Reverting from LED lighting to Halogen

[JD]

Hi,

I am not an electrician but I wondered if I might ask for a little bit of advice?

My parents have just bought a house and all of the rooms are lit with LED light bulbs, which give me a bad headache after half an hour.

I would like to switch to halogen light bulbs, but I've never really worked with LED spotlights before and I wondered if you could tell me what I need to do to get the spotlights out of the ceiling and figure out which halogen bulb I need to buy to replace them?

Some of the rooms have 8 spotlights embedded in the ceiling, and some rooms have three bulbs sticking out of the ceiling in the mounts of some kind.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jen

 

[Octopus]

To be honest you need somebody to come round and take a look - there are far too many variables.

Aopologies if this isn't what you want to hear.

 

[JD]

Hi,

Thanks, that's okay. Tbh if that's what needs to happen, it's easier to know that before I spend two weeks slogging through websites.

Ta!

Jen

 

[buzzlightyear]

My parents have just bought a house and all of the rooms are lit with LED light bulbs, which give me a bad headache after half an hour.

are the leds warm white or cool white ?

 

[JD]

I think they are cool white and every room has a dimmer switch.

 

[JD]

I also get on with fluorescent energy saving bulbs and incandescent bulbs if they would be any good.

 

[JD]

I am going back to visit, and I will take out the bulbs and look at them. If you could even give me a list of information to find out that would be extremely helpful.

 

[buzzlightyear]

try a replace the cool white with warm white I will be better for your eyes , warm light is nearly the same has a incandescing lighting bulb.

 

[JD]

I think it may be the flickering that is the problem though. I gather that is the main issue with LED, is it not? I've spent such a long time experimenting with LED-everything and it does such epically bad things to me each time. Tbh I'd rather just get rid of them.

I also have an old phone, and old computer and so on.

 

[Octopus]

You could try replacing the dimmers with normal switches ....

 

[buzzlightyear]

I think it may be the flickering that is the problem though. I gather that is the main issue with LED,

what type of switches have got !

 

[buzzlightyear]

You could try replacing the dimmers with normal switches

back in the box you go Murdoch.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I also have an old phone, and old computer and so on

go on Murdoch, ask her what kind of phone & pc the lady has !

 

[JD]

LOL! I have a Samsung GT-E1080, which is very easy on the eyes and also can make and receive telephone calls, which is what I need it for.
http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/GT-E1080ZKIXEU

My laptop is a Toshiba Satellite pro U400, which is also splendid.
Satellite Pro U400-18S - Toshiba - http://www.toshiba.co.uk/discontinued-products/satellite-pro-u400-18s/

By training I'm a research scientist, and I'm currently making videos on how to build automated microscopes from scratch using arduinos and bits and bobs and very expensive lenses, so I'm okay for a bit of mickey taking.

My next project is to convert a ccfl laptop screen into a desktop screen using a special gizmo that's coming in the post from China and a few instructables webpages. I'm hoping that will tide me over after this laptop keels over. It turns out necessity really is the mother of invention.

Thanks for the tips on LED bulbs. It really is very helpful. I'm kicking myself for not photographing the dimmer switches now.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Thanks for the tips on LED bulbs. It really is very helpful. I'm kicking myself for not photographing the dimmer switches now.

now the penny has dropped! so Murdoch Holmes was wright then .

 

[buzzlightyear]

By training I'm a research scientist

it is no point giving half a story ,dimmer switches playing up or to bright the light.

 

[JD]

Really? I don't quite follow.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Really? I don't quite follow.

I think it may be the flickering that is the problem though. I gather that is the main issue with LED

You could try replacing the dimmers with normal switches ....

,dimmer switches playing up or to bright the light.

 

[JD]

I don't think that getting rid of the dimmer switches so that the leds are always on maximum brightness would solve the problem, because then firstly they would be super bright, but then also I think they still flicker even on maximum brightness. Is that not right?

 

[JD]

I read it here:

The Scientific Reason You Don't Like LED Bulbs—and the Simple Way to Fix Them - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-scientific-reason-you-dont-like-led-bulbs-mdash-and-the-simple-way-to-fix-them/

 

[buzzlightyear]

fleabay £££££££,that will stop the brightness .

 

[pirate]

If it's of any interest, following replacing all of my GU10 halogens with LED I have about 50 halogen ones in my cupboard...you can have them for nothing, or the postage...

 

[JD]

Pirate, that would be fantastic if you didn't mind. To be honest I did wonder if there were stacks of halogens heading for the bin as people switched to LEDs. I'd be really glad to give some a new home.

If I go and have a look on Saturday could I get back to you? I'm not sure if they are GU10s until I take a look.

Thanks!

 

[Octopus]

I don't think that getting rid of the dimmer switches so that the leds are always on maximum brightness would solve the problem, because then firstly they would be super bright, but then also I think they still flicker even on maximum brightness. Is that not right?

They shouldn't flicker on full brightness. This needs sorting out first.

 

[JD]

That article says that they still flicker on full brightness as long as they are driven on AC current. It says only if they are driven on DC do they stop flickering. Do you not agree?

Caveat is that I'm not totally sure that it is the flicker. I also have trouble with very bright screens with CCLF backlight so full brightness on non-flickering LED bulbs may be tricky too. I get on fine in daylight and with Halogen bulbs, 300W turned up to max.

It would be handy if I at least had a fairly immediate reaction so I could do several tests, but it takes an hour to kick in and then I feel rubbish for ages, so doing lots of tests if a bit tricky.

 

[buzzlightyear]

In a few years time when their is no longer halogens, what are the people like you self going to do then ..

 

[JD]

I think that the LED lights or whatever replaces them will be fixed so that it doesn't cause problems any more. There are huge numbers of people having problems with LEDs and the designers are working on it. It was the same when CRT screens first came out, until the fixed the refresh rate, and again the same when fluorescent strip lights came out. I reckon I just need to hang on to the old technology until the new technology gets fixed.

There are some people who still struggle after the technology is considered to be fixed though. Those would be people who struggle with migraines all the time for example. Some of them are just having to live in a world that is lit by types of light that their eyes can't cope with.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Those would be people who struggle with migraines all the time for example. Some of them are just having to live in a world that is lit by types of light that their eyes can't cope with.

I go to many customers property's most have the old energy saving lights .they may has well get a Davie lamp . they are now mass producing candles again when their in no light .

 

[JD]

We still have bayonet fit energy saving lights. I like them, though I have recently added a couple of 300W halogen uplighters as I realised we were basically sitting in darkness. My corner shop still sells incandescent light bulbs.

 

[JD]

As a matter of fact, a halogen uplighter is probably the obvious solution for my current problem. I could just put one in each room and turn off the other lights.