When I decided to renovate the hallway, one of the first questions that arose was the question of choosing the type of ceiling finish and which ceiling lights to install. Having many years of experience in using PVC stretch ceilings in the bathroom and living room, it didn’t take long to choose the type of ceiling. I decided to install a PVC stretch ceiling due to its many advantages compared to other types of ceiling finishing.
The ceiling lights took some thought. On the one hand, I wanted to install modern LED spotlights, and on the other hand, in the hallway there was a homemade set of chandeliers and sconces, made with my own hands. I liked them, and I didn’t want to part with either the chandelier or the sconce.
Ultimately, a compromise solution was found: the chandelier and sconce at the entrance to the hallway should be left hanging in their original places, and in the hallway corridor, where a single-lamp lamp hung on the wall, spotlights built into the suspended ceiling should be installed.
Before installing a suspended ceiling, it is necessary to lay electrical wiring, and in order to lay the wires, it is necessary to develop an electrical circuit based on the type and number of lamps, the type of light bulbs and their power.
Selecting the type of light bulb for a recessed ceiling light
Before purchasing a lamp built into a suspended ceiling, you need to select the type of light bulbs and determine the required number of them to ensure sufficient illumination of the room. Currently, four types of lamps are used for installation in recessed ceiling lamps: incandescent, halogen, compact (they are also called energy-saving or fluorescent lamps) and LED. Each type of light bulb has its own advantages and disadvantages; in addition, it affects the minimum distance between the installation horizon of a suspended ceiling and a fixed one, which is a determining factor in rooms with low ceilings.
Using the table below, you can easily make the optimal choice of the type of light bulbs for a suspended ceiling, based on your requirements and boundary conditions.
| Table for selecting the type of light bulbs for recessed ceiling luminaires | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical specifications | Lamp type | |||
| Incandescent | Halogen | Energy saving | LED | |
| Minimum distance between main and suspended ceilings*, cm | 10-12 | 5-6 | 10-12 | 5-6 |
| Supply voltage, V | 220 | 12, 220 | 220 | 12, 220 |
| Luminous flux*, Lm/W | 10-15 | 15-20 | 50-70 | 80-120 |
| Maximum power*, W | 40 | 40 | 40 | 7 |
| Color temperature, °K | 2700 | 3000 | 2700, 3300, 4200, 5100, 6400 | 2700, 3300, 4200, 5100 |
| Service life*, hour | 1000 | 4000 | 8000 | 70000 |
| Price | Very low | Low | Average | High |
Technical parameters marked * may differ up or down depending on the design of the lamp and light bulb, the power of the light bulb, the manufacturer, and the type of suspended ceiling. For example, PVC stretch ceilings are afraid of heating above 60°C, and this limits the permissible power of light bulbs in recessed luminaires.
It should be noted that halogen lamps, designed for a supply voltage of 12 V and 220 V, are very sensitive to excess supply voltage and often burn out as a result. For 12 V halogen lamps, a step-down transformer or power supply (adapter) is required, for which you must remember, in case of installing a suspended ceiling without access to the interceiling space, to provide a special place on the wall.
You can obtain more detailed information about incandescent and halogen lamps, energy-saving lamps, and LED lamps by visiting the website pages specifically dedicated to them.
Calculation of power and number of lamps
The power of the lamps depends on the size of the room (area, height and shape), the color of the walls and furniture, the purpose of the room and the preferences of the owner. Some people like bright light, while others prefer warm, diffused light of low brightness.
It is almost impossible to accurately calculate the power and number of luminaires, taking into account all factors. For an estimated calculation, you can use the illumination data presented in the table, thanks to which, taking into account the luminous flux depending on the type of light bulb, you can determine how many and what power lamps need to be installed in the room, depending on its type.
| Table for calculating the power and number of lamps depending on the type of room | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of room | Power required to illuminate 1m2 of room area depending on the type of lamp |
|||
| Incandescent | Halogen | Energy saving | LED | |
| Children's | 40 | 30 | 10 | 5 |
| Kitchen | 30 | 25 | 7 | 4 |
| Living room, bathroom, toilet | 25 | 20 | 6 | 3 |
| Bedroom, hallway, corridor | 20 | 15 | 5 | 2 |
| Utility rooms | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Let's look at an example of a calculation that I did for the hallway corridor. It was planned to install LED ceiling spotlights. The shape of the corridor is the letter T with areas of 2.8 m2 and 4.5 m2. The total area of the corridor was 7.3 m2. Let's calculate the required power of the lamps 7.3 × 2 = 15.6 W. Since the ceiling height was 2.75 m and the walls were planned to be painted in creme brulee color, taking into account the complex shape of the corridor, the optimal solution would be to install four ceiling spotlights with LED lamps installed in them with a small reserve, with a power of 5.5 W, supply voltage 220 V with pin socket GU5.3. The pin plinth for suspended ceilings is good because it has small dimensions, which is important when the inter-ceiling space is small in height.
Before the renovation, there were paintings by artists on the walls in the corridor, which were planned to be left in their original places after the renovation was completed. Therefore, for undistorted color rendition, white light LED lamps with a color temperature of 4000 K were chosen. If you need warm light, then you should choose a lamp with a color temperature of 2700 K.
It should be noted that it is not always advisable to use recessed ceiling lamps in rooms as the only source of lighting. A much better result can be obtained by using additional wall lamps or table lamps in the work or relaxation area. In this case, the power of the lamps in the ceiling lamps can be reduced.
If you have local lighting lamps, it is quite possible to completely abandon the lamps built into the suspended ceiling, replacing them with LED strip ceiling lighting. So, when solving the issue of lighting the premises of an apartment, there is room for creative imagination to unfold.
Selecting a wire for wiring spotlights
To lay the power supply wiring for four selected lamps with a total power of 22 W, any double-insulated electrical wire designed for wiring is suitable. A copper stranded double connecting wire, for example type PVA 2×0.75, is best suited. You don’t have to think about the cross-section of the wire cores, since the maximum current will not exceed 0.1 A.
When using 12 V halogen lamps in ceiling lamps, the wire cross-section must be calculated. One such 60 W light bulb consumes a current of 5 A. And if ten light bulbs are needed for lighting, then the current consumption will be 50 A.
Selection and installation of a recessed ceiling spotlight
The range of recessed ceiling lamps in any lighting store is huge, but they are all designed the same and differ only in the type of body finishing and additional decorations. Some models of recessed luminaires provide the ability to change the direction of the light flux within small limits.
Since I needed to illuminate the corridor, the choice fell on the simplest type of recessed lamp, which also included a base socket.
Any recessed ceiling lamp consists of a body, which is a shaped profile ring with areas for attaching two springs with ears. Depending on the type and power of the light bulbs, the lamp housings come in different diameters and may not have them, like the lamp in the photo above, or they may have an electric socket installed, usually E14.
A special place is occupied by LED ceiling spotlights, in which the LEDs are installed directly in the housing on a printed circuit board.
The light bulb in such a lamp cannot be replaced, and if it fails, you will have to replace the entire lamp or look for replacement LEDs. Such lamps are expensive.
For lamps without sockets, a spring in the form of a cut ring is used to secure the light bulb in the body.
The light bulb is inserted into the lamp body and is fixed due to the fact that the spring ring, unclenching, fits into a specially made groove in the body. This lamp is suitable for installing both halogen and LED bulbs. When replacing halogen bulbs with LED bulbs or vice versa, you must remember to check what supply voltage they are designed for.
To secure a ceiling spotlight in a suspended ceiling, regardless of its type, a hole is cut in a given location on the ceiling, slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the flange of the lamp body.
The ears of the springs are brought together by hand to such an extent that they pass into the hole in the ceiling. The ears are inserted into the ceiling hole and released. Leaning on the inner surface of the suspended ceiling, the lugs are pulled in until the flange stops against the lower surface of the suspended ceiling and thus fix the luminaire.
Such a simple design for mounting a ceiling lamp allows you to hide the elements of its fastening and easily remove the lamp if necessary. Simply grab the base of the lamp and pull it down.
After installing the lamp body on the suspended ceiling, a wire is threaded through it and connected to the socket using a terminal block. The socket is placed on the base of the light bulb, the light bulb is inserted into the lamp body and secured with an expansion spring.
Electrical wiring diagram
for spotlights
Before installing a suspended ceiling, after choosing the type of light bulbs, calculating their power, the number of lamps and their installation points, an electrical wiring diagram is developed. When developing an electrical circuit, it is necessary to take into account the points and methods of connecting the wires to each other and to the lamps.
Since wires were already coming out of the wall, to which the wall lamp had previously been connected, it was decided to connect the ceiling lamps to these wires. It was planned to install a suspended stretch ceiling made of PVC, and the wires came out above the level of the stretch ceiling, and, therefore, there would be no access to the connection points of the wires after installing the ceiling. Therefore, it was decided to make all wire connections in the most reliable way, twisting followed by soldering with tin-lead solder. The soldering points were marked on the electrical diagram.
When choosing a place to install lamps and chandeliers in rooms where there is a TV or computer, you must not forget that the angle of incidence of the light beam is equal to the angle of reflection. Taking into account this rule, lamps must be installed in places that exclude their reflection on the monitor screen, therefore, to select installation points for lamps, it is necessary to think about how the furniture will be arranged, in what place the TV or computer monitor will be installed.
When choosing light bulbs for a supply voltage of 220 V, installation of additional devices is not required. In the case of using light bulbs with a supply voltage of 12 V, it is necessary to provide a place for installing transformers or adapters, taking into account their overall dimensions and possible access to them for maintenance or repair.
Attention! Before connecting spotlights, to avoid electric shock, it is necessary to de-energize the electrical wiring. To do this, turn off the corresponding circuit breaker in the distribution panel and check the reliability of the shutdown using the phase indicator.
Electrical wiring installation
for connecting spotlights
After purchasing lamps, determining their installation locations, purchasing materials and equipment, you can begin installing electrical wiring.
Installation of electrical wiring for connecting lamps can be carried out at any stage of the renovation of the room, right up to the installation of suspended ceilings. But when repairing the walls in the corridor, it turned out that the light from the existing lamp was not enough. Therefore, the installation of electrical wiring had to be done first, and temporary sockets with energy-saving light bulbs had to be connected to the electrical wiring for lighting.
Before installing the wires, it is necessary to mark on the ceiling the installation locations of the lamps (circled in the photo) and the points where the wires are attached. To avoid sagging, the wires, depending on their rigidity, are fixed in increments of 40-50 cm.
To secure wires to the ceiling and walls, there are special dowel clamps (pictured on the left) and nail brackets (pictured on the right) of different sizes. To secure the wire with a dowel clamp on the wall, you need to drill a hole, put the dowel clamp on the wire and hammer the dowel into the hole. To secure a wire with a nail clip, you need to press the wire against the wall with it and hammer in the nail. Suitable for installation of wires and cables on wood, plastic, plaster.
Nail clips driven into a concrete plastered ceiling may fall out and remain on the PVC sheet. Therefore, this type of fastening was discarded. It turned out that I didn’t have dowel clamps at hand, so I used a simple and reliable method of securing the wires to the wall, using a clamp made from a vinyl chloride tube. A hole is drilled in the ceiling, a dowel is driven into it, and a self-tapping screw is screwed into the dowel through the hole made in the clamp. Since the weight of the wire is negligible, any self-tapping screw and dowel of the smallest standard size will do.
Making a wiring harness
ceiling spotlights
Since the electrical wiring for ceiling lamps after installing a stretch ceiling will be inaccessible for maintenance and repair, all wire connections in the inter-ceiling space must be made extremely reliably. Connections are usually made using terminal blocks, such as Wago. But the most reliable type of connecting wires is soldering, and this is the method I used.
To minimize the amount of work at heights near the ceiling, a harness was made in advance, which will only need to be fixed to the ceiling and connected to household electrical wiring.
To determine the length of the harness wires and soldering points, using previously made markings on the ceiling, the distances between the wires for connection and the installation locations of the lamps were measured. The measurement results were immediately applied to the electrical circuit, which was also an electrical circuit.
The harness was made of stranded copper wire with double insulation (the core is entwined with silk thread and covered with polyvinyl chloride). For convenience, the wires were twisted together into a pigtail.
After removing the insulation from the wires, they were tinned with solder. In the second section of the corridor, the wires had to branch out. Therefore, the wires were twisted in pairs and soldered with solder. Please note that to increase the reliability of the insulation, the connection points of the wires were made offset relative to each other.
Before connection, insulating tubes were put on the wires, which, after soldering was completed, were moved to the connection points. To prevent displacement of the insulating tubes, they were fixed on both sides with cambrics tightly fitting on the wires. Together with the displacement of the connection points, this insulation method guaranteed the reliability of the electrical wiring. Insulating the wires could also be done using ordinary insulating tape. To avoid confusion, the cambrics were marked.
When bending the cross beam, a small section of the wire harness passed below the level of the suspended ceiling. This section of electrical wiring ran under the plaster. To ensure reliable insulation, it was additionally covered with a polyvinyl chloride tube.
After the harness was secured to the ceiling, it was time to connect it to the apartment electrical wiring. To do this, the length of the conductors of the double wire coming out of the wall was trimmed with a shift. Since the wire was old, its insulation became rough and, in order not to damage the wires, it was removed thermally using a soldering iron. The cores were stripped and tinned with solder, and insulating tubes were put on them.
All that remains is to wind the ends of the bundle onto the cores of the network wire, solder it with solder and put on the insulating tubes. Thanks to the technology of shifting the wire connections, tubes are needed practically for human safety and aesthetics. Electrical wires cannot accidentally connect to each other.
The connection point is suspended from the ceiling using a clamp with a self-tapping screw. The electrical wiring for the spotlights has been completed.
Temporary electric sockets in places where spotlights will be installed are connected using terminal blocks, the light bulbs are screwed in and the repair can continue.
LED Ceiling Light Installation
on a PVC stretch ceiling
The technology for installing ceiling lights, including LED ones, on any suspended ceiling of a rigid structure, such as plasterboard, slatted ceiling or Armstrong, is described above. When installing a spotlight on a suspended ceiling made of PVC or other plastic material, it is necessary to install additional fasteners, otherwise the ceiling will sag under the weight of the fixtures.
For these purposes, special fittings are produced. The photo shows a universal platform (ramp) for mounting spotlights. The platform has the shape of a cone, the surface of which consists of steps.
To adjust the diameter of the platform mounting hole to a specific type of ceiling lamp, use a sharp knife to cut off the excess steps from the cone.
The platform is attached to the main ceiling using perforated steel tape. A piece of tape of the required length is unrolled from the roll and cut with metal scissors.
There are two platforms with holes on the platform for fastening the tape with self-tapping screws. If you don’t have a short-length self-tapping screw, you can tighten a long one. The protruding part must be removed with side cutters.
The fittings for spotlights are screwed to the ceiling with self-tapping screws, LED bulbs are connected for testing. Everything works, you need to remove the light bulbs and you can start installing the stretch ceiling.
After the suspended ceiling is installed, the installation of lamps begins. To ensure that the PVC film does not tear and does not heat up too much, before making a hole in it for the lamp, a special plastic thermal insulating ring is glued to the place of its installation with special glue.
The film is cut out along the inner circumference of the ring with a sharp knife, the cartridge is removed and the platform is centered. The perforated tape is easily deformed, and the ceiling bends, so you can easily adjust the height and location of the platform in the horizontal plane.
Installing a ceiling light on a platform will ensure its reliable operation and will prevent the stretch ceiling from sagging and being damaged due to excessive heating when using halogen light bulbs.
In the photo you see the final result of the work on installing spotlights in a suspended ceiling.
Many drivers tune their cars by replacing the standard low-beam headlight bulbs with LED ones. This is done in order to save money and improve performance in the operation of optics. But in some cases, such modernization of a car may be illegal and entail a fine for LED low beam lamps in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses. Actually, LED lighting technology is not an offense. The penalty entails that the changes do not comply with the factory characteristics of the vehicle's optics.
Car manufacturers use different types of headlights as standard:
- halogen;
- xenon;
- LED
Halogen headlights are the most common type of automotive optics. Halogen optical devices are used for high and low beam modes. The operating reserve is 500-1500 hours, the luminous flux power is 1500-2100 lumens.
Xenon lamps have a more complex design, have a high-quality reflector and have good focusing. Can be monoxenon or bi-xenon. The operating reserve is up to 4000 hours, the luminous flux power is up to 3200 lumens.
LED headlights are a modern type of lighting technology, capable of producing a powerful stream of white light with a power of up to 6000 Kelvin. The work reserve is 5000-10000 hours. These are the brightest, most powerful and durable headlights.
Modern LED headlights are installed in some of the latest generation foreign cars - Porsche, Audi, Lexus. If you have one of these models, then the LED lamps in the optics correspond to the standard configuration. But if the factory equipment includes halogen or xenon headlights, then the answer to the question becomes obvious: is it possible to drive with LED lamps? If you change anything in your car without complying with the technical parameters established by the manufacturer, this is a violation of the safety regulations for operating the vehicle. The same consequences entail.
Misconceptions of many drivers
Many drivers are mistaken in thinking that they have the right to change the lamps in the optics of their car themselves. It should be understood that LED headlights and LED lamps are not identical concepts. Despite the fact that manufacturers produce LED lamps with a base suitable for installation in standard headlights, this does not make replacing conventional halogen or xenon lighting devices with LEDs legal. Factory LED headlights are equipped with a stock projection lens designed for that light source.
Therefore, the installation of LED lamps in PTF entails a fine in accordance with the regulations, which deal with non-compliance with vehicle operating requirements and road traffic regulations.
5-KoAP-1.docx
Penalty for installing LED lamps
The fine for diode bulbs in headlights that do not correspond to the factory optics is 500 rubles. The same consequence will occur in any other case of discrepancy between the technical parameters of the standard optics (for example, when replacing halogen lamps with xenon ones or installing xenon optics with LED ones). LED low beam bulbs are fined only if they do not comply with the operational documentation provided by the vehicle manufacturer or have not received confirmation of compliance as part of the vehicle.
When can your rights be revoked?
Deprivation of rights for LED lamps is possible only if independent replacement in any way affects the functioning of optical partings - changes the quantity, color according to GOST, or operating mode. All this meets the requirements of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code. But in practice, the issue of checking and recording violations is controversial, because the procedure requires appropriate equipment, which not all traffic police posts have.
Methods for checking headlights by traffic police officers
Traffic police officers can check LED lamps for a car on site only visually, or by checking them with the technical documentation for the car. To more accurately determine the parameters of the lamp, a special flat screen with a white matte finish and a device that fixes the relative position of the screen and the vehicle for measuring light indicators are required.
Therefore, in practice it is quite rare, because For the protocol, the traffic police officer requires more compelling reasons. They are usually limited to a verbal warning or a fine. In the latter case, it will allow you to clarify the grounds for the order and, if necessary, challenge it in court.
Legalization of LED lamps for cars
There are a huge number of legends regarding car headlights related to the fact that ice lamps for cars are a cheaper, and most importantly, legal analogue of xenon. On the one hand, of course, LED lighting is gaining popularity today and now most car enthusiasts prefer such lighting elements to halogen and completely outdated incandescent lamps. On the other hand, ice bulbs do not give the expected result, they shine poorly, burst and blind oncoming drivers. To get to the bottom of the truth, let’s first turn to the letter of the law and determine whether LED low beam lamps are allowed.
Is it legal to install LED low beam headlights?
To begin with, you should look into GOST R 51709-2001 and find paragraph 4.3.1 there, which states that when operating a vehicle, the number and color of external lighting devices must meet the requirements of GOST 8769. Further, in the same paragraph a list of headlights is given:
- C – headlights for incandescent lamps;
- D – for gas-discharge elements;
- H – for halogen and incandescent.
Automotive diode lamps are not mentioned. From which we can naturally conclude that a traffic police officer can safely refer to this point and bring charges against the driver. This means that if a particular letter is indicated on the headlamp, then such elements should be installed there.
Healthy! If you look at paragraph 3.4 of Chapter 3 of the “List of Faults” you will find information that the fault includes missing light diffusers, as well as lamps that do not match the type of lighting device.
The only case when the use of LED optics is legally permitted is if it was installed at the factory of the car's headlight manufacturer. Moreover, the LED “node” is not a conventional lamp with an H1, H4 or H7 base, but a matrix on a special substrate. The matrix in this case is a light source that is redistributed under the influence of reflectors and lenses.
Of course, today on the market you can find LED low beam lamps for cars in the base H1, H4 and H7, but these are products of Chinese cooperatives.
Healthy! If you go to the official websites of the best manufacturers of car lamps today: Philips, Osram, then you will notice that there are no LED elements in the list of products for headlights.
Continuing to discuss whether it is worth installing 12-volt diode lamps for cars, let’s clearly analyze the facts and figures.
Why LED lamps are not suitable for low beam
For example, let's take a good 3W LED with a luminous flux of about 210-240 L (Lumens). Considering the current of 700 mA, the cooling for this element should be 70-80 degrees of the operating temperature of the crystal. Based on this, we conclude that at the point of contact between the LED and the radiator, the temperature cannot be higher than 50-60 degrees when the air temperature is not lower than +20 degrees.
Next, we calculate the radiator area that we need for one LED and we get approximately 15-20 cm 2 for an aluminum radiator and 20-25 cm 2 for a silumin one. If the case with the radiator is closed inside and there is no natural air convection, then the area will have to be increased by 15-20%.
Healthy! The luminous flux of halogens (for comparison) is 1500-1650 L per headlight, and if we are talking about factory xenon, then this value increases to 2,300 L.
Accordingly, to use car ice lamps and make them comparable to halogens, you will need 8 LEDs for each headlight. In order to cool such a number of light elements, approximately 160 cm 2 will be needed.
Let's move on, because there are still lenses and a beam of light that will be difficult to focus. This is due to the fact that headlight reflectors are completely unsuitable for diodes. However, you can still somehow configure them.
For dessert, there are lenses, that is, secondary optics, which also require space. Ultimately, to install two-pin LED lamps for cars or single-pin elements, you will need to rack your brains on how to fit a rather large structure into a headlight.
As you can see, using diode lamps for low beam is not the best idea. However, there are craftsmen who claim that you can save money by making lighting elements yourself.
Is there any point in doing it yourself?
First of all, it is worth saying that despite the fact that the forums are replete with various know-how from “experienced” people, there is no one to boast of such a home-made design that would work for a year in cold winters and hot summers. But even if there were unique people who were able to make all the calculations correctly and take into account all the nuances of operating diode lamps in headlights, then how much will you have to pay for this? Let's count:
- The radiator will cost at least 2,000 rubles, most likely it will require a fan, which costs a little more, from 2,500 rubles.
- 2 stabilizers are another 400 rubles.
- 2 drivers (PWM possible) - 500 rubles.
- 8 LEDs for each headlight - at least 1,600 rubles.
- Optics for diodes will cost another 500 rubles.
Total, 7,500 rubles for a rather dubious project. And this is without taking into account the processing of the headlight, which will definitely be required for a homemade design. In addition, even if you solve all the problems associated with how to fit the optics, the issue of focusing the light beam and the cooling system will remain open.
In custody
Most unscrupulous manufacturers will definitely tell you which LED lamps are better for cars, but if they really existed for low beam, then they would probably have been on sale long ago from such “monsters” as Philips. LED lighting undoubtedly has a huge number of advantages and displaces all other lamps, but it is completely unsuitable for low beam headlights. And ice light bulbs with an unimaginable luminous flux are nothing more than an elementary advertising ploy.
Good reliability and high luminous efficiency are good incentives for the widespread use of LED lamps, and they have not spared cars. Many automakers already install LED lamps in the headlights of their cars, but installing LEDs yourself may result in a fine from the traffic police or deprivation of your license for up to one year.
In this article, we tried to identify and systematize all the issues of installing LED light sources on a vehicle and highlight the main nuances of interaction with the traffic police inspector in the event of claims against the driver regarding violations of the lighting devices.
Options for using LED headlights
The operation of any vehicle involves only three options for using LED lamps, two of which are permitted by law:
- high or low beam lamps with light-emitting diodes are already installed in the car at the manufacturer's factory;
- independent installation of LED high or low beam lamps, if more expensive models of this vehicle series provide for their installation;
- installation of LED bulbs in standard halogen headlights of a vehicle.
In the latter case, the traffic police inspector may have claims, the validity and nature of which we will consider further.
In what case can you install LED lamps in headlights?
As noted above, LED high or low beam lamps can be installed in the headlights of a vehicle in the design of which this type of lamp is already used by the car manufacturer. In this case, there are no claims or fines from the traffic police, however, when replacing LED lamps, it is necessary to strictly observe the labeling of the lamp and its light characteristics.
If the car has headlights with halogen lamps, but the vehicle is equipped with LED lighting, then the headlights must be changed completely. Such a replacement is not considered a change in design and does not lead to punishment in the form of a fine by the traffic police, which is confirmed by the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union 018/2011 - Chapter V, Section 4, paragraph 77.
Additional requirements
Additional requirements for headlights with LED light sources are also formulated in the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union on the safety of vehicles (hereinafter referred to as the Technical Regulations).
Article 1.3.7 of this regulation specifically states that low-beam headlights with LED lamps are equipped with automatic angle correctors, and headlights with a luminous flux of more than 2000 lm are required to be equipped with cleaning devices.
1.3.7. Adaptive front lighting systems that perform the function of low beam, regardless of the light source used, low beam headlights with LED light sources, as well as low beam and fog headlights with light sources of any class having a rated luminous flux of more than 2000 lumens, must be equipped with automatic correction device for adjusting the headlight angle.
Marking of headlights for possible installation of LED lamps
The Definitions section (Section II) of the Technical Regulations provides the basic designations for marking all types of high and low beam headlights:
- headlights with halogen lamps are designated by combinations of the English letters HR, HC or HCR, where type HR denotes low beam devices, HC - high beam, and the designation HCR means dual-mode (low/high beam) light source;
- headlights with traditional incandescent lamps are marked with letters such as R, C or CR;
- gas discharge (xenon) headlights are designated by the abbreviations DR, DC or DCR.
The Technical Regulations also indicate the designation of fog lights - type B or F3.
One of the features of the operation of headlights with LEDs is the fact that the Technical Regulations do not have a designation for LED light sources as such, and manufacturers, in their designations of factory-installed headlights, label such devices as halogen.
The validity of such markings for LED headlights is confirmed by communication with traffic police inspectors, who clearly equate lighting devices with LED lamps to halogen light sources.
Installing LED lamps in halogen headlights
Now let's move directly to the issue of installing LED lamps in halogen headlights and possible liability for such actions. The process of installing lighting devices itself is not technically difficult, but it conflicts with the List of faults prohibiting the operation of vehicles, paragraph 3.1 of which reads:
3.1. The number, type, color, location and operating mode of external lighting devices do not meet the requirements of the vehicle design. Note. On discontinued vehicles, it is permitted to install external lighting devices from vehicles of other makes and models.
The situation is explained by the fact that a lamp based on light-emitting diodes differs slightly in light characteristics from a halogen lamp, and its use with halogen-optimized reflectors violates the operating mode of the lighting device, as indicated in paragraph 3.1.
In practice, replacing halogen with LEDs does not make such a difference as, for example, replacing with xenon lamps. The exception is cheap Chinese models of LED lamps, the cut-off line of which can be quite blurred. 
When installing xenon lamps instead of halogen ones, the cut-off line is very blurred, and sometimes it is even difficult to determine. Therefore, xenon lamps are easily identified by traffic police officers.
As a result, we can formulate the conclusion that the reflectors of halogen headlights with LED lamps do not distort the light characteristics as much as happens with xenon.
Penalty for installing LED lamps in headlights
Driving a vehicle with LED lamps in halogen headlights entails an administrative fine of 500 rubles. The amount of the fine is established for driving a car with malfunctions under paragraph 1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO):
1. Driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions or conditions under which, in accordance with the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety, operation of the vehicle is prohibited, with the exception of malfunctions and conditions specified in parts 2 - 7 of this article, entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.
In practice, traffic police inspectors and courts try to bring the driver to justice under paragraph 3, article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses:
3. Driving a vehicle on the front of which there are installed lighting devices with red lights or red reflective devices, as well as lighting devices, the color of the lights and the mode of operation of which do not comply with the requirements of the Basic Regulations for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials ensuring road safety - entails deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of six months to one year with confiscation of the specified devices and accessories.
From the above text we can conclude that the punishment under this article looks like a real deprivation of rights for a serious period of 6 to 12 months.
The mistake of law enforcement officers lies in the free interpretation of the necessary combination of two conditions (color of light signals and operating mode), and the punishment in the form of deprivation of rights follows only one point - violation of the operating mode. This follows from the fact that LED headlights do not interfere with the color of the lights, which by law can be white, orange or yellow.
But even the deprivation of rights for the mode of operation does not seem legally correct, since the discrepancy between the type of lamp and the marking of the headlight is not a violation of the mode, which by law is interpreted only as constant or flashing.
The real situation with LED lamps in headlights
The real situation with the punishment of vehicle drivers for LED lamps in halogen lighting devices is that proving the very fact of a violation poses considerable difficulty for traffic police officers, which is determined by a number of factors:
- According to internal documents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, control over the technical characteristics of headlights can only be carried out by inspectors of technical services and only at equipped stationary technical diagnostic points of the traffic police. Diagnostic tools must be registered in the state register;
- The inspector conducts an external inspection at the place where the car is stopped without opening the hood, and access to the engine compartment is already called an inspection and requires the presence of two witnesses or the use of video recording;
- Even if there are witnesses and the condition of the engine compartment is recorded, opening or disassembling the headlights is not allowed, as this leads to a violation of paragraph 1 of Article 27.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses:
1. An inspection of a vehicle of any kind, that is, an examination of a vehicle carried out without violating its structural integrity, is carried out in order to detect instruments or objects of an administrative offense.
A particular difficulty in diagnosing the presence of low-beam or high-beam LED lamps in halogen devices is that the light and technical parameters of LEDs are in many respects practically no different from halogen light sources. The universal nature of LEDs lies in the fact that the LED manufacturer can easily reproduce any parameters of halogen lamps - brightness, luminous flux or color temperature.
A complex algorithm for detecting and proving the presence of LEDs in halogen headlights leads to the fact that traffic police officers prefer not to touch owners of headlights with LED lamps, except in cases of outright violation of light conditions or a direct threat to traffic safety.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted that simply replacing halogen lamps with LED lamps does not always leave its mark on the car’s electronic systems. Different resistances of light-emitting diodes and halogen light sources can lead to redistribution of current loads and problems in the vehicle electronics.
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The popularity of LED lamps is constantly growing. Their scope of application is very diverse: they are used in home lighting, decorative elements and car headlights. However, owners of personal vehicles are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to replace standard xenon or halogen lights with LEDs and whether it is legal at all.
Installation of LED lamps in factory headlights violates the legislation of the Russian Federation: Article 12.5 of Part 3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which states that lighting devices on the front of the car are not allowed for use if they do not comply with the Basic Provisions.
This provision (clause 3.4) states that it is prohibited to drive a car if the type of lamps installed does not match the type of lighting device itself. For violating this law, the owner risks losing his license for a whole year. In addition, all illegal instruments and devices will be confiscated from him.
Are LED headlights allowed?
As follows from Russian legislation, LED lamps can only be installed in headlights of a certain type. The technical regulations of our country describe several types of front lighting devices:
- Xenon headlights.
- "Halogen".
- Incandescent lamps.
- Fog lights.
Each type has a specific marking.
Headlight markings for LED lamps
The marking of headlights is regulated by the technical regulations of the Customs Union, which provide the following definitions.
- Incandescent lamps. R – means low beam, C – high beam, CR – headlights that operate in both modes (often used in economy class).
- Fog lights. Designated as F3 or B
- Halogen lamps. HR – marking of low beam lamps, HC – high beam, HCR – simultaneous mode.
- Xenon headlights. DR is a sign for low beam, DC is for high beam, DCR means work in both versions.
The regulations do not say a word about the type of lighting device that is suitable for LED lighting. However, in practice, all traffic police officers and traffic authorities say that the appropriate type of headlights for LED lamps are halogen. Why exactly this is so is not entirely clear.
In other words, LED devices can only be installed in those headlights that are marked as halogen lamps - HR, HC and HCR. It is in this case that your actions will be considered legal.
Additional Installation Requirements
In addition to the fact that LED lamps can only be installed on headlights with the required markings, they are subject to other requirements that are established by the same technical regulations.
The first requirement is the correct headlight angle. It should be adjusted so that it does not dazzle other road users. The second requirement is that headlights must be equipped with a device for cleaning them. These rules also apply to all light sources whose luminous flux exceeds 2000 lumens.
What are the penalties?
Using LED lighting in unsuitable headlights will result in serious penalties. In theory, for such self-will the driver should be fined 500 rubles, but in reality they will be deprived of their driver’s license for as long as 365 days.
Reason for deprivation of rights
Traffic inspectors can deprive a driver of a driver’s license, citing Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The third part talks about the permissible operating modes of headlights and their colors. So, the lights should only have a white, yellow or orange tint. Blue, purple, or even more so red LEDs can legally deprive you of your driver's license. However, even for proper lighting, the vehicle owner can be punished, since the legislation is extremely ambiguous in its formulation of provisions related to the use of LED lamps.
It’s another matter if the driver unauthorizedly installs LED lights in the wrong type of headlights. Such modification of the vehicle entails a severe penalty - deprivation of rights for a year.
About legal punishment
If you thoroughly understand the issue, then there should be no fine or other measure, since LEDs are not mentioned in any legal act. The maximum penalty for using “diodics” can be a fine of five thousand rubles.
However, one or another punishment is unlikely to be avoided. Therefore, it would be correct to contact the traffic police to arrange the installation of LED lighting.
Checking the correct installation of lamps
Such a check can only be carried out by a traffic police officer. This is due to the fact that the installation of LEDs can be attributed to a change in the design of the vehicle, the issues of which are dealt with by this inspection. The employee will check the correctness of all your documents and the installation itself and, if everything is in order, will issue the necessary certificate.
Legal change of headlights
In order to fully use LED lighting, you need to select the appropriate type of headlights for it. Re-equipment of lighting devices can be done in a special service. This will provide the LED lamps with the brightest beam of light, which will help you clearly see all objects on the road. Installation of a new type of headlights is carried out in many organizations in any city, so there should not be any problems with this item.
Replacing headlights is a change to the design of the car, and therefore requires an appropriate certificate. The procedure for receiving it is as follows:
- Contact the testing center. To get there, you will have to fill out an application. They will check the safety of your vehicle.
- Afterwards, undergo a technical inspection and take a diagnostic card.
- Come to the traffic police with a package of documents (car passport, application, technical inspection card).
- Obtain the necessary certificate and re-register the car within 10.
Going through all the stages will give the vehicle owner a guarantee that he will not be held accountable for illegal actions.
LED lamps: their advantages and features
The trend towards installing LED bulbs in headlights is understandable, because they have a number of advantages that set them apart from xenon and halogen.
- Long service life - up to 40 years. This indicator depends on the quality of the product - Chinese counterfeits are often found on the market.
- Low sensitivity to low and high temperatures.
- Resistance to shock and shaking.
- High luminous efficiency – up to 60 lm/W. (for a regular headlight, for comparison, it is 2-3 times lower).
- Variety of designs.
With the growth of technology, LEDs are also changing, with more and more interesting functions being added.
LEDs are actively being introduced into the automotive industry. Luxury car brands leave the factory assembly line with built-in LED lighting. The headlights in such vehicles are a real engineering masterpiece, since setting the light from the diodes in the correct way is not an easy task. However, this does not mean that such headlights are not available to the general population. There are companies that have successfully mastered their production and launched mass production. There are already optics kits for domestic cars: Lada, Niva and others. True, prices for quality products can be decent.
Using LEDs as headlights has a number of nuances. To work well, they require a powerful switching power supply and a special cooling system. All these devices make the headlights bulky and expensive. Their cost sometimes reaches 40 thousand rubles when fully equipped.
Another important feature of LEDs is that if the optics are incorrectly configured, they will work extremely poorly, especially for high beams. Establishing a focusing and dispersion system will help achieve good lighting.
LEDs are also used as additional headlights, which are usually mounted on the bumper or roof of a car. Such lighting is often used when driving in rural areas, where there are no lights and more powerful light is required. LED lamps in this case will be the ideal solution: they consume little energy and do not require complex connections.
When purchasing LED lamps, beware of low-quality products that the market is teeming with, as well as the tricks of sellers. For example, there is a label on the package that indicates a power of 50 W, but in reality the power of each individual headlight will only be 25 W. This addition, which usually occurs in the Chinese trade sector, often misleads the buyer. In addition, pay attention to the material of the devices: it is better that the body is made of aluminum or similar metals.
Conclusion
LEDs can be an excellent replacement for standard car lighting. Having all the advantages that have been listed, they are highly competitive with “xenon” and “halogen”. However, so that a new purchase does not turn into a sad punishment, it is necessary to go through all the stages described, because there is no point in arguing with the law.
