It is high time to replace your halogen lamps with LEDs

The energy efficiency requirements for lamps were made stricter in the autumn of 2018 and with this change the most common halogen lamps will be leaving the EU market. Retailers may still sell their existing stocks, but they are beginning to run out. However, there is no reason to worry or stock up on lamps: there is a long-living and energy-stingy LED alternative for nearly all luminaires. Airam's modern LED lamps look a lot like the old halogen lamps, and they make for ideal replacements.

LED replacements

In recent years, the home use of halogen lamps has primarily focused on spotlights, crystal chandeliers and luminaires that can be dimmed. For each of these purposes, a powerful, economical and dimmable LED alternative is available (check the compatibility of your dimmer first). For example, there are several models to replace the common spotlight with a GU10 base.

The LED replacements are directly compatible with old halogen ceiling luminaires. Same applies to 12 V spotlights with a GU5.3 base.

Quick guide for lamp shopping

Airam's lamp packages have all the information you need. When you are buying LED lamps, pay attention to the following factors:

• Do you need a lamp that can be dimmed?
• How much light are you looking for? Check the lumen value.
• What is the lamp's colour temperature? The smaller the value, the warmer the light. 2 700 and 3 000 K are the most common colour temperatures of warm lamps used in homes.
• When choosing a spotlight, you should also note the lamp's spread angle, e.g. 36D = 36°. The larger the number, the wider the area where the lamp disperses its light, and the smaller the number, the narrower the light beam. Which halogen and incandescent bulbs will remain in the collection?

Most omnidirectional halogen lamps can no longer be imported into European markets. However, the EU regulation that prohibits this allows some special purpose lamps, such as oven lamps, to stay on the market because they cannot be appropriately replaced. The regulation also allows R7s linear bulbs and lamps with a G9, G4 or GY6.35 base.

Replacing a halogen lamp with a LED is not witchcraft: remove the regular incandescent or halogen lamp and install the new LED lamp in its place.