Check out our 38 page guide below, which compares many of the current market leaders, such as the Halers H2, the Aurora I9 and the Icage with Philips Master LED combination. Features an FAQ (frequently asked question) section and an SAQ (should ask question) section.

Or feel free to contact the downlight experts on: 01706 521188

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There are four different types of plastic enclosure which can be sourced. A low lid variant for the smaller more compact box which can be easily fitted into narrow spaces. A deep lid enclosure would be used if there was more space required in the plastic enclosure for larger electrical components. Glanded plastic enclosures so cables can be easily inserted and used with the enclosure. Finally a transparent lid enclosure can be used incase there is a requirement for the components to be visible inside the enclosure.

In some cases the consumer can decide on using a steel variant for an enclosure. A good example of a steel enclosure is the Hellerman Tyton Steel Enclosure range. The benefit of using a steel variant is the material is more robust and has a higher impact resistance which means the components inside are better protected. Also with steel enclosures they can be obtained in much larger sizes than Gewiss enclosures. The disadvantages of steel enclosures are that they are substantially more expensive over the budget priced Gewiss enclosure. Steel enclosures are also more bulky and are considerably heavier which could make installation a bit more complicated.

The standard IP rating of a steel enclosure is IP66 which ensures a higher level of ingress protection. The first number of the IP66 rating means that it is completely dust tight so no solid matter can enter the enclosure. The second number of the IP66 rating means it is protected against powerful jets of water meaning that a powerful jet can be aimed directly at the enclosure with no harmful effect.  The Hellerman Tyton steel enclosure offers an IP66 rating which enables it to claim its weatherproof status. This can be beneficial if the steel enclosure needs to be installed outdoors or at a position where water or liquids can be hazardous. This is great for industries such as the food industry and chemical industry where liquids could possibly damage internal components. On the other hand Gewiss enclosures offer an IP rating of IP56 which is slightly inferior to the steel enclosures but they can still be used outdoors.

Once an enclosure has been selected, in many cases the enclosure will need a mounting plate to mount the components inside the enclosure. Gewiss offer a range of mounting plates to suit the enclosures so there should be no problem in sourcing the correct mounting plate for the enclosure. Overall the Gewiss enclosure is a good option for a budget priced installation and will keep costs to a minimum.

As well as lasting thirty to forty times longer than halogen and three to four times longer than CFL, LED bulbs offer far greater energy savings. In terms of light output, LED bulbs now provide the same quality and intensity of halogen.

Earlier generations of LED bulbs gave LED lighting a bad name within the lighting industry as they provided very low levels of light and produced poor colour reproduction. Older generations can generally be identified by having a bubbly front lense with multiple LEDs whilst new power LEDs are flat and contain three or four power LEDs behind a glass lense, similar to a halogen. More advanced LED chips are now used by manufacturers such as CREE which produce the same clear white light often associated with halogen. Older, inferior LEDs should only be used for decorative purposes not ambient lighting. High power LEDs now offer a true, low energy lighting solution.

The main problem with LED bulbs is the price; they cost around ten times more than halogen and three times more than CFL. However, this price can be justified when you consider savings that can be made.

The first saving relates to the life expectancy of the bulb and in reality, you’re actually getting better value for money if you choose LED. For example a fifty watt halogen bulb will last for two thousand hours, compare this with a seven watt Philips Master LED bulb which will last for forty thousand hours. This means that over the same time period of forty thousand hours you would be paying for twenty halogen bulbs when just one LED bulb would do. This would make a saving of around ten pounds as buying one seven watt Philips Master LED is cheaper than buying twenty fifty watt halogens. Admittedly, it will take a while for you to realise the saving however you will quickly save the time and effort it takes to change a bulb on twenty separate occasions.

The forty thousand hours life expectancy of the Philips Master LED could range from four and a half years (if left on constantly) to over eighteen years (if used for six hours a day). The best way to convert life expectancy into actual days or years is to base the daily usage by the hours per day it will be left on for. For example; if the LED is used for six hours per day, it will last for over eighteen years. If the daily usage is less than six hours it would last even longer. LED bulbs are a ‘fit and forget’ product.

The above information shows a few of the benefits of using LED bulbs but the main reason is the amount of money that can be saved in electricity costs. Based on average electricity costs of fifteen pence per KWH (kilowatt hour) and using the same time period of forty thousand hours, twenty fifty watt halogens would cost £300 to run. Compare this with a seven watt Philips Master LED which would cost just £42 to run. This provides a saving of £258. This saving is just for one light, a typical lighting installation will have over ten lighting fixtures. Ten lights would a saving of £2580.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), this term is generally used by companies to calculate and compare the costs of using various products or services. TCO takes into account the total cost of the bulb in terms of purchase price, running costs and maintenance costs. As this article is written for domestic purposes maintenance costs have been ignored as nobody is going to pay themselves to change a light bulb.

The cost of ownership for a seven watt Philips Master LED would be approximately £65 – this includes the price of the LED bulb and the total running costs. No additional maintenance costs would need to be calculated as the LED bulb wouldn’t need replacing.

The cost of ownership for twenty fifty watt halogens would be approximately £332; this includes the price of twenty halogen bulbs and the total running costs over the same time period of 40,000 hours. For commercial use, the maintenance costs would also have to be considered as twenty bulbs would need to be replaced by a paid member of staff or by a third party on a contract basis. The total saving based on TCO would be £260. Again this is just for one bulb.

Another benefit of using LED bulbs is the environmental impact. LED bulbs are energy efficient and reduce your carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Changing one halogen bulb to an LED will save around one hundred kilograms of CO₂ per year. This will reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet.

Now the financial and environmental benefits have been made abundantly clear you just need to decide which LED bulb is the most suitable for your lighting needs. The most important and obvious consideration is the physical size of the bulb. The Philips seven watt Master LED is physically deeper than a halogen and won’t fit in most enclosed fire rated downlights. Other factors include the wattage and type of bulb you are replacing. If the LED needs to dimmable then this opens up more potential problems as not all LED bulbs are dimmable and dimmable LEDs are more expensive and won’t work with all dimmer switches. Also, the minimum and maximum dimmer switch loads for LEDs are different as de-rating factors must be calculated. Downlights Direct can help you find the perfect match.

Mains voltage LED bulbs are easier to replace than low voltage bulbs as the compatibility of the low voltage transformer does not have to be considered. The advantage of using low voltage MR16 bulbs over mains voltage GU10s is that they are brighter by around thirty percent. Some low voltage LED bulbs such as the Kosnic ones must be used with a special LED driver. This is because they operate on DC (direct current) voltages, using a standard low voltage transformer would drastically reduce the life expectancy of the bulb and most likely cause flickering. This adds to the setup costs and requires additional wiring which should be done by a qualified electrician. Philips low voltage LEDs operate on AC (alternating current) voltages and are compatible with most existing low voltage transformers making them the ideal retrofit solution.

LED has completely transformed the lighting industry and could soon make all other types of lighting obsolete, leaving LED the one and only choice.

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With over a million units sold since it’s launch date, there have been very few failures reported, usually around 1 in every 3000 which is unheard of when compared to other LEDs.

Many other unbranded LEDs claim to produce more lumen and be brighter on paper but when put to the test, the Philips Master LED always wins hands down. It outshines the competition. The robust aluminium construction protects the delicate components and also allows the heat to dissipate effectively.

The 7W GU10 LED is also Part L Approved as it produces over 45 lumen per circuit watt.

The only drawback with this lamp is that it is physically deeper in length meaning it won’t fit inside all downlights, especially fire rated ones. The best downlight match for this lamp is the Icage.

Icage downlights are fire rated but also allow the lamp inside to breath, unlike conventional fire can downlights that cut off the air supply. If you are paying over £22 per LED then you want to put in the best downlight possible. A downlight that allows it to live its full life expectancy of 40,000 hours.

The main advantage that the Icage has over basic fire rated downlights is that it is not fully enclosed at the back. Basic fire rated downlights have black fire cans which cuts off air and prevents the bulb from ventilating properly.  In other words it stops the bulb from breathing. The Icage allows the bulb to breath, pre-longing the life expectancy.

This becomes more important when you are fitting expensive LED bulbs. If you are paying £23+ for LED bulbs such as the Philips Master LED GU10 that should last for 40,000 hours then you should expect it to last for 25 to 40 years.

Putting an LED inside a standard fire rated downlight will reduce the life expectancy similar to a person that smokes. Smoking reduces a persons life expectancy. Icage downlights are like none smokers who will generally live longer.

Icage downlights are now available as complete LED downlights from www.downlightsdirect.co.uk