Spot light Max Watt replace with LED

[kchan42]

Hi, this is probably a noddy question. I have a ceiling spotlight with 5 spots bought from IKEA. Each has a 30 Watt Max label (I assume it is referring to halogen spotlights). If I want to replace these with LED equivalents, do I have to worry about the wattage since the majority of LED spotlights are much less than 30 Watts. Do I need to worry about any problems like overheating for example if I get a 600 or 800 lumens at 10 Watt? I assume the 30 Watt safety limit is because of the heat coming from halogen spotlights?!

Thanks in advance!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Providing you do not exceed the maximum output wattage of the lampholder you will be fine. LED lamps dissipate much less heat than the standard household lamps.

 

[endecotp]

The life of LED lamps drops substantially if they run hot. If there is limited airflow around the lamps you may have problems. Unfortunately this is hard to quantify; as you say the 30W limit is for the lampholder (e.g. plastic bits start to melt!).

 

[EFLImpudence]

I don't really understand the question if your new lamps are 10W

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I don't really understand the question if your new lamps are 10W

I think they may be concerned over the equivalent brightness quantities given, which is confusing them.

 

[kchan42]

Thanks for the replies so far, yep sorry for the confusing question as I don't quite understand the situation completely, I presume the 30Watt GU10 240V limit is because of the heat from the halogen light melting the surrounding area and or maybe that there's also something of an electrical aspect involved which I can't quite see maybe?

In short I assume that any normal LED would be ok on the subjective premise that the heat output won't be greater than a 30 watt halogen spotlight?!

 

[endecotp]

Yes, any LED lamp will be OK in terms of not melting the holder or overloading the electrics.

What is not so clear is whether a high-power LED lamp will itself be happy in a particular lampholder. In my experience, LED lamps in "open" fittings with free air flow last "forever" i.e. none have died yet; those in more "enclosed" fittings get relatively warm due to lower airflow and as a result can die after a few months.