LED G4 capsule lamps?

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jonnyboy

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Got loads of lights around Chez JB with g4 capsule halogen lamps (yes I know everyone calls them bulbs). I have one pair of table lamps with loads of these in that eats them at a fearsome rate. Most expensive lamps of all we own too!
I tried to replace them with LED equivalent at the turn of the year but they didn't work - I got flickering. Seemingly its something to do with either my lamp transformers being dc and the lamps ac or vice versa. My local independent said that he expected by the end of this year that with technology moving forward there would be some lamps introduced that would work with all. Unfortunately I can't tell if my transformers are ac or dc because they are built in and the lamp fittings are still under warranty. My indi still has no news, he's very slow and steady, there are bound to be ones out there that work well and are aesthetically pleasing (lamps form part of the effect). anyone got any real world experience/links? We've loads of visitors heading our way, and the nature of the fitting is that the lower 4 or 5 of the lamps are a total ballache to replace !!

Cheers, J
 
Transformers are AC. You can always use a voltmeter to check the voltage & whether it's AC or DC

Nick Froome
 
Hi Jonny.

I've become somewhat obsessed in the last year with LED's.

Changed to them all over the house. However, the G4's have me beaten. I bought many different kinds from cheap ones to expensive ones and they're just not a good idea.

I'd persevere with the G4's until they pioneer the LED equivalent.

If ANYONE knows any different please let me know.

Ant.
 
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That's not good to hear Ant.
We have 4 other lamps/ceiling fittings with g4's in, they seem to last forever, it's just this pair of table lamps, they are so hungry for replacements, does my head in.
 
That's not good to hear Ant.
We have 4 other lamps/ceiling fittings with g4's in, they seem to last forever, it's just this pair of table lamps, they are so hungry for replacements, does my head in.


I'm really sorry to ask this, (I'm not one to patronise) when you fit them are you careful not to touch them with your fingers? Might me a myth but I've heard the acid off fingers can limit bulb life. :dk:

(I'm opening myself up to ridicule if this is an old wife's tale) :wallbash:

Philips G4bulbs are great quality. You tried them?

Ant.
 
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Have you looked on the ledhut website? I get my lamps from them and I know they do a range of G4 capsules. As you have already mentioned, the issue is the transformer, in much the same way that dimmer switches cause issues if they're not LED compatible.
 
Have you looked on the ledhut website? I get my lamps from them and I know they do a range of G4 capsules. As you have already mentioned, the issue is the transformer, in much the same way that dimmer switches cause issues if they're not LED compatible.


Great point. Maybe whatever bulbs you use they will not last. Maybe time to replace the whole lamp.
 
Bulbs fitted with a pair of cloth bulb changing gloves.
The fittings were a bl00dy fortune so can't change them ever !!!
Think we're using either Phillips or Osrams at mo.
 
Bulbs fitted with a pair of cloth bulb changing gloves.
The fittings were a bl00dy fortune so can't change them ever !!!
Think we're using either Phillips or Osrams at mo.

Well, in that case I'm emty. That's all I know. Must be the transformer then.

Keep us posted Jonny. Curious now.

Ant. :thumb:
 
I see ledhut do g4's - expensive at a fiver each though.
Its becoming such a problem I might whip the covers off the fittings and see about changing to an led driver. Then in theory any LED g4 should work.

Incidentally, anyone got goo success replacing MR11's (the standard 50w halogen downlighters)? I am fed up of having to change transformers instead of bulbs when one goes out. I did try some Haler LED warm white downlighters Collingwood Halers H2 Lite Non-Dimmable LED Downlight | DC Lighting Ltd Online Lighting Superstore - Wall & Ceiling Lights, LED, Tiffany, Outdoor, Bathroom Lighting but they are so cold coloured and penetration/diffusion is not as good as the halogens......
 
I changed all ours to 240v GU10's for same reason. Easier because it's a bungalow. Now we have the GU10 led's not had a bulb go for years. (But now I've said that you can bet one will fail tomorrow.)

Is if possible you can change to GU10's?
 
MR 11 normally 20w??
MR 16 35w/50w 12v!!
changed mine (MR 16 Diochroic lamps 50w ) few years back using existing transformers aurora !
no flicker working fine no need to change to LED drivers.
MR11 I had to put in new drivers..
 
You need to read the small print on adverts - some LED G4 capsules are designed to run only on 12V DC, but others will run on either DC or AC. It sounds like you need the latter.

I replaced all the G4s in our caravan (12V battery, so DC supply) earlier in the year. I keep meaning to get some AC-capable ones to do the few light fittings in the house that have them.
 
John. Part of your problem might be the trannies. Standard trannies require a load of a certain value to make them work. Without that load ie. LED capsules, they won't work. There are special low wattage trannies made to work with LED lamps.
 
Me thinks you just like typing the word 'Trannies' :bannana:
 
jonnyboy said:
I see ledhut do g4's - expensive at a fiver each though. Its becoming such a problem I might whip the covers off the fittings and see about changing to an led driver. Then in theory any LED g4 should work. Incidentally, anyone got goo success replacing MR11's (the standard 50w halogen downlighters)? I am fed up of having to change transformers instead of bulbs when one goes out. I did try some Haler LED warm white downlighters Collingwood Halers H2 Lite Non-Dimmable LED Downlight | DC Lighting Ltd Online Lighting Superstore - Wall & Ceiling Lights, LED, Tiffany, Outdoor, Bathroom Lighting but they are so cold coloured and penetration/diffusion is not as good as the halogens......

Like you, totally fed up with the failure rate on halogen down lighters - both bulbs and transformers. We've just finished changing all our halogen dichroics to LEDs - cool white in the kitchen and warm white elsewhere. Quite like the colour temperature personally - obviously a bit cooler than halogen when going full belt but for areas where that matters we have dimmers so not a problem for us. We used JCC fittings, which come with a ten year warranty in a domestic setting.
 
I've got another 11 GU10 LED lamps coming to replace halogens, having already replaced 12. Not had any trouble from them at all and like that I can now move the lights without getting burnt! I'll also be replacing about 30 ES fitting lamps with LEDs in the future. The cost savings make it worthwhile - I calculated that most of our lamps will pay for themselves within 12 months through the energy saved.

The only downsides, so far, are the need to replace the old dimmer switches to LED friendly ones and the slight issue I have with being sensitive to a strobe effect from them, and with some I also get a rainbow effect similar to that experienced with some projectors.
 
ChrisEdu said:
The only downsides, so far, are the need to replace the old dimmer switches to LED friendly ones and the slight issue I have with being sensitive to a strobe effect from them, and with some I also get a rainbow effect similar to that experienced with some projectors.

There's a technical issue with LED dimmers - something about leading/trailing edge dimming (which I don't fully understand!) but also there's a load issue, in that if the dimming circuit is under loaded it can flicker when it's not on full. Seems to be a bit trial and error to sort it out but the net result is that it ought to be possible to dim flicker-free.
 

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