights. All bar 1 appear to have corroded and I cannot unscrew them to get the bulb out. I've kept 1 out and sprayed wd40 into the area where is unscrews and hopefully will work otherwise it's new ones. Question is, are all down lighters about the same size. These were put in around 15 yrs ago, I've posted a picture. If I replace will connection be the same or different?
Thanks

 

[flameport]

Those are 12V halogen lamps, which are obsolete, along with the transformers/drivers for them.

New LED lights required, either GU10 which have replaceable lamps, or risk the integrated affairs which when they fail the entire unit has to be replaced.

Some alterations to the wiring will be required as the existing transformers/drivers will need to be removed.
Most downlights fit into the same or very similar size holes.

 

[chumley0312]

Are these major alterations. I've never fitted down lights as I don't like them. These are at the in-laws house. Sounds like an electrician job unless it's a pretty easy swap out. Do the transformers etc come in a kit. I can buy the down lights from nearly anywhere.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It’s an easy swop, assuming you can get to the transformers which will need to be removed.

 

[ericmark]

The transformer would be better called a power supply, they are 12 volt, but can be DC or AC output the latter 50 Hz to kHz some will take an LED lamps others will not, so the start point is to see what it says on the power supply.

The toroidal transformer, used in the early days,

will work LED lights without a problem. The electronic

often have both a lower and upper limit, one shown needs a load of 10 watt, as far as you need to know, watt and VA are the same. But the newer types

can run zero to rated output, most LED units are happy with AC or DC, but there are specials which are DC only, but these are really for boats and caravans and tend to be expensive.

The lamp you show is often called a MR16, it stands for multifaceted reflector16 x 1/8 of an inch across, so technically both GU10 230 volts and the 12 volt version are both MR16, but the trade tends to call 12 volts MR16 even when LED, so there is no reflector.

With the quartz halogen, the connection socket is prone to failure due to over heating, but there is no real harm trying a 12 volt LED and see if it works.

The problem moving to 230 volts, is technically fixed 230 volt lamps need to have a terminal for the earth, often the terminal is missing, and the fitting is classed as Class II which does not need an earth, but the rules say unless suspended, and earth much be run and terminated at the lamp, and often the 12 volt units only use two core cable, it would not worry me, but a pedantic inspector doing an EICR could fail it if earth is missing.

Specially in a bathroom if there is no RCD protection.