Replacing halogen lamps with LED lamps in a chandelier

A chandelier is a beautiful and necessary thing, but at the same time it is quite expensive in itself, not to mention the lamps used in it. Therefore, during renovations, many smart apartment owners do not replace old chandeliers with new ones, but modernize them. One option is to replace the lamps. In my article I will try to clearly explain how to replace halogen lamps with LED lamps.

Is the game worth the candle?

There is definitely a reason to tinker with a replacement. This operation makes sense because LED lamps:

• Much more durable than halogen. This means that you will need to spend money on replacing lamps much less often. The lifespan of the diode reaches tens of thousands of hours, since it does not have an incandescent filament, and therefore there is nothing special to burn out.
• Consume less electricity. After their installation, the overall electricity consumption in the apartment will decrease.
• They have a brighter and more pleasing light to the eye.

If the chandelier itself is from a series of expensive ones, and even with several cascades, the question of whether it is reasonable to replace the lamps disappears by itself.

Replacement options

There are several options. One of them is for those who know nothing about electrics, and the second is for specialists. Now we’ll talk about each of them in more detail, but you can decide for yourself what you like.

The easiest way

Consists in purchasing LEDs with the same voltage and base parameters as the replaced halogen lamps. New light bulbs are simply screwed into place of the old ones, that's all the replacement is. The disadvantage of this method is often the insufficient brightness of the lighting, and the advantage is its undoubted simplicity. It is quite easy to remove the halogen lamp, come to the store with it and ask the seller to select LED lamps with the same parameters. Even a person very far from electrical engineering can install them in a chandelier.

With removal of chandelier transformers

If the owner wants to use 220-volt LED lamps, then he can remove voltage-stepping transformers from the chandelier and directly connect the LEDs to power from the home network. It must be remembered that if 12-volt halogens were used in the chandelier, then it may be necessary to replace the internal wiring with more powerful cables. If replacement is not made, the wiring may well burn out, rendering the power supply circuit unusable. And then you will have to do double work or throw out the chandelier.

The power source changes completely

This is the most complex and expensive option, but it is the most reliable in terms of further operation of the lighting device. To bring it to life, it is necessary to carry out the following manipulations:

• remove old lamps;
• disassemble the chandelier;
• dismantle transformers;
• install a DC converter for LED lamps (they are also called drivers) - they are needed so that LEDs designed for DC can operate stably on a household AC network;
• assemble the chandelier and screw in new lamps.

If the replacement occurs in a large chandelier with several circuits, then each circuit may require its own converter. It is these chandeliers that are most often controlled by remote controls. If for some reason a single circuit cannot be serviced by one converter, then it (the circuit, not the converter!) is divided into two parts by mounting two drivers. In this case, the inputs of these blocks must be connected in parallel - the phase wires are collected in one node, and the zero wires, respectively, in another.

Who can make the replacement?

I consider it necessary to warn that replacing halogen lamps with diode lamps in a chandelier according to the second or third options described above can only be done by a person who understands the differences between drivers for a mouse and for a DC lamp. If a would-be specialist sees a chandelier for the second time in his life, then it is better to immediately turn to professionals without waiting for the outcome.

Poorly performed work may result in fire or electric shock. This means that it is fraught not only with damage to property, but also with a threat to human life. This probably won't be justified by any savings.

It goes without saying that the work must be carried out in compliance with all safety requirements and when the chandelier is disconnected from the network. If the building has a power panel with switches, after a power outage a warning sign is left on it with the inscription: "Do not turn on! People are working!” or other similar content.