1. Why should you buy the LITE-KL-SH 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb?
2. Sharp LED Lights - I have never heard of the light brand Sharp, what is Sharp? Is it good?
3. LED Light Life-time - What does the LED Life mean? Will it really last 25 years or more?
4. Electronic Transformer Compatability - How can the 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb work with my existing 50W halogen transformers?
5. I've pluged my new 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb into my old MR16 connector and halogen transformer but it does not work?
6. LED Light Flicker - I've pluged in my new 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb but there is a flicker when turned on.
7. LED Light Buzzing noise - I've pluged in my new LED MR16 Bulb but there is a buzzing noise when it is turned on.

1. Why should you buy the 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb?

50W Halogen Equivalent. With a light output of between 450 and 550 lumens the LITE-KL-SH comes close to or matches the output of a traditional 50W halogen. See illustrated photos and our LED downlight comparison chart to see a direct comparison.

Price. The Sharp LITE-KL-SH downlight bulb represents our best value MR16 bulb in terms of providing a high level of lumens per dollar value. 

Reliability and High Quality. The LITE-KL-SH uses a latest generation COB LED produed by the Sharp Corporation who has been manufacturing LEDs for the past 40 years with recent applications in LED TVs and minitors and high power LEDs for LED lighting. 

High Compatability - Plug and Play. The LITE-KL-SH MR16 is compatable with most electronic transformers used with low voltage halogen downlights. Please see our attached compatability chart or mail us your transformer for testing. For greater efficiency and longer life please consider purchasing our 12V constant voltage LED driver. It's relatively low profile design will also fit most downlight fixtures. 

Efficient Cooling. With a medium sized and multi-fin aluminium heatsink the LITE-KL-SH achieves efficient cooling leading to long life and good reliability. Sharp also uses an innovative, fully insulating ceramic substrate which provides heat dissipation allowing low color shift with even lumen output over time – and, ultimately, longer operational life at full performance.

Silent Operation. Some LED bulbs (e.g.,Philips Master LED downlight) contain small fans which emit a faint noise which can be bothersome in a quiet room. However, the LITE-KL-SH with its passive cooling system can achieve 100% silent operation with compatible transformers.

2. Sharp LED Lights - I have never heard of the light brand Sharp, what is Sharp? Is it good?

In LED lighting rather than having particular brands for the whole bulb or lamp like Philips or Osram, most branding refers to the manufacturer of the LED inside the globe which is arguably the most important part (read also section on power supplies). Some well known examples include CREE, Epistar, Bridgelux, Philips and Osram. 

Sharp founded in 1912 is a renoun Japanese electronics company well known for its production of electronic products including microwaves, calculators, air conditioners, photo copiers, computers and televisions. More recently Sharp has been able to leverage 40 years of expereince manufacturing LEDs to produce leading LED TVs and LED engines for LED lighting. You can find out more about Sharp LEDs by visiting their website at www.sharpleds.com.

3. LED Light Life-time - What does the LED Life mean? Will it really last 25 years or more?

Yes, theoretically the LED in your LED bulb will last more than 25 years or even "light for life". In fact it will continue to glow at lower levels well past its L70 lifetime at 30,000 hours or so, to 100,000 hours which is literally a life time. However, in reality the limiting factor of the life of your LED bulb is the internal or external driver/power supply, particularly if you use your exisitng electronic halogen transformer which has probably already had a hard life working at close to maximum capacity.

However, depending on the quality many drivers and power supplies or transformers are rated at 20,000 to 30,000 hours so theoretically the LED bulb should still last 20 years in residential applications. The capacitors we use in our LED drivers or LED power supplies are special long life capacitors rated at operating up to 105°C. In reality they generally will operate between 30°C to 40°C and below there maximal rated voltage. So with this, together with the self-healing properties of the capacitor, they do have the potential to last for many years.

In reality, the theoretical life span for LED bulbs has not been fully tested in many applications given they have only really been around for 5 years or so in high power applications. However, a life span of 20,000 to 30,000 hours is well accepted in the industry and by government organisations. Many of you probably still have an old radio, cd player or computer or other electronic device which is still working after 10 years or so and still runs quite happily. Take for example radios in cars which may still be running after 20 years or so in an old car. That device like LEDs and power supplies contains solid state electronics and without the problem of moving parts is really quite durable.

Therefore, we expect your new LED light bulb to potentially offer you "Light for Life". 

4. Electronic Transformer Compatability - How can the 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb work with my existing 50W halogen transformers?

The output of your electronic transformer is 12V AC which means the output voltage is alternating in a sinusoidal pattern. LEDs require a fixed direct current or stable voltage so the 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb contains special circuitry in the base known as a bridge rectifier and transformer which converts the alternative current to direct current and adjusts the voltage and current level to a suitable level to drive the LED. A maximum of four to five bulbs per 50-60W electronic transformer is recommended.

5. I've pluged my new 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb into my old MR16 connector and halogen transformer but it does not work?

First try plugging in a different MR16 bulb to ensure there is not a problem with the new LED bulb. Although faults with the 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb are uncommon they do occur occassionally. You may also need to replace the MR16 connector as these frequently carbonise and degrade due to the combination of high temperature and current caused by the old 50W halogen. The halogen transformer may also be faulty or incompatible. 

6. LED Light Flicker - I've pluged in my new 8W Sharp LED MR16 Bulb but there is a flicker when turned on

It is likely that your electronic transformer is not compatible so you should consider purchasing a compatible electronic tranformer or a 12V DC constant voltage driver. Alternatively you may have plugged in a non-dimmable LED bulb into a dimmable circuit or you may be experiencing mains voltage fluctuations. If you are running only 1 LED light bulb on a single transformer or dimmer circuit you may need to add an additional bulb to assist with switching on the transformer or dimmer circuit since dimmers are traditionally used to dim at least a 30W or 50W light bulb rather than a single 7W or 10W LED light bulb. If you cannot connect additional LED light bulbs on the same circuit then another option is to use a Clipsal 32E2CFLD CFL low voltage dimmer.

7. LED Light Buzzing Noise - I've pluged in my new LED MR16 Bulb but there is a buzzing noise when it is turned on

The LED buzzing is due to instabilities in the AC electronic transformer leading to harmonics and the resulting buzzing. It should not be a problem but is irritating. In this sense it is likely that your electronic transformer is not compatible so you should consider purchasing a compatible electronic tranformer or a 12V DC constant voltage driver. It is also worth checking the connections bettween the LED bulb and the electronic transformer. Sometimes the MR16 connector can degrade and carbonise leading to intermittent contact and a buzzing type noise.