Soldato
LED Bulb Thread
- Thread starter Colbaker
- Start date
Soldato
Is anyone installing down lights in bedrooms?
Soldato
I have never had a issue with the quality of the finish, but I only use white & occasionally chrome, but nothing is ever perfect, & you'll always get a couple slipping through quality control.
Imy: Yes, seen a few done, were they have them on a dimmer & controlled with a remote, usually Varilight V-Pro eclique dimmers.
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Soldato
I'm going to be using Z-wave dimmer modules with 3-position retractive/momentary MK Grid switches. I'll be able to control them with my phone but a tactile remote control for the bedroom may be a good idea.
I'm more concerned with how people are finding their choice of down lighters in a bedroom vs a more traditional fixture.
I'm more concerned with how people are finding their choice of down lighters in a bedroom vs a more traditional fixture.
This is beginning to get expensive! Replaced 4 bulbs yesterday for £60 and yes, I like the way you have instant light and a choice of colour temperatures but I still need 7 dimmable candles for the living room + new dimmer switches, 3 bayonet spots for the kitchen and 8 bulbs for the main light fittings elsewhere in the house and 4 more for table lamps.
I remember when CCFL's were introduced and the prices were incredibly low, you could pick one up for 50p in Tesco! Any chance of prices lowering this drastically on LEDs?
I remember when CCFL's were introduced and the prices were incredibly low, you could pick one up for 50p in Tesco! Any chance of prices lowering this drastically on LEDs?
Soldato
You don't have to do it all at once.
Buy a multi-pack of 50W halogen off ebay and go LED room by room, starting with the rooms where lighting is used the most.
Interested to know what you mean by "choice of colour temperatures"? Is that before or after purchase?
Buy a multi-pack of 50W halogen off ebay and go LED room by room, starting with the rooms where lighting is used the most.
Interested to know what you mean by "choice of colour temperatures"? Is that before or after purchase?
Soldato
Nice choice.
Have a look at the downlighters I recommended earlier, very compact fitting, available three finishes.
Will be fitting four of these in my nephew's bedroom in the coming weeks, & removing the central pendant fitting.
With a dimmer I will be able have lighting which is more balanced, than the harsh light presently there.
Just need to decide on a suitable warm white led lamps now.
Soldato
Yeah I'm more than likely going to get them - just can't decide on whether I want fixed or adjustable.
Come to think of it, having even lighting in the bedroom would be of benefit.
I'm using Superflare in my kitchen spot lights at the moment. They are the warmest GU10 LED I've come across so far but even so are a little cooler than incandescent. They are brighter than the 50W halogens they replaced and are wide angle - just 4 covers all of my kitchen.
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Soldato
If you space them correct distance from wall & distance apart, & use a wide angled lamp, then fixed is better in my opinion.
Soldato
Is that because they look more discrete?
Or just that having some lights pointed off-centre looks odd?
Or just that having some lights pointed off-centre looks odd?
Soldato
Aesthetics,ambience.
Usually you fit downlighters no more than 600mm way from a wall, this is width of a kitchen unit,wardrobe.
And distance between fittings 800-1200mm, it all depends on the lighting you wish to achieve, & the beam spread of the lamp, narrow spot or wide flood, etc, & wattage, this will vary due to height of room, but you want the beam spread to overlap slightly, so you don't have define areas of light, but it merges in to uniform lighting of the area.
You might get away with just two rows of downlighters, with three or four fittings to a row for a bedroom, whereas a lounge might need three rows, to achieve the desired lighting level, all depends on size of room as well, it then looks balanced, even numbers better than odd numbers.
Also I prefer each row independently switched/ ideally controlled with a dimmer, gives you more choice of lighting depending on your mood,needs.
Usually you fit downlighters no more than 600mm way from a wall, this is width of a kitchen unit,wardrobe.
And distance between fittings 800-1200mm, it all depends on the lighting you wish to achieve, & the beam spread of the lamp, narrow spot or wide flood, etc, & wattage, this will vary due to height of room, but you want the beam spread to overlap slightly, so you don't have define areas of light, but it merges in to uniform lighting of the area.
You might get away with just two rows of downlighters, with three or four fittings to a row for a bedroom, whereas a lounge might need three rows, to achieve the desired lighting level, all depends on size of room as well, it then looks balanced, even numbers better than odd numbers.
Also I prefer each row independently switched/ ideally controlled with a dimmer, gives you more choice of lighting depending on your mood,needs.
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Soldato
My ceiling is only 8ft high. I guess that means I'll be looking at quite wide angle bulbs?
This is my floor plan:
I plan to fit down-lighters to the lounge, bedroom, hallway and office. They should all be fairly straightforward to mark out except for the lounge which is a weird shape.
The bit where the dining table is located is 237cm wide. If you knock 60cm off each side that leaves a gap of 117cm between the centre of the lights which is just inside your recommendation.
When I get time I'll mark them on the floor plan and you can check em over for me
This is my floor plan:
I plan to fit down-lighters to the lounge, bedroom, hallway and office. They should all be fairly straightforward to mark out except for the lounge which is a weird shape.
The bit where the dining table is located is 237cm wide. If you knock 60cm off each side that leaves a gap of 117cm between the centre of the lights which is just inside your recommendation.
When I get time I'll mark them on the floor plan and you can check em over for me
Associate
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2012
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- 458
I brought these on Nightglow's recommendation -> Lights
And used this cable -> 1.5mm Cable
Hope that helps
Soldato
Usually use 1.5mm twin & earth as mentioned above, from the downlighter to a junction box, usually Hager J501 junction box feeding say three or four fittings, or sometimes 0.75mm 3 Core( 6amps) ample rated flex,from fittings or occasionally 1.0mm 3 Core (10amps) again back to a Hager J501's, all depends on the access available.
It's impossible to get get more than one cable under the cable grip on the light fitting.
If using flex I pre-wire with a 400mm or so length all the fittings first, then a simple jobbing of connecting to junction box/ boxes.
EDIT: I always prefer to use the Prysmian Twin & Earth Cable from Screwfix compared to Toolstation cable.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/prysmian-6242y-twin-earth-cable-1-5mm-x-50m-grey/51381
It's impossible to get get more than one cable under the cable grip on the light fitting.
If using flex I pre-wire with a 400mm or so length all the fittings first, then a simple jobbing of connecting to junction box/ boxes.
EDIT: I always prefer to use the Prysmian Twin & Earth Cable from Screwfix compared to Toolstation cable.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/prysmian-6242y-twin-earth-cable-1-5mm-x-50m-grey/51381
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Associate
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2012
- Posts
- 458
Is there any technical reason behind preferring this or is this just your preference?
Soldato
Quality of cable, strips easily,lovely to work with & it's British made, used thousands of metres of it over the years, back when it was Pirelli General Cable Ltd, they then took over Draka cables & became Prysmian.
Did a job years ago, customer supplied some strange branded 2.5mm T&E, had nothing but grief with it & insulation resistance test all over the place, ended up replacing it with my Prysmian.
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Associate
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2012
- Posts
- 458
Thanks for the recommendation mate. I found the cable from Toolstation (above) was alright but occasionally when stripping the cable, it wouldn't cut cleanly but I put that down to technique rather than the cable. I'll have to try that cable next time.
Soldato
Definitely not down to your technique, got a half a roll here I was given, it will not strip cleanly off the copper.
