The great GU10, Halogen/CFL/L.E.D/ debate

[P.S.]

A very quick mock-up

View media item 7617
from left to right

11w CFL / 5w led / 3w led / 3w led / 50w Halogen

(the 3w leds are different manufacturers)

Not the best representation. I'll get some shots of output and beam patters (with fixed camera settings for comparison)

First impressions (as they only turned up yesterday), the 5w LEDS are seriously bright and have a decent beam angle

 

[aptsys]

First impressions (as they only turned up yesterday), the 5w LEDS are seriously bright and have a decent beam angle

I have four 12V 5W MR16 LEDs in my study and they provide excellent lighting for the room. Mine have a 45 degree beam angle. No complaints at all.

 

[thatstarinthesky1]

A very quick mock-up

View media item 7617
from left to right

11w CFL / 5w led / 3w led / 3w led / 50w Halogen

(the 3w leds are different manufacturers)

Not the best representation. I'll get some shots of output and beam patters (with fixed camera settings for comparison)

First impressions (as they only turned up yesterday), the 5w LEDS are seriously bright and have a decent beam angle

Does this still hold true?

CFL looks the brightest....

 

[WabbitPoo]

I tried an LED version and it looked really blue, as does the one on your image. Didn't like it at all.

 

[thatstarinthesky1]

Can you use LED bulbs in a low energy downlight bought for a CFL bulb?

 

[Alarm]

Good pics, am considering changing two GU10 fittings ( 3 x Lamps each)
For dimmable LED`s.
That 5w looks not too bad.

 

[nickpowell77]

Hi - what are your view on cost effectiveness of LED 'v' Halogen.

The upfront cost of purchasing LEDs is high c£15 copared to Halogen c£2. Is the LED light really going to save me £13 per bulb?

I recently moved house and have approximately 50-60 Halogen bulbs dotted around the house. It would be a pretty big outlay to replace them as and when they break ...

Thanks, Nick

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Bite the bullet and replace the lights in their entirety. They are useless at lighting up rooms - that's why you've got so many of them. They are actually specifically designed to not be any good at providing general room illumination.

They are often called spotlights for a reason.

I often call them torches - if you compare the business end of a Maglite to an MR16 lamp you'll see a marked similarity.

You can get LED Maglites, and they too are seriously bright and have a long battery life. But they are still torches, and still not what you'd choose to light up a room.

Fiddling with your lamp technology is not the answer - changing the lamp shape and light distribution pattern is.

 

[nickpowell77]

I have no problem with the spotlights and they give out perfectly adequate lighting with Halogen bulbs. My question is more around the cost effectiveness of replacing the Halogen bulbs with LEDs.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have no problem with the spotlights and they give out perfectly adequate lighting with Halogen bulbs.

have approximately 50-60 Halogen bulbs dotted around the house

You don't regard that as a problem?

 

[nickpowell77]

I have no problem with the spotlights and they give out perfectly adequate lighting with Halogen bulbs.

have approximately 50-60 Halogen bulbs dotted around the house

You don't regard that as a problem?

Not a problem for me. I like the look of spotlights.

 

[thewinelake]

I'm also planning to install some downlighters into a loft conversion. I think we've got about 10 in the room, and would like to have them dimmable.

I was thinking of some Aurora fixed direction fire rated downlighters equipped with dimmable 9W LED. However, it seems that 9W dimmable is a bit on the bleeding edge right now, so I'm thinking of starting with Halogen.

My electrician seems to favour MR16 halogen bulbs with separately purchased transformer and light fitting. He claims that GU10 fitting bulbs don't last as long (maybe the transformer dies???). Is he right?

I'm wondering when led fittings will come of age. If they really do last 50,000 hours, then I don't mind replacing the whole fitting rather than buying replacement bulbs (although it seems a bit less green!).

 

[nickpowell77]

I've done some further research and LEDs seem to be cost efficient given they last 15-20 times longer than Halogen bulbs. This alone warrants the purchase.

I think I will replace as and when my existing Halogen bulbs blow. This will enable me to spread the cost and take advantage of future developments.

 

[thewinelake]

I think my idea of starting with Halogen and then replacing the bulbs is a non-starter, as the powerful led bulbs are 85mm long, and one can't buy long halogen bulbs (they're only 55mm long).

I guess that the fittings are so cheap that one would be best off buying some halogen fittings with halogen bulbs and then, when the led market is more mature in 2-3 years time, buy a whole new set of fittings.

The only other option would be to go for long CFD bulbs and then replace those, but I presume they're not dimmable...

My disappointment here reminds me of when I first got a DVD player and found that you can just stick them in and jump to the relevant track!

 

[thatstarinthesky1]

I think if I could I would buy commercial downlights - rather than spot lights. An 18W commercial downlights gives about 100W (I think) of light. One or two of these in a room should provide plenty of light.

Unfortunately my wiring is done so I am stuck with spot lights.

Think I will go with CFL downlights and repace the bulbs with LED whrn LEDs become cheaper.

(I think you can use LED bulbs with downlights designed for CFLs)