Am looking to switch gu10/g4 halogens to LED lights?

[mrvanpat]

Hi,

First time posted (and I'm not sure if I'm posting this quite in the right forum), but I'm just looking for a few pointers about possibilities for switching over some lights in my living room/kitchen area (I don't have an electrical background so I am looking to get some pointers before getting someone in).

Basically the previous owner had six GU10 halogen spot lights in the living room off of what appears to be a single Varilight Leading Edge Single Touch Dimmer switch. In the Kitchen area it appears, to be the same but a double touch, one dealing with 4 GU10 halogen spot lights in the ceiling, and the other dealing with 6 G4 (12V) spots under the cupboards and around the kitchen (I've noticed transformers on top of some of the cupboards and figure they are in with the G4's).

All of the lights are on dimmers.

I want to switch these for LED's (for the general benefits - and as I find the GU10's seem to go fairly regularly no matter how carefully you handle them). As I understand it, I can't switch to an equivalent LED product to a GU10 in terms of levels of light as they won't work on a dimmer switch (it has to be a standard on/off)?

I have no issues with switching the Varilights (which I am assuming won't be an issue?) to a standard regular on/off as I have found some of the touch controls can be tempremental if you don't touch them square on etc., but am looking to get a few pointers before I start looking into this too far.

Basically I am wondering if this is a feasible project, and would be grateful for any advice or suggestions.

 

[phatboy]

You can swap all the bulbs over to LED no problem, and you can specify dimmable LED's from most places.

You would need to replace your dimmers though for trailing edge ones - Varilight do them but not in a touch version I don't think. You will want the V-Pro range, they are suitable for LED dimming.

 

[mrvanpat]

Thanks. That's helpful. Looking at it, I know the previous owner had programmed it to his remote control (I just have used it as a standard light switch - but still am not sure exactly what type of switch it is).

The only reason I was wondering about this was, is when I have taken a quick look in a few lighting stores, and the equivalent LED bulbs never seemed to be suitable for dimming (and I am figuring loading - which I don't know much about - is an issue)? Also the transformers that seemed to be hooked up to some of the lights around the kitchen - I wasn't sure if I needed to change them etc?

 

[phatboy]

The V-Pro dimmers are rated at a minimum load of 10w, which I am told is at full brightness, so as long as you have 3 or 4 LED's connected (depending of rating) you would be fine for loading.

I bought my LEDs from ledhut.co.uk - most bulbs are available as dimmable.

 

[winston1]

I doubt if you have transformers on top of the cupboards, they are rarely used these days, switch mode power supplies are used. If this is the case you will almost certainly have to change them to LED drivers for the G4s. The GU10s can be changed for LEDs and as you are not bothered about dimming just change the dimmers for switches.