Welcome To Your
LED Lamp Product Guide
Philips MR16 Low Voltage
Philips GU10 PerfectFit
Philips GU10 MasterLED
Philips BC MasterLED
from Chris Horridge, Lighting Director At Downlights Direct
Philips E14 Lustre Lamp
The First Things You Need To Know About LED Lamps... “Light Emitting Diode� technology is the latest, low energy lighting solution available today as a replacement to halogen/incandescent bulbs. LED lamps are long lasting - they can last up to 18 years! LED lamps can save you tonnes of money. LED lamps are also known as LED Bulbs.
LED Lamps Are Long Lasting One of the great benefits of LED lamps is they last for a really long time meaning you don始t have to keep getting the ladders out and changing them every few months - on average they last 20 times longer than halogen lights when used for approximate 6 hours per day. Take a look at the picture below to put that in perspective.
What this graphic shows is that over a Philips Master LED lamp始s lifetime of around 40,000 hours, you will have to replace your 50w halogen bulb around twenty times, as they generally last around 2,000 hours each. As mentioned previous, applying this to the average household use of 6 hours per day will mean a Philips Master Led lamp stands to last you for around 18 years! And even longer if you use less than 6 hours per day. No more ladders till then...
LED Lamps Are Energy Efficient As well as having to be constantly replaced, people don始t really consider another disadvantage of halogen bulbs their energy efficiency (or should I say lack of energy efficiency). At 50w per bulb, they really use a lot of electricity, which can have a significant impact on your utility bill. And with rising costs in utility bills, this will only become more apparent.
50w halogen
7w Master LED
If you consider a longer lasting LED lamps provides the same bright, clear lighting that halogen bulbs are known for, but at fraction of their energy, then you would definitely notice savings on your next utility bill. One more thing to think about - if you have thirty 50w halogen downlights installed in your kitchen, all running at the same time then they are consuming 1,500w (1.5 kilowatts) of electricity. That is the same amount as a boiling kettle left on all the time. This was one of the major reasons I installed Philips Master LEDs into my kitchen.
LED Lamps Save You Money Ok, Iʼm not going to pretend that LED lamps are cheap to buy, because just like any premium product theyʼre not. The problem is people think they are getting a cheaper option when they buy a halogen bulb. But take into consideration with halogen the energy wasted costs and the replacement costs over an LED lifetime period...
The graphic above represents that over one downlight bulb fitting, you will need to change your halogen bulb 20 times in 18 years compared to the one LED that will last for the same amount of time. A lifetime cost per fitting of a halogen is £332.40 compared to just £64.96 with the LED lamp fitting. Thatʼs a saving of £267.44 on just one fitting! Multiply that by the amount of downlights you currently have/want to install and thatʼs a small fortune long term!
Popular Cap Choices Downlight Lamps Mains Voltage GU10
Low Voltage MR16 GU5.3
“GU10” is the name of a cap on a light bulb, which runs off mains voltage. Originally these were only available in halogen bulbs, however they have been adapted to LED bulbs.
“MR16ʼs” operate on low voltage (look out for the LV next to certain lamps) and require an additional transformer, which drops the voltage down to 12v. There are two types of MR16 LEDs: 1) The Philips Range - They operate on AC voltages, which will work on existing low voltage downlight transformers. 2) DC Voltage - Other MR16 LEDs require a special LED Driver which add to the cost. One of the benefits of MR16 LEDs though is that they are actually 30% brighter than GU10 LEDs.
Popular Cap Choices Traditional Bulbs Edison E14
Bayonet Cap B22
“Edison E14” and “Bayonet Cap B22” are the names of caps or bases on light bulbs, which run off mains voltage. Both are widely available and our very common bases in traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs, allowing the user to ʻscrewʼ a bulb into a fitting. They have both been adapted to LED bulbs, which supply all the benefits of LED lamps to users.
Are LED Lamps Dimmable? Unfortunately, not all LED lamps are dimmable because some lamps have different technology/chips built inside. Dimmable LEDs are usually more expensive than non-dimmable too, however if you are wanting to dim your downlights, please see our table below.
Mains Voltage GU10
Low Voltage MR16
Current bulb
Dimmable?
LED Alternative
35w Halogen GU10
no
4w Kosnic Power LED
35w Halogen GU10
yes
4w Philips Perfect Fit LED
50w Halogen GU10
no
50w Halogen GU10
yes
5.5w Philips Perfect Fit LED 7w Philips Master LED Spot MV
Current bulb
Dimmable?
LED Alternative
20w Halogen MR16 GU5.3
no
4w Philips LED Spot LV
35w Halogen MR16 GU5.3
yes
7w Philips Master LED Spot LV
50w Halogen MR16 GU5.3
yes
10w Philips Master LED Spot LV
Most often, traditional caps are dimmable, however it is generally with traditional caps that the lower the voltage, the less likely it can be dimmed.
What about CFL bulbs?
Before switching to LED lamps about a year ago, I had Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and although I thought they were great at the time, they had a lot of faults when I compare them to my LED lamps at the moment. The biggest problem I found was that they take ages to achieve full brightness and I found myself leaving the room after they had lit up properly! Another problem I had was actually when I switched to LEDs, I had to correctly dispose of my old CFLs as they actually have mercury inside them, which is hazardous to the environment. The other thing to consider with CFL bulbs (although I didn始t experience it myself) is that they don始t last as long as LED lamps - on average only 6.5 years when used for 6 hours per day. I strongly advise LED lamps over CFL as the CFL technology is already out of date, they do not light up instantly (so wasting energy) and they are environmentally unfriendly.
My Top Tips On LED Lamps •Reliability - An important thing to consider when look at LED lamps is the track record of that particular brand. Generally we have found that our Philips range is the most reliable, with thousands sold only one has ever been returned. The other benefit to the Philips range is that they offer a 3 year guarantee compared to other manufacturers that only offer 1 year guarantees on their LED lamps.
•Lumen- A common misconception is that the higher the wattage of the LED, the brighter the light coming the bulb. WRONG. It is in fact the lampʼs lumen that you need to be checking. Something else to think about is that lumen is not properly regulated and some LEDs claim to have more lumen than they actually have - the Philips range have been tested extensively and provide the most accurate reading of lumen.
•Beam angle - Think of the ambience you want your LED lamps to achieve, for example a more focussed and narrower beam angle (around 25 degree) would work well in a shower cubicle, whereas a wider beam angle will spread the light to more areas of the room.
•SMD (surface mount device) or Power LEDs - Power LEDs contain 3 or 4 high powered LEDs that focus a beam of light, usually with a 25 or 40 degree angle. SMD LED lamps are made up of usually around 20 very small LED chips, which added together create a bright light. The only problem is that it is an extremely wide beam angle (usually 120 degrees), meaning they are not very effective in downlight installations.
4 Easy StepsTo Get Your LED Lamps 1. Look at your existing cap - Is it a GU10 or MR16 fittting? What lamps will fit into it? 2. Think about the colour you want - if you want a direct replacement in terms of colour, we advise extra warm white. For more information on lighting colours, check out our YouTube video here. 3. Will the lamp you have in mind fit into your existing downlight? for example the Philips Master LED will not fit in all downlights. An alternative would be the Philips Perfect Fit. 4. Think about your budget - LED lamps are available at basic or premium prices, however we have definitely found that the more you pay, the more reliable the lamp is.
My best buys from Below are my choices of the best buys from Downlights Direct, they are based on reliability, quality and value for money.
GU10
Philips GU10 MasterLED
The most popular and reliable LED lamp we sell. HOWEVER, it does not fit in all existing LED fittings so it始s best to check.
MR16
Philips GU10 PerfectFit
Fits in any existing downlight setting.
Philips MR16 Low Voltage
The Brightest LED we sell here at Downlights Direct. Available in 7w or 10w. HOWEVER, it does not fit in all existing LED fittings so it始s best to check.
Philips MR16 Low Voltage Non-Dimmable
Fits in most MR16 downlights, and is a real low energy alternative. HOWEVER, it does not have dimming function
We Can Supply Your New LED Lamp We always stock our best buy LED Lamps - no need to wait. Try before you buy - we can arrange for you to try out your new LED lamp and see for yourself the benefits. If you始re not happy, we can simply refund your deposit back to you! Get in contact with us any time by phone or email - we can offer you expert advice before and after sales.
Visit and browse our range of products at www.downlightsdirect.co.uk email us with your questions at sales@downlightsdirect.co.uk Call us for expert advice on 01706 860011