R7S LED retrofit not working

joliver · Sep 15, 2023

Hi all, I am trying to replace my halogen wall uplights (230W, 240V, R7S, 114mm) with LED but so far no luck. I've tried both of the below LEDs but they do not illuminate when the switch is turned on. The halogen bulbs work just fine. Am I missing something?

Philips CorePro 17.5W 118mm Dimmable LED R7S
ProLite 10W 118mm Non-Dimmable LED R7S

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

SJD · Sep 15, 2023

Are these lights on a dimmer? If so, likely the dimmer won't work with the low load of the LED lamp.

joliver · Sep 15, 2023

SJD said:
Are these lights on a dimmer? If so, likely the dimmer won't work with the low load of the LED lamp.

Hi SJD, no dimmer it's just a simple on/off switch.

Avo Mk8 · Sep 15, 2023

Are the contacts in the old fittings nice and clean - no oxide film or corrosion?
Might be worth giving them a scrub with a Scotchbrite pad or equivalent if you can get in there!

joliver · Sep 15, 2023

SOLVED
So it turns out the reflective backing was just barely blocking the chunky LED from fitting properly against the contacts. Not enough for me to notice at first. I crimped the backing away slightly to allow the LED to make proper contact and now they work great. Thank you SJD and Avo for your help!

brianmoooore · Sep 15, 2023

Too late to the party! I had the same problem last year when I replaced halogens in some uplighters in one of the holiday cottages, and the problem/solution was the same.