Retrofitting Your Home With GU10 LED Light Bulbs
Posted by Richard Clarke on 7th Oct 2011
The term “Retrofitting” refers to any instance in which a completely new component is applied to an existing product that did not have it when it was manufactured.
With regard to energy-conservation, this means integrating new technology into existing commercial and domestic setups so as to improve their performance and energy-efficiency. It also strongly implies that this should be achievable with as little need for modification as possible.
Examples of retrofitting are many and varied, and can include anything from installing a programmable thermostat in order to improve domestic energy conservation, to embracing eco-friendly power by installing solar panels.
One of the simplest and most straightforward methods of retrofitting your home is to adopt an energy-efficient alternative to your existing light bulbs.
Many of you have probably already embarked on this course of action, especially as CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) have now been available for some years, however, their shortcomings are considerable, so here’s where the wide range of replacement GU10 LED bulbs come into their own.
Retrofitting The GU10 LED Light Bulb Into Your Home
Light bulbs that are classified as ‘retrofit’ or ‘replacement’ are designed to match the dimensions of any of your existing fittings.
There’s a lot of retrofittable GU10 LED bulbs to choose from, and they’re becoming increasingly popular across the nation, especially in homes that have certain types of light fittings that originally required halogen bulbs with a GU10 cap.
Simply replacing your existing halogen GU10 bulbs with super energy-efficient LED models will be incredibly beneficial to you in many different ways.
GU10 LED light bulbs will, for example, save you a substantial amount of money on your electricity bill, as they require only a fraction of the energy to power them, compared to a similarly bright GU10 halogen bulb.
Amazing Energy-Savers
The Dimmable GU10 LED Bulb 27 SMD requires just 6 watts of electricity to generate the same 450 lumens as a 60 watt halogen bulb. This means you’ll use just 10% of the electricity, and the savings per bulb shown below will astound you and cause you to wonder why you haven’t switched to LED lighting before.
Assuming an electricity charge of 13.75 pence per kW/h and a running time of 8 hours a day for one year, the costs for the two types of GU10 bulb are as follows:
· 60W Traditional Halogen GU10 Light Bulb – uses 175.20 kW/h and costs £24.09 per year.
· 6W Dimmable GU10 LED Bulb, 27 SMD – uses 17.52 kW/h and costs £2.41 per year.
Therefore, simply by swapping one traditional halogen bulb for its LED equivalent you’ll save a staggering £21.68 over the course of a year!
The fact that it’s dimmable also has a bearing on its energy-efficiency as, when used in conjunction with a trailing edge dimmer, you’ll be better able to control the intensity of light you use and, by extension, the amount of electricity the bulb requires.
In comparison with the halogens they’re replacing, GU10 LEDs have a much extended life-expectancy. At 50,000 hours, your retrofitted LED bulbs will continue to provide you with illumination for many years to come, whereas the halogen will need to be replaced several times every year.
Incredible Versatility
With the LED variety of GU10 light bulbs, you’ll also be able to tailor the lighting ambience of your room or area, thanks to the choice of colour temperatures in which they’re available.
Below is a handy table illustrating the most popular applications for the three colour temperature variations:
| Colour Temperature | Application |
| Warm White (3000K) | This is most people’s first choice for areas such as the lounge and the bedroom. It has a mellow glow that’s perfect for relaxing and socialising. |
| Daylight White (4000K) | The most natural of the colour temperatures, it has traditionally been used for studies and offices, but is now becoming increasingly popular in many customers’ living spaces. |
| Cool White (6000K) | This colour temperature is best suited to functional rooms such as the bathroom and the kitchen. Its bright, penetrative light is ideal for task-related activities. |
Check Your Fitting Sizes
The only complication you may encounter when retrofitting your existing light fittings with LED bulbs that incorporate a GU10 cap is their dimensions.
This is because bulbs are expected to fit snugly inside a recessed cavity and behind a metal or glass frame, leaving very tiny margin of error.
So, if you’re working with surface-mounted lighting, such as LED ceiling spotlights or general LED light fittings, you shouldn't experience any problems whichever size of GU10 LED you choose. However, if you have recessed GU10 LED downlights and fittings, you’ll need to confirm that there’s enough space inside the enclosure to accommodate the bulb.
The simple and effective method of checking the dimensions is to check the product specifications on the box. The height and diameter of your prospective GU10 LED replacement bulb will also always be clearly shown on the product page, so there shouldn’t be any confusion.
Compare the sizes with those of your fitting, which you can easily acquire from the manufacturer, or by physically measuring it yourself.
What you’ll find with most recessed light fittings is that there’s sometimes enough excess space to accommodate a slightly larger bulb, but it’s always a good idea to be absolutely certain of your bulb sizes.
While GU10 LED bulbs are excellent bulbs for retrofitting, they’re not the only replacement option available to you. In fact, we recommend that you check out our MR16, B22 and E27 ranges, all of which are ideal for retrofit projects. You’ll notice that the B22 bayonet and E27 Edison screw caps are the most commonly used household fixtures available, making them eminently suitable for household retrofits.
If you’d like some advice about retrofitting LED light bulbs, why not give one of our customer service advisors a call today on 0116 321 4120?
Or, if you’d prefer, you can send us an e-mail enquiry to cs@wled.co.uk
