The natural energy-saving properties of LED light bulbs means that they can offer the same brightness of a halogen equivalent, but using only a fraction of the power. A 5W LED spotlight, for example, can offer the same brightness of light as a 35W halogen spotlight. The volt-ampere (VA) rating is the maximum load (in watts) that a transformer can safely carry. For example, a 40VA transformer can handle up to 40-watts of electrical equipment, while a 10-60VA one can carry between 10 and 60 watts worth. Installing low voltage LED light bulbs on a transformer designed for halogen lighting requires you to find the equivalent wattage ( see above) for the LED bulbs, so as not to overload the transformer. You would need a transformer to reduce the mains voltage down to 12 volts. There are two types of transformers available in the market. One is the electromagnetic transformer and the other is electronic. Electronic transformers are preferred due to their efficiency and low cost. #3 The compatibility This involves additional costs, more time and more messing about - which nobody wants. Another consideration is that if you do plan to dim them, you're going to need to ensure that the LED, the transformer and the dimmer switch are all compatible with each other. The Varilight YT transformers combined with the Varilight V-Pro dimmer switches are compatible, as are the Philips MR16 LEDs. A winning combination! But you've now spent more on these items than you would with options 2 and 3. Option 2 - Convert to GU10 LED These LED G4 light bulbs / lamps are ideal for use in a caravan, motor home, car, boat, home or business.

In your outdoor lighting systems, you can often see halogen lighting. Flood light bulbs can be replaced with LEDs and last a long time. Can I replace 12V 50W halogen with LED? Most people will be able to recover the cost of a new light bulb within three months. Less trips to the store and up the ladder can be saved with the use of LEDs. It takes about 25,000 hours for them to finish. By comparison, compact fluorescents can last up to 8,000 hours. Can you switch from halogen to LED headlights? If you have low voltage halogen light bulbs installed with a transformer, the first thing you need to do before replacing Halogen MR16 light bulbs with MR16 LED bulbs is to find the transformer’s maximum load. You should be able to find this on the body of the transformer itself, in the form of a ‘VA’ number. This VA number will either be fixed, or it will be a range (e.g. 10-60VA).

£3.47

Bulbs that operate on a lower voltage than 230-240V must be used with a compatible transformer when installing on UK mains circuits. The transformer converts mains voltage to a lower voltage suitable for the bulbs, ensuring they function as designed and preventing damage to the bulbs and/or light fittings. At this point, it’s important to note that if it is a halogen transformer,this maximum load applies to halogen light bulbs only. For example, if you have a 40VA transformer for halogen bulbs, you should not install 40-watts worth of LED light bulbs. This would overload the fitting and potentially cause a safety issue.

If you’re replacing low voltage MR16 50W halogens that have low voltage 12V transformer, the first and obvious option is to replace it with something like an MR16LED. The retrofit lamps should work from your transformer. This can cause you to have to replace your transformer. Can I use 12V transformer for LED? It’s important to note that the headlights are not the same as the ones in the picture. There are a number of advantages over halogens. They consume less power, do not heat up as much, and take up less space. According to XenonPro, you can’t just replace a bulb with an assembly. Can I replace halogen downlights with LED? The sale of higher energy bulbs was phased out in the UK in the last year. The sale of high energy fluorescent lightbulbs will be phased out by the government by September 23, 2023. It is possible to switch these for LEDs without changing any of the parts. If the bulb has 2 pins that push into the fitting, it’s probably a low voltage MR11 or MR16 bulb. If you want to use these bulbs in place of a halogen bulb, you need to use a transformer. Are halogen bulbs being phased out? When replacing Halogen MR16 light bulbs with LED bulbs, it’s important to use LED bulbs of equivalent wattage to your existing halogen light bulbs. This will ensure that the transformer can still handle the load safely.Aurora Ice 5W GU10 - Available in dimmable and non dimmable, it has a nice wide beam angle of 60 degrees

The Halogen bulbs give off a fixed color temperature and consume more power than the LEDs. The lm per watt ratio for LEDs is 80 to 100lm/W, compared to 16 to 24lm/W for halogens. This means that the lights use less energy. Is it worth replacing halogen with LED? Most light bulbs operate off mains voltage ( see below), but some light fittings are designed to be lower voltage. These are most commonly used in integrated kitchen fittings, where space is at a premium and smaller bulbs are a necessity. Low voltage light fittings often need a compatible transformer ( see below) to convert mains voltage to the correct, lower voltage. Most low voltage spotlights will be between 12-24 volts. Yes, that’s right. The maximum load that the transformer/driver can handle is what you should be looking for in your MR16 downlights. If you have 35W halogen downlights that are installed with 10 to 60VA transformers, we can replace them with a new set of lights. Can I put LED bulbs in halogen fittings?A term used to compare LED light bulbs with their incandescent alternatives. An LED light bulb with an equivalent wattage of 35W is a direct replacement for a 35W incandescent light bulb. This is different from a light bulb’s stated wattage ( see below).

Saving money and the environment are the benefits of replacing halogen with a light emitting device. Is it worth replacing bulbs with LED?With the ban on halogen now firmly in place from 2016, there are still lots of halogen and incandescent lamps out there wasting energy and draining the earths resources. These energy hungry relics from a distant past need to get upgraded to LED. LED is 90% more efficient and lasts for 10 times longer. There are a 3 main options of upgrading from halogen to LED, choosing the right option for you depends on the type of downlights and halogen lamps you've currently got. FAQ about 12V transformer and light emitting device compatibility. The cost of efficiency and extra power consumption are explored in the FAQ article. The ‘LED drivers’ are designed for DC light. What is the difference between halogen and LED?