Replacing a fluorescent light in the kitchen

[Feek]

Over the last couple of months, I've replaced the mishmash of generic bulbs we had around the house with Hue and the only room left to do is the kitchen.

We currently have a 1500mm fluorescent which gives good light without any patchiness and I was thinking of replacing it with a spotlight bar, something like this.

At the moment, the light gets switched on when it gets dark and it's just left on for hours until the last person goes to bed. My plan is to use a Hue motion sensor and program it all so that the light comes on with movement and goes off when there's been no motion for five minutes. This will be similar to how I have my bulbs in the hallway and landing, except they go off after 45 seconds.

Has anyone done this sort of thing, do you think the unit I've suggested along with Hue GU10 ambient white bulbs will be sufficient?

 

[Maccapacca]

Those spot bars are awful, you’ll get loads of patchy light and annoying shadows.

 

[Feek]

Those spot bars are awful, you’ll get loads of patchy light and annoying shadows.

That's what I was worried about - What would you suggest? It's a very old, small kitchen so lighters under cupboards and that sort of thing aren't really practical. It needs to be something on the ceiling that I can control through HomeKit.

 

[Feek]

Something like this?

https://www.lights.co.uk/philips-hue-white-ambiance-fair-ceiling-white.html

 

[RJC]

Thought of a LED button fitting?

Something like this;

https://www.lights.co.uk/curved-led-ceiling-light-lorian.html

or

https://www.lights.co.uk/switch-dimmable-led-ceiling-light-pilou.html

Agree regards spotlights, your better of doing recessed.

 

[Maccapacca]

Modern panel light?

https://www.lights.co.uk/lindby-liv...678mF92kFTTqeisBHXRoC9N0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Maccapacca]

You need a mix of lights in a kitchen. We have 4.

12 led down lights
2 dangly ball trendy things
Under cabinet leds
Hob leds in extractor

Kitchen lighting is difficult

 

[Feek]

https://www.lights.co.uk/curved-led-ceiling-light-lorian.html

19W total, I don't think that'll be bright enough.

https://www.lights.co.uk/switch-dimmable-led-ceiling-light-pilou.html

Same, that's even dimmer.

https://www.lights.co.uk/lindby-liv...678mF92kFTTqeisBHXRoC9N0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Probably bright enough and would give enough cover.

But none of the above seem to be HomeKit compatible.

You need a mix of lights in a kitchen. We have 4.

A single fluorescent has always done what we want but you'd be horrified by our kitchen in general.

The round Hue light I linked looks as though it'll do what I want - Blanket coverage with no gaps, decent brightness and of course, it's HomeKit compatible.

 

[Feek]

I've just ordered the Hue round thing from Amazon so can always send it back if it doesn't do what we want.

 

[Puzzled]

Does leaving the light on really matter with led lighting? They draw so little power I dont even think about it. Before we switched the bulbs in the kitchen they were sucking 320w, now its 40w.

 

[Feek]

Does leaving the light on really matter with led lighting?

Well any time off is cheaper than time on - And the one I'm replacing in the kitchen is a fluorescent so it's still relatively high power compared to LEDs.

 

[james.miller]

You can buy drop in LED replacements for fluro tubes these days, cheap as chips

 

[Feek]

You can buy drop in LED replacements for fluro tubes these days, cheap as chips

Not HomeKit compatible.

 

[bremen1874]

That Hue light is going to have just over half of the output your existing 5' fluorescent has and only saves about 20 Watts.

If you left that fluorescent on for 8 hours a day it'll take about 7.5 years for it to cost as much as the Hue's purchase price. If you add the cost of running the Hue it'll be dead well before you break even.

You may want it, but don't pretend that it's to save money.

 

[james.miller]

Not HomeKit compatible.

But it would be if you bought a homekit compatible light switch, right? You'd only lack dimming.

 

[Feek]

But it would be if you bought a homekit compatible light switch, right? You'd only lack dimming.

I've spent two months looking for a HomeKit compatible on/off switch that doesn't do dimming (and doesn't need a neutral wire), they don't exist.

 

[Feek]

That Hue light is going to have just over half of the output your existing 5' fluorescent has and only saves about 20 Watts.

This was a genuine concern but it arrived today and before it's installed properly, I assembled it and held it up at ceiling height so my wife could compare the brightness of this light and the fluorescent.

It took a while of playing around and changing the temperature of the Hue fitting but once we got it right so she could do a meaningful comparison her conclusion was that it's brighter. Looking at the spec of the two lights, you're right, it shouldn't be but it's noticeable and I can't explain it.

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

How old is the tube in the fluorescent fitting? They often lose brightness as the tubes get older.

 

[Feek]

Hmm, I'm not sure exactly. Maybe four or five years.

 

[Feek]

It's all done and the light is brighter, definitely.

However, what's not so good is that because the light source was long, we're finding that when standing at the sink, we're casting a shadow onto the sink. That wasn't the case before due to the length of the tube but now the light source is that much further back.

I think I'm going to have to add a second light source above the sink. Not sure what or how yet.