What kind of LED downlights should I buy?

[Sunny18]

 

Hi, Bunnings Service Team

I'm planning to replace my old non-dimmable LED downlights in my living room with dimmable LED downlights. My existing LED downlights have the following details. 

MR 16 6.5W 600LM 12V 3000k
Brand: Onsemi EcoMatters- 90E2
Dimensions: 48mm x 58mm x 5mm
Please find attached photos above for reference. 

I also need to buy the same type of non-dimmable LED downlights for my bedroom and bathroom.

What kind of dimmable and non-dimmable LED downlights and matching dimmable switches would you recommend?

Many thanks 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Sunny18,

You will need a licensed electrician to help you replace the non-dimmable downlights and install a dimmer switch, so it is best to confirm the compatibility of the parts, not only with each other, but with the wiring in your home, with your electrician before purchase.

For this part of the project, assuming your electrician deems them suitable, you could use these Arlec 9W 92mm Tri-Colour Dimmable LED Downlights, which offer three different options for the spectrum of light produced.

You should also be able to use this DETA 200W Universal Electronic Dimmer With X6 Series Wall Switch, but once again, you should confirm compatibility with your electrician.

With the non-dimmable downlights, are you looking to just replace the bulbs? Or are you looking to replace the whole downlight altogether?

If you are just replacing the bulbs, then these Osram MR16 12V 60D LED 500lm Warm White 5.5W Downlight Globes would be extremely close.

If you are looking to replace the downlights, you could use any tri-colour downlight set to the warm white setting (3000k).

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[Sunny18]

Hi Jacob and Team

Thank you so much for your response 

I would like to know how long the warranty period is for these products and if the product fails during the warranty period, can it be replaced?

Thank you again 

Best regards 

Sunny

[JacobZ]

Hi @Sunny18,

Assuming you keep your receipt to claim the warranty, everything is installed by a licensed electrician, and the failure is deemed to be caused by the product, then you would be covered by the product's warranty. 

The warranty periods are as follows -

Arlec 9W 92mm Tri-Colour Dimmable LED Downlights - 3-years 
 

DETA 200W Universal Electronic Dimmer With X6 Series Wall Switch - 1-year 

Osram MR16 12V 60D LED 500lm Warm White 5.5W Downlight Globes - 5 years or lifetime in hours. This product's lifetime is listed as 15000 hours.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[R4addZ]

Hi @Sunny18 

You should not buy any downlights before getting a price from your electrician, yes find the prices you can get the items for so you can compare but remember the electrician buys at trade prices and if you buy them at retail, you are not only preventing him from discounting them for you but also removing his profits on the items. One thing you can be sure of is that if he can't make money on the supply of the parts, he will make up for in the labour cost.

As for warranty, most people overlook statutory warranty which you have by law and one thing in the law is that, and I paraphrase here as I can't remember the exact wording, the product has to be fit for the purpose for which it is sold and that includes a reasonable expectation of lifespan. So for example, a dimmer switch breaks down after 2 years but only has 1 years warranty. This can easily be seen to be not fit for purpose as they are often fitted in new construction homes that come with a 5 year warranty. As an example, some years ago we bought a Hyundai excel car new and after 4 years (the car only had 3 years warranty), the dash cracked badly. We had a new complete dash fitted free of charge as it was demonstrably unreasonable that a car sold into the Australian market should have this happen that fast. Just because a manufacturer gives you a 1 year warranty doesn't mean that is all you are entitled to, it's a ploy to discourage people from excercising their actual rights!

A final note here is that Bunnings readily support this as I had a Bosch drill (bought with a 1 year warranty) that after 2.5 years lost it's oil and as Bosch had just started offering a 3 year warranty they accepted that it shouldn't have happened and replaced the drill (unfortunately a young employee tried to deny the claim but a manager soon sorted the issue).

[Sunny18]

Hi Bunnings workshop team

Thank you very much for your advice. 

That’s really helpful. 

I will let you know if I have any other questions 

Best regards 

Sunny

[Sunny18]

Hi Jacob

Thank you for your prompt response.

For convenience, I simply wanted to replace my old bulbs, so I followed your instructions and purchased two packs of OSRAM MR16 12V 60D LED 500lm Warm White 5.5W Downlight Bulbs.

I hope the new downlight bulbs will work properly and not malfunction again within the warranty period.

Thanks again