LED spots with no vents, do they exist?

An ancient 35W MR16 halogen spot blew the other day, so I thought I’d try a replacement LED. All is good, I like the quality of the light and the lower power BUT with one major flaw.

The LEDs apparently suffer from high temperatures so they have fins and vents to keep the temperature down. My problem, which I’m sure I am not alone, is that directly above my bathroom is the roof space. Tonight it is pretty windy and I get a draft into the bathroom through the lights and presumably moisture goes the other way into the roof space, both pretty undesirable.

Are there any without this feature as I think i’ll have to go back to halogens. Disappointed really.

Can you handle a halogen after its been on, continuously for 15 mins ? How about the led for the same time ?

No don’t think so but I don’t get the relevance of this?

The LED vents are part of the bulb and there because although they don’t get as hot as halogens, the light ‘degrades’ with temperature and the vents are to maintain efficiency.

Not a bulb replacement, but I’m currently replacing my Halogen spots for LED’s.

I’m using these –

FGLED’s

3w ones in the bathroom and 6 watt ones in the kitchen. Will save electricity on the 20 50watt halogens I currently have

Its not the light bulbs causing this.

Poorly installed lights and poor insulations causing this.

Let me guess lights are installed with just the insultation around them removed?

Correct, they are old and have 12V transformers. The FGLEDs above look like it would be better. They take a 240v feed by the look of the terminal.

What’s the correct installation, might get someone in to sort it out.

http://www.downlights.co.uk/faq-can-i-put-loft-insulation-over-downlights-.html

http://www.downlights.co.uk/accessories/loft-caps.html

I fitted these on a total of 18 lights over three rooms when I moved in to my place.

The difference was instant (especially when coupled with a top up of 300mm across the loft!), draft stopped immediately.

Seal em off with silicon.

Easy.

EDIT: BEATEN TO IT!! – I should add, I’m no DIY ninja, but fitting them is a piece of pi$$.

Ideally you’d be better with a IP65 rated trim to stop moisture entering your loft.
What about rather than searching for a bulb, replace the trim on the light so its a sealed one. You’ll eliminate drafts that way, not just reduce

like this, but you’d need to see if that trim is compatible with your current housing.

You also get steel boxes to put over the lights to separate insulation and light. You then run the insulation over the steel box.

Back to your original question, Ikea sell GU10 LEDs that are sealed.

To echo prevous correspondents, you’d do well to replace the fittings with IP65 fire rated downlights, then boxes above to seperate insulation from the ‘loft side’ of the downlighter. I think this is less relavant with an LED bulb as they run so much cooler than a halogen, but better safe than sorry…

You could also simply put a clay flower pot over each light instead of a ‘loft hat’.
I’ve just laid the insulation over the top as the leds run very cool.

Many led and down light manufacturers have downlight with a plastic cage built into the top that keeps the heat sink fins away from the loft insulation so you can cover over without needing to fit a separate shield.
Fitting the shields can be a right pain especially when you’ve spent a good while lying on your belly in a tiny loft surrounded by insulation….. Hateful job.

Not a bulb replacement but you could look at “JCC fireguards ” we’ve got a couple of dozen at home a bit more expensive but they’ll solve your draft for sure