Replacing downlights in kitchen

richieboy

richieboy

richieboy

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Joined
29 Dec 2004
Posts
2,253
Hi,

I'm slowly attempting to update my kitchen, next job is plastering the ceiling so thought I'd take this opportunity to replace the old downlights from about 1990 I have. They seem to be about 90mm in diameter and use some pretty big 9.7w ES reflector bulb (R80 maybe).

Anyway, they are 240v so my plan was simply to directly replace each one with some newer GU10 type 240v LED downlights from somewhere like Screwfix. From looking about they all use slightly smaller cutout holes now, about 75mm...but the tiltable ones are 90mm, what would you do- go for the tiltable ones and save yourself the trouble of a poorly sized existing hole? Or would the 75mm standard ones still fit fine and be big enough to cover up my 90mm abyss?

These are the ones I was looking at that are 90mm:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/enlite-a...ed-downlight-satin-nickel-500lm-5w-240v/2828p

Cheers!
 
Are you measuring the whole light diameter, or have you actually pulled down the old lights a bit and measured the cut out itself?

If you actually have 90mm cut outs then yeah I'd recommend same ones or they'll just fall out, and if you somehow fudged smaller ones to suit the fire rating will not be working properly if not sealed.

Nothing wrong with tiltable ones, even if you just leave them flush/flat. Much less faff trying to sort the plaster and sealing it properly etc.
 
Sparx said:
Nothing wrong with tiltable ones, even if you just leave them flush/flat. Much less faff trying to sort the plaster and sealing it properly etc.
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Yeah I did measure the cutout, definitely 90mm which seems like it was fairly standard but now most lights I find seem to be 75mm!

I'll likely just go with those tiltable ones, certainly simpler as you say.

I'm more than capable of electrical work such as this, but just to check if anyone can foresee any problems I may need to look out for if they've done this themselves etc it's all appreciated!
 
Don’t buy anything that uses a gu10 bulb buy integrated units the light output is far superior!

As for hole size I swapped some in our bathroom and despite the old holes being larger the new lights still covered them so I would double check before making any changes. If you are having the ceiling plastered it is minimal work to patch the existing holes before hand then re-cut them afterwards.
 
Am fairly sure you can get replacement bezels to cover the larger hole and have a smaller hole
yup google `downlight adapter bezels`
 
Thanks for the input guys I'm now thinking I'll buy a few different ones and see how they fit/look/what light output is like as they aren't too pricey, about a tenner...

I did look at the bezel adaptors but not sure I'm keen on the look of 'em, I'm thinking I'll do the above...see what looks best!
 
a1ex2001 said:
Don’t buy anything that uses a gu10 bulb buy integrated units the light output is far superior!
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Based on what exactly ?
This sounds like a great way to have to replace an entire light unit when the bulb dies though.
My GU10 bulbs all output light just fine and if the bulb dies I just replace it.

I will admit that the GU10 LED market is an absolute minefield in terms of finding a "good" bulb though
 
MassiveJim said:
Based on what exactly ?
This sounds like a great way to have to replace an entire light unit when the bulb dies though.
My GU10 bulbs all output light just fine and if the bulb dies I just replace it.

I will admit that the GU10 LED market is an absolute minefield in terms of finding a "good" bulb though
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Stick a decent integrated unit in next to the GU10 bulb then come back, they are night and day better simply because they are not retrofitted into a package designed for a halogen filament. Integrated units will last a decade so hardly a big deal replacing them.
 
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not sure what kind of extended warranty the integrated's have to compensate for the price ?

Providing the GU10 is a spot with 38degree odd beam, the light efficiently gets out of the older halogen packages;
my samsung gu10 led's ~£2 (cpc fasrnell) each have typically lasted 2-3 years, which seems down to lack of heat dissipation in those packages,
I've actually left the glass bezel covers off of several now, to see if they last much longer;
so I'd be looking for better ventilated traditional packages, but, that maybe at odds with the moisture/fire safety standards.
 
I know a few sparky's and they refuse to fit integrated ones now, far too unreliable. Even some of the YT sparks have commented as such.
 
I replaced my R80's once I saw the price of the bulbs. Those were some mega big boys.

I use integrated, they are great. One was faulty on day 2 but you get a box of 10 for about 50 quid?
 
Integrated at £5 a throw is pretty cheap, I can pay that for a decent dimmable gu10 - do they have a warranty to match ?
I think there is effectively hybrid bulbs where you can't change the bulb but the heat-sink/optics/light quality are not that of a £15+ integrated.
 
dLockers said:
I replaced my R80's once I saw the price of the bulbs. Those were some mega big boys.

I use integrated, they are great. One was faulty on day 2 but you get a box of 10 for about 50 quid?
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So what happens in 5 years time when a single one fails and they are no longer available, you either replace all of your complete light units again or have one that doesn't match.


Or you could just buy ones that can have the bulb replaced and replace the bulb for £5 or less.
 
MassiveJim said:
So what happens in 5 years time when a single one fails and they are no longer available, you either replace all of your complete light units again or have one that doesn't match.


Or you could just buy ones that can have the bulb replaced and replace the bulb for £5 or less.
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They're guaranteed for 10 years so hopefully I'll be long gone. But nevertheless I have 4 spare in the shed.
 
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looks a good holder - no plastic around the body of the bulb, so the heat can get away - evangilist - yes 4000K is the one true path.
e: ok I see it says that in descriptiion

the ones I have in bathroomx3/kitchenx9 are 7w 480lumens vs 390 - for bathroom, exclusively them, I probably wouldn't go lower
 
Is cool white the ones that make it look like a shop? If so, avoid - even from the street it looks miserable. Slight warmth or bust imo.
 
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In a kitchen you want a colour temp of around 4000k which is daylight. Warm (3000k) always feels drab to me and gives everything a slight yellow hue. Over 5000k and it starts to feel like a Hollywood dental plan.
 
I thought daylight was 5000+ , I made the mistake of getting that way back(some crees that cost $$$ & wouldn't die)
caveat - you cannot see/adjust a gas hob burner easily.

dLockers said:
Is cool white the ones that make it look like a shop?
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more cynical
For red meat, it is best to choose light with a warm white colour (2700 to 3000 Kelvin). This light highlights the freshness of meat products because warm white light contains more red shades. Steaks, rack of lamb, minced meat … all look much more appetizing due to the effects of this warm lighting colour. The red, fresh colour of meat is extra accentuated like this. Cool white light, which contains more blue shades, would lend red meat the completely wrong colour - the meat would even appear to be old under the wrong light.
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4K in bathrooms - you don't look jaundiced when shaving.
 
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