what size lightbulb is this?

The transformers driving your current lamps will have a minimum amount of load the need on them. If this minimum is less than the load your LED will put on it then it won't work. It will also be supplying 12v AC which won't work with some lamps.

Rather than replacing the transformers with drivers you're better off taking out the transformer, fitting a GU10 socket to the lamp holders and using GU10 LEDs, there's more to choose from and it will cost less than buying drivers on top of the lamps.
 
Caged said:
The transformers driving your current lamps will have a minimum amount of load the need on them. If this minimum is less than the load your LED will put on it then it won't work. It will also be supplying 12v AC which won't work with some lamps.

Rather than replacing the transformers with drivers you're better off taking out the transformer, fitting a GU10 socket to the lamp holders and using GU10 LEDs, there's more to choose from and it will cost less than buying drivers on top of the lamps.
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Thanks Caged:

Totally slipped my mind, if it's a fairly new installation, then the transformer will probably be a electronic version, but it may be a too high wattage for the number of led lamps in that room.

Example: If you have 6x 4w led lamps, you would need a 24watt transformer to drive them.
 
Or you can just rip everything out and put LED fixtures in rather than a lamp holder and a retrofit lamp, depends how crazy you want to go.
 
Caged said:
Rather than replacing the transformers with drivers you're better off taking out the transformer, fitting a GU10 socket to the lamp holders and using GU10 LEDs, there's more to choose from and it will cost less than buying drivers on top of the lamps.
Click to expand...

This x 100

Too much hassle matching trannys/drivers to the LED lamps, much easier to just swap to GU10 then its all built into the Lamp itself.

Seen installs where people have just swapped 12V halogen for LED thinking same fitting should work ok etc, just melts a big hole in the side of the tranny and melts the transformer casing. Also i have seen the LED lamps can act weird and pulse/flash.

Technically the correct solution is to swap the whole fitting for a purpose designed LED fitting which comes with the LED & driver built in and a long warranty and just wire it in to the mains.
 
How cheap are EcoStars now? Best I could get them for was £45+VAT a unit, but that was about 6 months back.
 
So I bought one and plugged it in. It doesn't look as bright. I realised I bought one which had a different beam angle. I bought one that was 120* whereas the non led ones I had were 36*.

Before I invest in some 36* ones, could this actually be due to this transformer thingy?
 
Depends on the wattage of the existing transformer, if you had all the other MR16 lamps on, then you might have enough load on the system for the led version to work correctly.
 
Nightglow said:
Depends on the wattage of the existing transformer, if you had all the other MR16 lamps on, then you might have enough load on the system for the led version to work correctly.
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Any idea how I would find this information?

So just so I am reading correctly, it is perfectly plausible that the LED isn't as bright as it should be?
 
Look at the transformer, there will be a VA rating label on it,(VA' stands for Volt Amps), a electronic transformer will usually have a minimum load rating.

A MR16 lamp is 35w or 50w usually, compared to 4w or 5w for a led version.
So, six 50w lamp equals 300 watts, whereas six 5w led is only 30w, so your might led lamp might work ok, or flicker, appear dim or not even work with the transformer if the load is below the minimum figure.

But, changing from 36 degrees to 120 degrees lamp, is a big difference in beam spread, so you could be tricked into thinking the light is dimmer than it really is.
 
How many spots do you have on that track, working on 1.6A @ 240v gives you 384 watts, so you could in theory run up to ten 35watt lights on that track.

Whereas ten 4w led lamps, total load is only 40watts, so you might be below the minimum load for that transformer.
 
So the bulb I got is apparently 3000k (according to the box) but it doesn't look like a normal bulb colour.

Apparently I should get 2700k but I can't find any MR16 2700k LED bulbs anywhere - do they not exist yet?
 
The difference between 2700k and 3000k is minimal - chances are you're a victim of the terrible labelling in the LED world at the moment which should be resolved soon with new EU legislation requiring lamps to be compared on lumens and not stupid "halogen equivalent" watts.

What LEDs are you using?

Try one of these: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LTMR7WW.html
 
OK. So I am happy with my setup of LED lights that I have started to replace the others.

Most of the other lights in my flat use the same socket type. I've tried one of my existing LEDs and it briefly switches on, then switches off again. I assume this is the "driver" issue that has been mentioned. What do I need to buy?
 
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