We have four 50w halogen MR16 downlighters in the bathroom. Each one is supplied by its own 12v dimmable transformer. The whole lot is controlled by a dimmer switch outside the bathroom door. I've been pondering replacing the setup with LEDs for some time. Last week one of the transformers failed, which has prompted me to look seriously in to making the change.
Now, first things first: the advice I've had so far is that, because of the location of the light fittings wrt the bathroom fittings, I need to stick to 12v lights.
We would like to retain the ability to dim the lights. As I understand it, this will mean having to use dimmable LED-compatible transformers. Questions I have are:
1) Given that the LED bulbs will be running off the 12v supply from the transformers rather than directly from the 230v mains, does the dimmer switch need to be LED compatible or can I use an ordinary (cheaper) dimmer switch of the kind that works for incandescent bulbs but not LEDs? (My guess is probably not.)
2) Given the much lower power draw of LEDs of equivalent light output to halogens, is there any point in sticking with the one transformer per bulb approach, when a single 50w transformer should be plenty for 4x8w LEDs?
TIA for any advice or guidance folks may be able to offer.