How to Change Your Downlights to LED (2024)

LED downlights have been in widespread use for over ten years. During this time, the quality and range of downlight replacements has improved significantly.

That being said, whether you're upgrading from an old halogen downlight orswapping an existingLED downlight, the process can still be a bit tricky.

PLEASE NOTE: Downlights come in a wide variety of types and styles. Many, but not all, are DIY-friendly, such as low-voltage MR16 downlight bulbs and plug-in LED downlight fittings. Always turn off the power before commencing any work. For mains voltage wiring - or if in doubt - engage an electrician.

1) How to Remove a Downlight

The first step when replacing your downlights is to find out what you currently have. There are a few things you can quickly discover by removing the existing downlight:

Are you replacing a downlight globe (like an MR16, GU10 or MR11) or a complete fixture?
Is the fittinghard-wired or plugged into a power socket in the roof?
What is the approximate diameter of the hole in which the downlight fitting is installed?

Knowing this will help you choosethe most suitable replacement in step two below. But for now, you need to consider how to remove the existing unit, which is not always as straightforward as it sounds.

How to Change a Downlight Bulb

Changing a downlight bulb usually involves twisting, unclipping, or pulling out a section of the fitting. You can then access the globe to remove it and install a replacement.

How to Remove a Downlight With Spring Clips From The Ceiling

If you are not simply replacing a bulb, you may need to remove the entire downlight fitting from the ceiling. These are generally held in place with two spring clips. Once you have located the spring clips, you can remove one side by pulling down firmly whilst supporting the plasterboard from underneath in the same location. Not doing so may result in damage to your ceiling. Once one side is out, the other should be easier to slide out.

Locate one of the spring clips and pull down firmly while supporting the ceiling.

The downlight can then carefully be removed from the ceiling.

2) Choosing Your Downlight Replacement

Once you know what type of downlights you have, you'll need todecide whether you want to upgradethe bulb or the entire fitting. There are some pros and cons to both approaches, as I'll outline below.

ChangingLED Downlight Bulbs

Advantages:

This is often the quicker and easier do-it-yourself choice. In most cases, you can upgrade them yourself without involving an electrician.
Replacement downlight bulbs may become more energy efficient in the future, so you can keep upgrading them over time.
In general, downlight globesbetter mimic the look and feel of old halogen downlights.

Disadvantages:

You may encounter issues with existing transformers or dimmers. If this occurs, you can consider upgrading the transformer or switching to an LED-optimised dimmer.
Your existing downlight bulb fittings may have air gaps around them. This can cause air leakage to the roof or bugs and dust to enter your home.
Old halogen-style downlightfixtures generally cannot be well thermally insulated in the ceiling.

Installing Complete LED Downlight Fittings

Advantages:

They're typically available with a tri-colour switch. This means you can select the colour temperature at the time of installation (rather than at the time of purchase).
An integrated LED downlight with an IC-4 rating - such as the ones we sell - can be abutted and covered with insulation in the roof space.
They are also usually sealed at the front, making them suitable for installation in kitchens and bathrooms and minimising air leakage.
Once you have power points in your roof cavity, they are relatively easy to upgrade and change yourself.
They can produce more light output than old halogen bulbs, so you can often install slightly fewer per room in new builds. See our downlight calculator for more.
They're available in severalceiling cut-out sizes, including 90mm (most common), 120mm, 150mm and 200mm.

Disadvantages:

An electrician will usually need to be complete the initial installation, which adds to the cost.
Most downlight fittings have a much wider beam angle of light than old halogens. As a result, these fittings can appear to produce more glare. If this is an issue, choose a lower wattage, dimmable, or narrower beam model.
They are fully integrated, which means there is no light bulb to replace. When they fail, you need to swap the whole fitting. This issue is somewhat negated by their long lifetime and widespread availability 'with plug'.

3) How to Install Downlights

Installing a downlight bulb is quite simple. Once you have removed the existing globe, you simply reverse the steps in part one above to install the new light bulb.

For entire downlight fittings, you will often need to engage an electrician to install them. However, if your ceiling already has power sockets like these installed, then you can buy a new downlight with a plug and install it yourself.

Are you readyto replace your downlights?Click here to see our complete range of LED downlights. We sell:

Bulbs and globes (MR16, GU10, MR11, G9, G4, and more),
Complete dimmable fittings in a range of cut-out sizes,
Smart LED downlights from Philips Hue,
Parts and accessories like power sockets, transformers, dimmer switches, and more.