UKC

Have quite a few ceiling down lighters with par 38 bulbs. Been wanting to change for a while since they are costly to run and the colour temp seems too warm (so dull to see easily) for kitchen and bathroom.

I know that LED replacements are now available but with a huge range in costs from around £15 up (how does one bulb cost £70+?, but that is a different discussion!) and with generally higher lumens, and a range of colour temperatures. Not looking for higher output, but guessing around 4000k temp is what I should aim for?

I also found today that you can get converters which essentially convert the large hole that the par 38 holder needs and have a smaller bulb within. The ones I found online so far though are only halogen bulbs, and that could mean low voltage and getting transformers. Not sure about having an expanse of plastic with a small bulb, and really not sure if halogen is better than LED?

Anyone changed over to either option above and comment on pros and cons? Also, any brand of bulb better or are they all much the same nowadays despite the price differences? Any colour temp recommendation I should be aiming for, or is 4000k a good all rounder?

Appreciate any comment from those in the know.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Before we had our kitchen re-fitted, I changed all the screw in spots we had to LED GU10 using inexpensive screw in adapters we got from Am£&*n. Worked well. Personally I'd give halogens a massive swerve: they are generally too hot (meaning that their surroundings blacken after a while) and they seem to be incredibly unreliable.

As far as I can tell, most GU10 LEDs are about the right colour for the kitchen - you have to look a lot harder for properly 'warm'

In reply to GrahamD:

Thanks. I'll check out conversion adapter option.