LED Lighting

Dan!

Member
Messages
3,029
Are they water proof? Do they come in different colours? And are they road legal?

The ones under lotus need replacing
 

lifes2short

Member
Messages
5,821
The ones I got were Sylvania, 5w GU10's 6500k, Non dimmable 5 year guarantee (I think). £1.25 each!

that is bloomin cheap, my whole house has downlighters when built 12 years ago and had to use those frigging expensive deep gu10 7 watt megaman ones that had like a small type tube fitting that took forever to warm up and the older they got the worse they fecking got, I think LED's were around at the time but the technology was at it's infancy and rubbish, anyways fast forward to about 4 years ago I replaced the whole bloody lot with LED's, 220 lamps at £7.50 each:eek:, thanks for reminding me:bigcry3:
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
A year too late for me having had c80 down lights fitted in the barns.

All dimmable units with warm white bulbs.

BTW does anyones else LED units that are dimable sometimes throw a wobble and refuse to come on unless at max brightness or go on and off a couple of times before settling down?
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
A year too late for me having had c80 down lights fitted in the barns.

All dimmable units with warm white bulbs.

BTW does anyones else LED units that are dimable sometimes throw a wobble and refuse to come on unless at max brightness or go on and off a couple of times before settling down?

How are you trying to dim them Peter?

Mains dimming is particularly problematic with LEDs because they do not work like traditional light sources. The driver has a microprocessor so turning the power down to the driver tends to make it throw a wobbly. Easiest way to dim LED is to use DALI protocol drivers with an Osram OT DALI rotary wall switch. Problem with that is each fitting needs two datacables (DALI pair) running to then which is difficult when we are talking retrofit.

Alternative to DALI is to use an LED fixture which has been Bluetooth enabled using a brand such as Cassambi. This will e wireless and easy to commission by just using an app on your phone. The technology is only 2-3 years old so still a little expensive while all ofnthe manufacturers are integrating it into their range.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
that is bloomin cheap, my whole house has downlighters when built 12 years ago and had to use those frigging expensive deep gu10 7 watt megaman ones that had like a small type tube fitting that took forever to warm up and the older they got the worse they fecking got, I think LED's were around at the time but the technology was at it's infancy and rubbish, anyways fast forward to about 4 years ago I replaced the whole bloody lot with LED's, 220 lamps at £7.50 each:eek:, thanks for reminding me:bigcry3:

Likewise, although restricted the Megamans to the high usage areas.
They actually started failing, the end caps started falling off, and a tube broke too, and I complained to Megaman and they sent me their new LED GU10's in replacement.
Bought a load of early tech LED's from Lidl cheap, for the remaining areas, they have been fine no failures but the light is white, fine for bathrooms, halls, landings. This probably 5 years ago now.
In the lounge/bedroom type areas bought warm light 2700K units from screwfix a couple of years ago. The light colour is perfect a true equivalent to halogen, although I have had my first failure.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Had to chuckle, a few years ago some friends fitted something like 20 halogen GU10's in a new lounge.
I commented that I thought they had overdone it and it would cost a fortune in electricity.
Their reply, it's okay, we use the dimmer so only have them on low...
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
How are you trying to dim them Peter?

Mains dimming is particularly problematic with LEDs because they do not work like traditional light sources. The driver has a microprocessor so turning the power down to the driver tends to make it throw a wobbly. Easiest way to dim LED is to use DALI protocol drivers with an Osram OT DALI rotary wall switch. Problem with that is each fitting needs two datacables (DALI pair) running to then which is difficult when we are talking retrofit.

Alternative to DALI is to use an LED fixture which has been Bluetooth enabled using a brand such as Cassambi. This will e wireless and easy to commission by just using an app on your phone. The technology is only 2-3 years old so still a little expensive while all ofnthe manufacturers are integrating it into their range.

The lighting was fittes by the developer and I have no idea what was fitted. Except the hidden part is far larger that the old down lights that I have on the other house.

I will try and remove one to see tomorrow.
 

Scaf

Member
Messages
6,511
The lamps just fitted in my kitchen have switchable bulbs.
At the fitment they can’t be changed from a horrible blue light - nice bright or softer yellow light, they are also dimmerble.
So much better and more flexible than I had before.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
I have some dimable LED GU10s but I found that they don’t dim anything like as much as the old halogen bulbs. I would be interested in changing them to newer types, but want to be sure that they dim more. Does anyone have any experience of this with newer tech LEDs?
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
I have some dimable LED GU10s but I found that they don’t dim anything like as much as the old halogen bulbs. I would be interested in changing them to newer types, but want to be sure that they dim more. Does anyone have any experience of this with newer tech LEDs?

My post no.27 above mate

LEDs are by in large low voltage. Nothing about the current tech works with mains dimming. You ideally need datacables to the drivers or Bluetooth capability for good dimming. There are a few mains dimming compatible drivers on the market but as you said they don't work as you expect

Mains driven LEDs exist but it is very experimental they will probably hit the market in the next 5 years... We might see mains dimming come back with those
 

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
This is interesting! Can you get the Phillips hue bulbs cheap?
~5w e14 warm white ones

My Chinese wifi dimmable bulbs work pretty well, just a shame that I can't find any nice switched live switches, so occasionally the bulbs are off at the wall if not switched off with Google assistant
 

lifes2short

Member
Messages
5,821
I have some dimable LED GU10s but I found that they don’t dim anything like as much as the old halogen bulbs. I would be interested in changing them to newer types, but want to be sure that they dim more. Does anyone have any experience of this with newer tech LEDs?

none of my led dowlighters have dimmers, however, my local trade electrical outlet stock the v-pro (professional series) led dimmers which supposedly dim all led lamps including gu10's
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
My post no.27 above mate

LEDs are by in large low voltage. Nothing about the current tech works with mains dimming. You ideally need datacables to the drivers or Bluetooth capability for good dimming. There are a few mains dimming compatible drivers on the market but as you said they don't work as you expect

Mains driven LEDs exist but it is very experimental they will probably hit the market in the next 5 years... We might see mains dimming come back with those

I thought as much, so if I look at this DALI stuff it will dim much further than what I have?
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
none of my led dowlighters have dimmers, however, my local trade electrical outlet stock the v-pro (professional series) led dimmers which supposedly dim all led lamps including gu10's

I have the gear, but the LED bulbs dim to about 50% light output and the incandescent to about 10%. This makes a bit of a difference.
 

lifes2short

Member
Messages
5,821
I have the gear, but the LED bulbs dim to about 50% light output and the incandescent to about 10%. This makes a bit of a difference.

that's unusual, having just looked at my trade catalogue it states " adjustable minimum light level- can dim down to off on most led lamps, 3 driving modes for max compatibility with a wide range of led lamps" mis-described then it seems
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
that's unusual, having just looked at my trade catalogue it states " adjustable minimum light level- can dim down to off on most led lamps, 3 driving modes for max compatibility with a wide range of led lamps" mis-described then it seems

Well, it is all about 4 years old now, so perhaps I need to get me a catalogue like yours! Excuse me while I google that!