Technical aspects of installing LEDs instead of halogens
The difficulty in switching from halogen lamps to diodes lies in modifying the power circuit. The power supply for halogen sources provides the voltage required for LEDs at 12 Volts, but does not stabilize it. Without stabilization, the LEDs will flicker, causing eye discomfort that is harmful to health.
You can replace the power supply in several ways:
- Complete replacement of power supplies. Transformers from the chandelier body are replaced with DC converters or LED drivers.
- The simplest option is to replace halogen devices with diodes with installed rectifiers that operate at the same voltage. In this case, replacement of power supplies is not carried out; it is enough to simply install diodes in place of the halogens. An important disadvantage of the method is low illumination due to voltage drop; brightness can be increased with lamps of higher power.
- Selection of LED lamps that operate on 220 Volts. Such sources are connected in parallel from the household network. Auxiliary elements will require step-down transformers. If the lamp operated on 12-volt halogen lamps, and instead of them LEDs with a voltage of 220 V are installed, then the connecting cables will need to be replaced.
The first method is the most reliable and safe, but it is also the most labor-intensive and expensive.
If you use a remote control to operate the chandelier, then with a complete transition to LEDs, it will not be able to control the lamp. This is due to low power consumption.
Comparison of halogen lamps with LED lamps while driving
It is not entirely correct to compare from photographs how headlights shine with different types of lamps, since photographs do not reveal the sensations of driving at night. In order to really find out which lamps were better, it was necessary to drive a car at night, with different types of light bulbs.
As a result, as a result of testing, we found that, in comparison with conventional halogen lamps, headlights with LED low beam lamps shine more efficiently.
The only thing we paid attention to when testing while driving was the dispersion range (beam of light). As you can see in the photographs, the brightness of LED lamps significantly exceeds the brightness of halogen lamps (even expensive and powerful ones). But, nevertheless, halogen lamps have a large beam range, which is indispensable while the car is moving. For example, if you are driving in complete darkness, then the range of illumination of the road itself plays a significant role for safety. In such driving conditions, the range of the light is more important than its brightness in front of the car.
Advantages of LED car low beam lamps
— You can see every small pebble on the road in front of the car within 10-15 meters. Due to the brightness of LED lamps, when driving in the dark, you will feel like the night is over. By the way, this can play an important role when driving for a long time at night. The fact is that the more light there is, the less risk of falling asleep while driving.
— Your headlights will shine very brightly, which increases the visibility of your car on the road to other drivers. Even from a great distance on the highway, your car will be easily seen by other drivers who are moving towards you.
— Reducing the load on the vehicle’s electrical system (including the battery). Especially when you use a car refrigerator or other energy-intensive equipment connected to the car's cigarette lighter.
- Stunning appearance. Yes, the front optics, where LED low beam lamps are installed, look very stylish and beautiful. From a distance, your car will be indistinguishable from expensive premium vehicles.
Disadvantages of LED car low beam lamps
— Despite the correct adjustment of the headlights, LED lamps produce a very bright light, which at close range can blind drivers moving towards you.
— Small range of the light beam. Small dispersion range. This is a big disadvantage for high-speed driving at night. Halogen lamps have a longer illumination range and do not blind oncoming drivers.
— LED lamps that come with retrofit kits and are presented on the automotive market are not entirely legal. So, despite the fact that most LED lamps are certified in Russia, according to current legislation, it is not entirely legal to retrofit a car with LED low-beam lamps if the car manufacturer itself has not provided for this possibility at its factory.
Let us remind you that any changes to the design of the machine that may affect road safety must be certified and approved by the traffic police.
However, despite the fact that the installation of LED low beam lamps is not entirely legal, many drivers in recent years have begun to equip their vehicles with them en masse. This is due to the fact that in most cases the traffic police do not have the opportunity to check on the road what types of lamps are used in the car. As a rule, special equipment is required for this.
The only place where car owners may encounter problems is after installing LED lamps in a technical center, when passing a technical inspection. In accordance with current standards and legislative acts, if lighting elements are installed on a vehicle that do not comply with established GOSTs, then the vehicle will not receive a positive inspection report.
Despite the significant disadvantages of automotive LED low beam lamps, we still have to admit that once you install them on your car, you will be delighted with them, just like us. By installing LED lamps instead of halogen ones, you will love them just like fog lights.
But can LEDs completely replace halogen low beam lamps in cars? Of course not. The laws of physics have not been repealed. If you often drive on dark roads or highways, then installing LED low beam lamps will not make you feel comfortable driving, especially when driving at speed and in the dark, due to the short range of light that LED lamps provide.
Pros and cons of replacing halogen lamps with LEDs
Changing an electronic circuit requires large financial and physical costs. Converting a lighting fixture will pay for itself in 2-3 months with daily use, so it is important to understand whether the procedure will be worthwhile.
What is the difficulty?
The main problems lie in changing the chandelier layout. Difficulties also arise when choosing LED light bulbs - they are selected taking into account the characteristics and type of holder in the chandelier, the size of the lampshade, and color temperature. The last factor directly determines the quality of lighting in the apartment. Halogen sources emit light of a warm yellow hue with a temperature of 2700-3000 K.
Diode devices are more diverse, the color temperature range is from 2100 K to 10000 K. Lamps with bright cool colors can be connected to the office, kitchen and other work space. Appliances with yellow color are suitable for bedrooms and children's rooms.
Cost-effectiveness assessment: is it advisable to change
The cost of diode devices is quite high, but this is justified by their long service life (over 30,000 hours), high efficiency and low power consumption. As a result, diode devices pay for themselves quickly. Halogen lights are cheaper, but they last less than 4,000 hours and require more energy.
What will the replacement give?
The main purpose of replacing lamps is to significantly save electricity. It is important to note that LED lamps do not flicker, unlike similar sources, which has a positive effect on health. LEDs are also safer - they do not contain harmful elements, and they do not heat up during operation. Halogen lamps produce high heat, which increases the risk of fire. LED lights are more durable, while halogen bulbs are easy to break.
Appearance of the chandelier
Diode lighting fixtures are larger in size than halogen ones. Due to the bulbs protruding from the shades, the appearance of the chandelier will differ slightly when turned off. When turned on, the difference will not be visible.
We change the halogen lamps in the car to LED.
LED bulbs produce extremely intense light with very little stress on your vehicle's electrical system. Let us remind you that for the first time such lamps, designed for installation in the headlights of a car, appeared on expensive premium cars several years ago. Unfortunately, in the very first years, owners of ordinary cars looked with envy at the owners of premium and expensive vehicles, dreaming in their hearts that their cars would have the same LED low beam. And now, a few years later, similar automotive LED lamps appeared on the secondary market (in car dealerships, online stores, etc.). Every driver can now purchase a kit for retrofitting headlights with LED lamps. We installed one of the kits on a test car to see if it was a good idea.
We would like to note that we not only installed them on the car, but also compared the LED light of the lamps with several types of conventional halogen car lamps (including several expensive lamps).
The test vehicle is an older 1996 Toyota 4Runner SUV that uses standard "H4" halogen headlights for low beam headlights. Thanks to the large headlights, this car is perfect for testing the operation of LED lamps as low beams.
No one doubts the brightness intensity of LED lamps. They are actually brighter than regular halogen light sources. But this is not the most important factor in automotive lighting. A more important indicator is the range of the light beam. That’s why we made a comparison, to understand which lamps illuminate the road better. And it is quite possible that LED lamps will not be able to produce a stable and powerful beam of light, as traditional lamps in cars do.
To understand why LED bulbs can be problematic, look at the design of automotive LED bulbs.
But despite the tiny size of the LED elements, they produce very bright light with a high frequency.
Replacement features
You need to replace the light bulbs in the chandelier by following the step-by-step instructions. It is similar for suspended ceilings and spotlights.
In a suspended ceiling
Replacement algorithm for a suspended ceiling:
- It is necessary to de-energize the room;
- The transformer is being replaced with an LED power supply;
- the socket is pulled out from the lamp;
- LED light is installed;
- if necessary, the wiring is insulated;
- check whether the chandelier is tightly fixed.
In a spotlight
Replacement steps for spotlights remain the same:
- the room is de-energized;
- the fixing ring is removed;
- the halogen lamp is pulled out of the chandelier;
- a new device is installed;
- The lamp body is securely fixed.
The algorithm for replacing an LED spotlight for halogen lamps is the same; it is important not to forget to change the power source to a transformer. It is better to wear gloves when installing a new halogen lamp so as not to leave marks on the surface of the housing.
