Change Halogen Downlight to LED
If you use downlights for custom lighting in your home or business places, it's important to know how to set the light correctly. Fortunately, progress of LED technology enables you to use these light bulbs that save electricity in galleries or exhibition halls without losing the light quality of halogen bulbs. If you want to changing halogen lights to led, you can only replace the bulb, but in some cases, you need to replace the power supply for the bulb.
If you want to replace old downlights with led, here are the points you need to pay attention to.
Check the original fittings and bulbs.
Most halogen downlights use small nails or pins inserted into power source. Check the bottom of the existing bulb to see the appearance of the connector, then use a ruler to check the size of the fittings and the size of the bulb cut. Be sure to refer to this information when purchasing LED bulbs.
You may be able to find the size of the accessory printed somewhere on the socket.
If the bulb has a twist lock connector with two pins at the bottom, it is likely to be a 240 volt GU10 bulb, usually with a 50 mm connector. It can usually be switched to an LED bulb without changing any parts.
If the bulb has 2 sharp pins pushed into the accessory, it may be a low pressure MR11 or MR16 bulb. If you are using a 12 volt bulb to replace a halogen bulb, a transformer is required.
Check the wattage worldwide.
Each halogen bulb should be printed the wattage it uses, or the amount of power it consumes when the bulb is turned on.
Since energy saving leds use much less power than halogen bulbs, they will not use the same wattage. However, most LED bulbs list their equivalent power on the package.
If the information on the package cannot be found, still the equivalent power can be estimated. LED bulbs usually use 10% less power than halogen bulbs, so a 10 watt bulb is about the same as a 100 watt halogen bulb.
Choose a bulb of about 650-700 lumens to match most halogen bulbs. Lumens measure the light output of the bulb, so it is the number that you should match to ensure that you get the same effect from the LED bulb as from the halogen bulb. The average luminance value of halogen bulbs is between 650-700 lumens, but you may have different requirements for custom lighting effects.
If your downlight is used to illuminate the work area, higher lumens may be your choice.
If your downlights are to create soft ambient lighting in gallery, you may prefer the lower lumens.
Choose the color temperature between 2700-3000k for warm light.
Most people think of blue light when they think of LEDs, but actually LEDs can be used for a variety of color temperatures. Lower numbers are warmer, while higher numbers are cooler. If you like the warm glow of a typical halogen bulb, look for LED bulbs in the 2700-3000k range.
At home, these lights are popular in the living room and bedroom, too.
Choose the color temperature between 4000-6000k for cold light. If you prefer the modern look of sterile lighting, then look for a higher color temperature range. These are the tones that most people associate with LED bulbs.
If you have a dimmer switch, select the dimmer LED bulb.
If you want to adjust the brightness of the light according to the time of the day, you can choose the LED bulb that can be used with the dimmer. Most LED bulbs work with your existing dimmer. However, in some cases, you may have to change the dimmer to a low-voltage version.
To replace the dimmer switch: First, turn off the power to the switch; then unscrew and remove the switch plate. Pull the switch out of the box and unplug the wire, then reconnect the wire to the new dimmer switch again. Push the new switch into the power distribution box and install it back on the switch board.
