GU10 vs MR16....?

[wigwam12]

In the house there are rooms (bathrooms/Kitchen/Study) that have lots of MR16 Halogens
The hallway and landing both have GU10 as does the master bed.

Would there be any reason why some parts are one not the other?

Reason I ask is that I want to swap out for SMD LED halogens for energy saving and my thoughts were if I need to change the transformer for each MR16 (not seen if it is 1 for each light) I might as well change the fitting for GU10 instead?

(replace "I" for "whoever does the work" of course!)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

In the house there are rooms (bathrooms/Kitchen/Study) that have lots of MR16 Halogens
The hallway and landing both have GU10 as does the master bed.

Would there be any reason why some parts are one not the other?

MR16 & GU10 are not related in a mutually exclusive way. It is not a case of a lamp being MR16 OR GU10 - the terms apply to different parts of it. It's like saying that a GLS lamp must have a BC base, and a lamp with a BC base must be a GLS and one with an ES base cannot be.

GU10 is a type of base, and MR16 (multifaceted reflector, 16/8" diameter) is a type of envelope.

You can get MR16 lamps with either a GU10 or a GX5.3 base:

Nearly all GU10-base lamps have MR16 envelopes, although you can get MR11:

if I need to change the transformer for each MR16 (not seen if it is 1 for each light) I might as well change the fitting for GU10 instead?

You may be able to just change the ceramic lampholder part.

But in your shoes I'd be moving heaven and earth to change the whole setup, and install lights actually designed to light up rooms, getting rid of recessed torches which are actually designed to not light up rooms.


[EDIT]Image size reduced[/EDIT]

 

[wigwam12]

Okay fair enough.
In my limited understading I meant GU10 to mean the GU10 socket base (mains halogen) and the MR16 to mean the 2 prong transformer-needed halogen.
So what is the answer on that basis

I do also take your point about the torces.
I prefer directional lighting and hence have resisted SWMBO converting the living rooms to halogens but even I have to admit with evenly spaced halogens it looks nice and does provide attractive ambient lighting.

Just frigging expensive to need to many of them!!

 

[333rocky333]

To me you cant beat a good match of 12 volt lamps, good quality transformers and decent dimmers.

I dont recall ever replacing a 12volt lamp at home since they were installed over 20 years ago.

Though must admit in the big room the main lighting is chandliers and the downlights are more show/ feature lighting, although in the smaller room 4 x 50 watt dimmed to about a third is usually ample on there own,
without needing all 8 on

Regardless of what people say, in all the pubs ive worked and at home ive never witnessed what i would class as premature 12volt lamp failure caused by dimming either.

I seem to recall Rf lighting once say he has had some lasting for years also.

In my trade i forever hear of people winging about the short life of 240v Gu10 as well as hearing storys of them exploding

 

[Astra99]

In the office we had 8 12v 50w GU5.3 downlighters. Lamp life varied from 2-3 weeks to a couple of months, I was forever up the steps replacing the damn things. Recently I bit the bullet and spent ££££ on 3.5w 3000K LED lamps, which required new LED drivers (the old transformers had an AC output). So far so good; I'm considering selling the steps on E-Bay!

 

[333rocky333]

Missed the bit about you ripping them out.

With no actual facts to base it on, my opinion is the 12 volt led will outlive the 240v version.
Purely IMO based on the physical size and the amount of gubbins needed to work the thing and the heat generated in doing so

 

[xr4x4]

I think the op, (and me) would like to know what the difference is between a 12v and 240v downlight?

Apart from the voltage obviously, they are both 50w right?

 

[ericmark]

When we used tungsten quartz halogen the voltage was very important too high and lamp would blow and too low and the tungsten would deposit on the quartz. Also with spot lights colour was important lighting a picture on the wall you want correct colours and unless trying to project the light to something special no real point of using spot lights. Lighting ones book while in bed colour would not be as important so small voltage variations would not matter as much.

So the extra low voltage versions (12 v) of the small spots did have some advantages. The controlled voltage means they lasted longer, slightly more efficient, and better colour control.

However against them was need for an inverter, and no built in safety system to insure Dichroic lamps (GZ10) can't be used where the heat from the back of the lamp would cause damage. The GU10 holder will not take the GZ10 lamp but the GZ10 holder will take either. Also one could not use discharge lamps, florescent or cold cathode, they would only work on low voltage (230 v) they would not work with extra low voltage (12 v) so the 230 v system has more options. Also the inverters often have a minimum as well as maximum output so were not suitable for lamps under that minimum rating.

With LED lamps both the 12 v and 230 v have electronics of some sort built into the bulb as to which is the best I don't know but the ability to also use cold cathode would seem to tip the balance in favour of the low voltage (230 v) type and the safety features of the GZ10/GU10 base would also mean that the GU10 base would seem to be best option.

As far as LED lamps go though there is nothing to stop replacing a GU10 LED lamp with a 50W tungsten lamp so one has to allow for that fact. With the extra low voltage types the driver used for the LED types would fail if a tungsten lamp was fitted so the lamps could not be changed back to tungsten types.

 

[333rocky333]

Mainly the terminal block attached to it i suppose,Iassume it would need to accomadate the higher voltage and presume a facility for terminating earth fitted if required, the days of the terminal block just hovering loose is I would have thought pretty rare nowadays

 

[RF Lighting]

I seem to recall Rf lighting once say he has had some lasting for years also.

I fitted 5 ELV downlights in my parents bathroom when I was a second year apprentice. (13 years ago) 4 out of the 5 are still on the original lamps.

I think securespark has some even older than that at his house.