Halogen floodlights light up very bright and are usually used to illuminate large areas or as construction spotlights. Most floodlights use halogen rods with R7s bases in various power ratings as illuminants. The bright spotlights are practical, but have a very high energy consumption. Here you can find out which spotlights can be converted to LEDs.
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Convert halogen spotlight to LED
Spotlights with halogen lamps are available in a wide range of power classes from around 100 watts to over 1000 watts. By default these are equipped with a halogen rod in a housing with an integrated reflector. Halogen floodlights are usually used for the following applications:
- As a construction spotlight for renovating or on building sites
- As outdoor spotlight for illuminating driveways or outdoor areas
- As floodlight for illuminating large areas
LED replacement for halogen rod
Halogen spotlights are very popular and often have a long burning time in many applications. A major disadvantage is the high power consumption due to the halogen rod. For some spotlights there is an economical LED replacement. Below you will find out which light sources can be easily converted to LED.
When is the conversion worth it?
The conversion of a halogen spotlight to LED naturally makes sense if the old light source has just burnt out anyway. But it can also be worthwhile to replace a functional spotlight with an LED version in order to reduce energy consumption.
What to pay attention to when retrofitting?
LED retrofitting is basically possible for many halogen spotlights. However, LED technology has become more complex compared to the old light sources. Here you can find out what you should pay attention to when retrofitting your floodlight.
Matching base
Of course, the new LED light source must fit into the socket of the existing spotlight. Most halogen spotlights have a R7s socket to hold the lamp.
Illuminant dimensions
R7s lamps are available in three standard lengths: 78 mm (3 inch), 118 mm (4.6 inch) and 189 mm (7.44 inch). Depending on the performance of the old halogen rod, the different lengths are used. Here you should measure before the conversion of the spotlight.
Color temperature
Halogen rods usually have a color temperature between 2700 and 3000 Kelvin, which is called warm white. Values between 3500K (neutral white) and 5000K (daylight white) are better suited as working light.
Dimmable illuminants
In rare cases, the halogen spotlights are operated with a dimmer. In this case, make sure that the R7s LED replacement is also dimmable. This also applies if the dimmer is always set to 100%. Non-dimmable LED light sources flicker frequently or remain completely dark.
LED illuminant for construction spotlights
Depending on the power of your halogen spotlight you should choose a suitable LED replacement. You can use the power rating of the previous halogen lamp as a reference. The power rating can normally be found on the housing of the spotlight or on the old lamp.
The power rating of the old light source should only be regarded as a reference value in comparison to the LED replacement. In practice, a 15W LED illuminant usually works just as bright as a 150W halogen rod.
Replace 100W – 150W with LED
Spotlights of the smallest class have a built-in R7s halogen rod with outputs between 100 Watt and 150 Watt. For this purpose, there is a wide range of high-quality LED light sources for easy replacement. These lamps are recommendable and have good ratings:
Replace 250W – 300W with LED
Many spotlights have an R7s halogen rod with outputs between 250 Watt and 300 Watt built in. Here the selection is considerably smaller than in the previous power class. The reason for this is the high space requirement of the illuminant. In order to achieve this brightness, many LEDs have to be used. This requires a larger surface area than R7s lamps usually have.
The Bonlux Double Ended R7S J118 comes closest to the light output, but in practice it might be a bit darker. This is available with a color temperature of 3000K and 6000K. The light of the cold white version appears correspondingly brighter. Here you should check before the purchase whether the illuminant finds enough space in the housing.
Replace 500W with LED
Spotlights with a 500W halogen rod have the highest distribution. This brightness is no problem for R7s halogen rods. For LED illuminants the design of the R7s base is problematic to accommodate very powerful LEDs with appropriate cooling. 500 Watt halogen power cannot be easily replaced by LED.
In this case, the purchase of an LED spotlight with about 8000 lumen is the more sensible option.
1000W LED replacement
Also for 1000W halogen spotlights there is no suitable LED illuminant as a replacement. The problem is the same as with the 500W spotlight. On the location of a R7s bulb no sufficiently powerful LEDs with appropriate cooling can be accommodated.
In this case, the purchase of an LED spotlight with about 16000 lumens is the more sensible option.
Modern LED floodlights
Only halogen spotlights with outputs up to approx. 300W can currently be converted to LED technology. If you want to convert spotlights with higher power to economical LED technology, it makes most sense to purchase a spotlight equipped with LEDs. These have even more advantages:
- Reduced heat generation
- Insensitive to shocks and vibrations
- Battery operation possible
Conclusion
The conversion from halogen spotlights to LED illuminants has many advantages. Due to the design of halogen rods, however, there is not a suitable LED replacement for all power classes. In many cases the purchase of a pure LED spotlight is the better solution. Due to the energy savings, the purchase costs are quickly amortized.