spotlights - how many?
 

Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of the
room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because of the
centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark

Mark Downey wrote:
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling
to extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots
rather than fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of
the room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because
of the centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark

O O O
O O
O O O

Thats bright... 8-)

cheers Ben
had thought of that but it still runs down the centre of the room where a
rafter is situated

Mark


"ben" wrote in message
. uk...
Mark Downey wrote:
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling
to extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots
rather than fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of
the room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because
of the centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark

O O O
O O
O O O

Thats bright... 8-)

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of the
room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because of
the
centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark


Because of the light distribution across lots of spots, you don't really
need to go mad with them. Make sure you set them along the lines of the
worktops, but not directly above the work surface, but above your head so
you don't cast shadows on what you're working on. A couple in the middle of
the floor area to make the whole room bright is also a good idea.

Depending on the height of the ceiling above the works surfaces, you'll find
that Low Voltage Dichroic lamps spread their light out all along the area
you need lit, so it's a good idea to try one held against the ceiling to see
how many you need to make the worktop bright enough for working on safely.
But you shouldn't need that many really.

Mark Downey wrote:
cheers Ben
had thought of that but it still runs down the centre of the room
where a rafter is situated

Mark



Then the six outer will suffice for brightness.

If you get them all coordinate it won't look to bad without the center ones.

would 10 be too bright

another question

i intend to run these 240v spots off one switch is this OK

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
would 10 be too bright
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
lineof centre rafter



"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
cheers Ben
had thought of that but it still runs down the centre of the room where a
rafter is situated

Mark


"ben" wrote in message
. uk...
Mark Downey wrote:
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling
to extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots
rather than fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of
the room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because
of the centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark

O O O
O O
O O O

Thats bright... 8-)

"BigWallop" wrote in message
. uk...

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of the
room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because of
the
centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark


Because of the light distribution across lots of spots, you don't really
need to go mad with them. Make sure you set them along the lines of the
worktops, but not directly above the work surface, but above your head so
you don't cast shadows on what you're working on. A couple in the middle
of
the floor area to make the whole room bright is also a good idea.

Depending on the height of the ceiling above the works surfaces, you'll
find
that Low Voltage Dichroic lamps spread their light out all along the area
you need lit, so it's a good idea to try one held against the ceiling to
see
how many you need to make the worktop bright enough for working on safely.
But you shouldn't need that many really.


so woud you say , if a worktop is 600mm then put a row in at that distance
from the wall or would you say 700mm or 800mm?

Mark

Mark Downey wrote:
would 10 be too bright
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
o . o
.
lineof centre rafter


Don't under estimate 6 of these lights as they are quite bright.

How come your using 240v ones?
12v lamps and 1 transformer is more economical.

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
another question

i intend to run these 240v spots off one switch is this OK

They don't last any sort of reasonable time in my experiences with them, and
we changes all ours to the Low Voltage types which now last for years
instead of weeks.

"ben" wrote in message
k...

Don't under estimate 6 of these lights as they are quite bright.

How come your using 240v ones?
12v lamps and 1 transformer is more economical.


I could kick myself. I installed a transformer and 3 12V halogens in our
downstairs loo while the ceiling was off to be replasterboarded (to get rid
of some really dreadful artexing).

A few years down the line the transformer has gone pop. But can I reach it?
No, because I did it all neatly and screwed it to a joist. Now I can't reach
in through the downlight holes 'cause my hands are too big, can't just pull
the wires 'cause it's firmly fixed, and can't get to it from above without
disturbing a complicated stairs and corner landing arrangement.

Any ideas?

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...

"BigWallop" wrote in message
. uk...

snipped
But you shouldn't need that many really.


so woud you say , if a worktop is 600mm then put a row in at that distance
from the wall or would you say 700mm or 800mm?

Mark


When you stand at the worktop the lights are better above your head than the
actual work surface itself, so you need to look at the position where you
stand while working. My own personal position is two to three hundred
millimetres out to the ceiling from the front edge of the worktop, which
also helps in throwing light under wall units above the worktop areas. But
you may find it better to have then closer or further depending on your
whole positional design. But it's better to have them above heads than the
actual worktop.

Holding one against the ceiling before you make final cuts for the lamp
holders is the best way to make sure of the best positions for them.
Holding one in the spot that gives the best light all along the worktop,
then mark the spot with a pencil. Once you decide where they go roughly
with this method, then you can use a measure to make the small final
adjustments to the design to keep them all equal and things.

Get the wife to stand at the worktop making you a sandwich, and then hold
the lamp above her head until she's happy that she can see exactly what
she's doing. Also makes wives feel wanted I find. :-)

"PC Paul" wrote in message
. uk...
"ben" wrote in message
k...

Don't under estimate 6 of these lights as they are quite bright.

How come your using 240v ones?
12v lamps and 1 transformer is more economical.


I could kick myself. I installed a transformer and 3 12V halogens in our
downstairs loo while the ceiling was off to be replasterboarded (to get
rid
of some really dreadful artexing).

A few years down the line the transformer has gone pop. But can I reach
it?
No, because I did it all neatly and screwed it to a joist. Now I can't
reach
in through the downlight holes 'cause my hands are too big, can't just
pull
the wires 'cause it's firmly fixed, and can't get to it from above without
disturbing a complicated stairs and corner landing arrangement.

Any ideas?

Is the ceiling just painted? If it is, then cut a small hatch in the
plaster board to allow access, then put the hatch back against thin timber
or plaster board slats glued to the back of the ceiling board with No More
Nails. Tape the joints with masking tape and re-paint. Doesn't look to
unsightly when done with care.

"BigWallop" wrote in message
. uk...

"PC Paul" wrote in message
A few years down the line the transformer has gone pop. But can I reach
it?
No, because I did it all neatly and screwed it to a joist. Now I can't
reach
in through the downlight holes 'cause my hands are too big, can't just
pull
the wires 'cause it's firmly fixed, and can't get to it from above
without
disturbing a complicated stairs and corner landing arrangement.

Any ideas?

Is the ceiling just painted? If it is, then cut a small hatch in the
plaster board to allow access, then put the hatch back against thin timber
or plaster board slats glued to the back of the ceiling board with No More
Nails. Tape the joints with masking tape and re-paint. Doesn't look to
unsightly when done with care.


It is, but since part of the reason for redoing it was to get a 'perfect'
finish I've been wary of going this route - my plastering/filling isn't
*that* good!!

Added to which it's a very low ceiling (6'1) another reason why I (6')
wanted rid of the Artex... makes any slight dodgy bit very visible though
:-(

BigWallop wrote:
Get the wife to stand at the worktop making you a sandwich, and then hold
the lamp above her head until she's happy that she can see exactly what
she's doing. Also makes wives feel wanted I find. :-)

Also a sneaky way to get a sandwich :-)

Owain

I have just done a kitchen about 5m x 3.5m and used twelve lights,
which is easily enough. Using fewer (eight, originally) left me with
shadow areas on the floor and walls that I wasn't happy with - if
you're not fussed about that, you could use fewer, strategically placed
yourself, otherwise I think you've got it about right. I didn't use a
pattern for siting the lights, I just put them where they were needed.
All those on one switch should be ok but if you're planning to use a
dimmer, get a 1000w version.

In message , Mark Downey
writes
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of the
room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because of the
centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

I have both spots and a fluorescent tube

The spots very rarely get used

--
geoff

BigWallop wrote:

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...

another question

i intend to run these 240v spots off one switch is this OK


They don't last any sort of reasonable time in my experiences with them, and
we changes all ours to the Low Voltage types which now last for years
instead of weeks.

Depends on if you are talking dinky halogen GU10 spots, of conventional
fillament R80 (or 64) mini reflector spots. That latter last better and
give a wider field of coverage, but have a yellower output.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

PC Paul wrote:

It is, but since part of the reason for redoing it was to get a 'perfect'
finish I've been wary of going this route - my plastering/filling isn't
*that* good!!

Added to which it's a very low ceiling (6'1) another reason why I (6')
wanted rid of the Artex... makes any slight dodgy bit very visible though
:-(

If you can't get at the transformer, can you get at the switched mains
cable at any point? If so you could insert a new transformer and abandon
the other one.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...

If you can't get at the transformer, can you get at the switched mains
cable at any point? If so you could insert a new transformer and abandon
the other one.


Good point, but I can't reach that bit either. I can see the cables leading
to the junction box I put in to replace the old rose, but as luck wouold
have it there are three T+Es plus the twin out to the switch so I don't
fancy cutting all of them to reattach it.

Just wondering if now is the time to try and teach my 10yo son the joys of
undoing connections blind... all power off of course!!

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:06:39 GMT,it is alleged that "BigWallop"
spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:


"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
another question

i intend to run these 240v spots off one switch is this OK

They don't last any sort of reasonable time in my experiences with them, and
we changes all ours to the Low Voltage types which now last for years
instead of weeks.

I would *definitely* second that, do not get 240v spotlights (at least
not halogen/xenon, which I assume we're talking about here).

I have had to buy 2 GU10 50w spots in the last 3 weeks, going to
replace them, the expense and annoyance is too much with them.

--
Whenever people say "we mustn't be sentimental", you can take it
they are about to do something cruel. And if they add, "we must
be realistic", they mean they are going to make money out of it.
- Brigid Brophy

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:15:26 GMT,it is alleged that "PC Paul"
spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

"ben" wrote in message
. uk...

Don't under estimate 6 of these lights as they are quite bright.

How come your using 240v ones?
12v lamps and 1 transformer is more economical.


I could kick myself. I installed a transformer and 3 12V halogens in our
downstairs loo while the ceiling was off to be replasterboarded (to get rid
of some really dreadful artexing).

A few years down the line the transformer has gone pop. But can I reach it?
No, because I did it all neatly and screwed it to a joist. Now I can't reach
in through the downlight holes 'cause my hands are too big, can't just pull
the wires 'cause it's firmly fixed, and can't get to it from above without
disturbing a complicated stairs and corner landing arrangement.

Any ideas?

Can you borrow someone with small hands to reach in and cut the cable
to the transformer or possibly fish a new cable in and abandon the
old?

One of the slimline electronic transformers would fit neatly through
the hole, and provided the old one is disconnected, it would be safe.

--
This .signature has been hijacked by the Shellfish Liberation Army.
Please remain clam.

"PC Paul" wrote in message
. uk...
"John Rumm" wrote in message
...

If you can't get at the transformer, can you get at the switched mains
cable at any point? If so you could insert a new transformer and abandon
the other one.


Good point, but I can't reach that bit either. I can see the cables
leading
to the junction box I put in to replace the old rose, but as luck wouold
have it there are three T+Es plus the twin out to the switch so I don't
fancy cutting all of them to reattach it.

Just wondering if now is the time to try and teach my 10yo son the joys of
undoing connections blind... all power off of course!!


LOL Don't knock it. That's about the age my Dad started me doing things
like that. I hated hearing him say "My hands are just to big for this
little job" because I new his next words would be "Wanna give me a little
hand", and he meant little hand, mine. LOL :-)

"Owain" wrote in message
...
BigWallop wrote:
Get the wife to stand at the worktop making you a sandwich, and then
hold
the lamp above her head until she's happy that she can see exactly what
she's doing. Also makes wives feel wanted I find. :-)

Also a sneaky way to get a sandwich :-)

Owain

Now yer learnin' :-) LOL

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 15:37:06 GMT, "Mark Downey"
wrote:

Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.

Very Roddy Llewelyn year before last year look. Spotlight are very
nice where you need spotlights and useless in a kitchen (unless its
main use is for unpacking the MacNuggets bag).

If you don't like ceiling mount fluorescent try putting them on top
of units so they reflect off the ceiling and use HF units rather than
standard ballasts.


--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of the
room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because of
the
centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)


Our kitchen is about 4m square and we started with 6 pointable 50W GU10s
(B&Q's banks of 3) but ended up needing 9 to get full coverage.

"Richard Faulkner" wrote in message
...
In message , Mark Downey
writes
Hi everyone
I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.
So the question is how many spots would I need for a 3.6m squared room
bearing in mind that I have a rafter running down the centre line of the
room.
we did think that 3 rows of 3 would be nice but cannot do it because of
the
centre rafter.(also how bright would 9 spots be?)

cheers

Mark



As someone in the property business, there seems to be a murmur going
around that Halogen spots have had their day. They are bloody difficult
to replace, and blow easily if you dont do it right, and the light
produced is directional rather than diffuse, (if they are the right
words).

Personally, I will never again specify halogen spots in any property -
mainly because of the difficulty with maintenance.

Screw in spots, fluorescent, or traditional tend to be easily replaced
and rarely blow.

Richard Faulkner

Halogen dichroic lamps are very easy to replace and maintain in my
experience. What type of spot lighting did you have in your properties?

My kitchen is 2.5mX4.5m. I put in 5 rows of 2 recessed lights which run 35w 240v lamps. As I was unsure ultimately how bright this would be, & was redoing all the wiring anyway, I put them on 2 circuits (ie, 2 gang light switch) so we can have all 10 on, 6 on, or 4 on. In the end, with the floor, kitchen units & black worktops this has worked really well. I used 240v spots - first month went through about 10 bulbs (lasted anything from 2 days to 2 weeks) & now I haven't had to change a bulb for about 4 months.

I am installing a new kitchen and have had too pull down the ceiling to
extend the ring main - SWMBO has now decided she wants spots rather than
fluorescent lighting.

Spotlights are not suitable for general room lighting. They are an
environmental disaster and a financial drain to keep running. Just say that
she can't have spots, because of your concern for global warming. There are
other ways.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:
Spotlights are not suitable for general room lighting.

Agreed. Someone I know fitted _three_ GU10s in a living room ("That's
150w, plenty bright enough"). What they actually got was three puddles
of light on the carpet and a room you couldn't see the corners of :o)

They are an environmental disaster and a financial drain to keep
running. Just say that she can't have spots, because of your concern
for global warming. There are other ways.

For my kitchen, I wanted the 'bright' look of halogen, but didn't want
spots. I ended up with a SWMBO-compliant bar fitting that has 4 x 40w
G9s. Each lamp can be individually positioned and has a small egg-cup
shaped frosted white glass shade. You get some directional light, but
most is diffused by the shades/ceiling and it works really well. Been
up a year now and I haven't had to replace a bulb yet. Room size is
2.6 x 3.5m.

Alan

In message t,
Chip wrote:

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 16:06:39 GMT,it is alleged that "BigWallop"
spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:


"Mark Downey" wrote in message
...
another question

i intend to run these 240v spots off one switch is this OK

They don't last any sort of reasonable time in my experiences with them, and
we changes all ours to the Low Voltage types which now last for years
instead of weeks.

I would *definitely* second that, do not get 240v spotlights (at least
not halogen/xenon, which I assume we're talking about here).

I have had to buy 2 GU10 50w spots in the last 3 weeks, going to
replace them, the expense and annoyance is too much with them.


IME they're worse than normal bulbs, but not necessarily as bad as some
people make out. My dad has a 4 spot GU10 unit in his living room, one
of the (supplied) bulbs went within a couple of weeks of me putting it
up, and in the 18 months or so since, he's had to replace another two.
That's three in less than 2 years for a fitting that (in Winter) is on
for possibly six or seven hours a day.

On the other hand, we have eleven GZ10 (note, *not* GU10) downlighters
in our kitchen/dining room and although the reflectors on a couple are
looking decidedly dodgy, I've only had to replace a bulb once, and that,
believe it or not, was a GU10 that I had to fit originally instead of a
GZ10 because I only ordered 10 bulbs from Screwfix to go with the 11
fittings, and B&Q don't sell GZ10s. We've been using them for about a
year now, though they're switched in three banks and one bank in
particular gets a lot more use than the others. Oh yes, and they're on
dimmers too which might help.

As with most things I suspect two issues:

1: 240V halogens are a relatively new technology

2: You get what you pay for

In case anyone is confused by this GU/GZ10 thing (most DIY places tend
only to sell "mains halogen" fittings, and they are practically all
GU10), the GU10 has an aluminium (or similar) reflector and a shaped
base. The GZ10 has a dichroic reflector which allows most of the heat
radiation out through the rear of the bulb. Its base is more "square".

Since you obviously need a more heat-resistant fitting, and more careful
siting for GZ bulbs, GU bulbs will fit GZ fittings, but GZ bulbs will
not fit GU fittings.

Back to the original post, lots of downlighters (of any variety) is very
pretty, but you really really need to consider them as task lighting, so
rather than scattering a few about the ceiling, concentrate them above
work surfaces, and try to place them where you aren't going to cast
shadows. Wall cupboards above work surfaces are a killer, but we don't
have many of those.

Unlike fluorescent or standard pendant fittings, the light is pretty
directional and very little of it is dispersed around the room from
reflective surfaces. Likewise, our kitchen area has 7 50W GZ10s. That's
350W. We could have achieved a similar level of lighting with a couple
of 4ft fluorescents with vastly lower power consumption.

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Two free issues: http://www.livtech.co.uk/ Living With Technology
.... Life. Hate it, or ignore it. You can't like it.

re halogen spots:


Like Christian and Richard, I would not recommend an all halogen spot
system. 6 spots means 6x as many bulb failures, if your bulbs are
reliable. If not, as is often the way...

They also add a lot of heat into a room, which is no fun in summer. 6
spots @50w = 300w, 10 spots = 500w, that adds several C to the temp.

The glare is a nightmare if ever you lean back for a rest. Having a
house you cant lean back and rest in would p-ss me off.

The run cost is excessive, I would always suggest calculating it before
saying yes.

Brightness tends to be wrong, and get uncomfortable, as its not easily
adjusted like filaments or CFLs are.

Environmental rating is rock bottom, as although the bulbs themselves
are medium efficiency, downlighter spots lose most of that light making
the install the lowest efficiency of all types.

And finally, the quality of lighting really isnt that good. Uneveness
and glare are the bugbear of halogen spots.


You can however have your cake and eat it, by fitting fl upilghting to
provide the bulk of the light, plus 10w or 20w halogen spots for effect
more than for significant lighting. Its far cheaper, far more
environmentally friendly, more reliable, etc.

Always use 12v not 240v if you go for low power halogen. mains low
power bulbs are not new tech, theyre decades old, no-one wanted to use
them in the past due to lower efficiency, shorter life and lower
reliability.

Finally, always use a switchbank. Sure its another few quid, but again
that will be saved many times over. It gives you good control over
brightness, reduced run costs, comfort when you want it, and bright
lighting when you need it. A single switch is a cheapskate idea, and
just poor practice.


NT

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 08:46:58 +0100,it is alleged that Martin Angove
spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

[snip]

We've been using them for about a
year now, though they're switched in three banks and one bank in
particular gets a lot more use than the others. Oh yes, and they're on
dimmers too which might help.

I suspect it helps a lot, they seem to 'pop' due to the switch on
surge which IIRC is higher with halogens than with normal incandescent
lamps.

[snip]

Unlike fluorescent or standard pendant fittings, the light is pretty
directional and very little of it is dispersed around the room from
reflective surfaces.Likewise, our kitchen area has 7 50W GZ10s. That's
350W. We could have achieved a similar level of lighting with a couple
of 4ft fluorescents with vastly lower power consumption.

Yes, definitely true, we have 6 in the conservatory (fairly standard
leanto affair, meaning the centre of the ceiling is unavailable for
light fixtures), this requires *6* 50W lights to achieve a brightness
I could easily achieve with a single 20w (100w equivalent) Compact
Fluoro in a more conventional room.

--
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build
bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce
bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rich Cook.

On 12 Jul 2005 01:13:42 -0700,it is alleged that
spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

[snip]

They also add a lot of heat into a room, which is no fun in summer. 6
spots @50w = 300w, 10 spots = 500w, that adds several C to the temp.

The glare is a nightmare if ever you lean back for a rest. Having a
house you cant lean back and rest in would p-ss me off.


Ahh so you were in our conservatory then? :-(


The run cost is excessive, I would always suggest calculating it before
saying yes.


As apparently the 'electrician' who hooked ours up failed to do.

I enclosed the word in ' ' because he failed to see the point of
sleeving or indeed even connecting that pesky bare wire in the T&E...

Finally, always use a switchbank. Sure its another few quid, but again
that will be saved many times over. It gives you good control over
brightness, reduced run costs, comfort when you want it, and bright
lighting when you need it. A single switch is a cheapskate idea, and
just poor practice.


I have switched our 2x3 light fixtures on a twin switch as opposed to
the single that was installed.

I am going at some point in the next few weeks, when I find some round
tuits g install the 1.8 watt 'bluish white' LED GU10s from TLC in
one of the 2 fixtures (the one that is on all the time, the other
being used for task lighting on a table).

I shall let people in this group know how it compares brightness and
colour matching wise.

I am likely to be 'permissive' with my opinions of the colour and
brightness, due to the obvious advantage of them drawing between 3 &
4% of the power of GU10 50w spots and having an expected life in
excess of 50,000 hours.

--
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build
bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce
bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rich Cook.

In article t,
Chip writes:
I am going at some point in the next few weeks, when I find some round
tuits g install the 1.8 watt 'bluish white' LED GU10s from TLC in
one of the 2 fixtures (the one that is on all the time, the other
being used for task lighting on a table).

I shall let people in this group know how it compares brightness and
colour matching wise.

They are about the same efficiency as 12V halogens, and therefore
somewhat better than 240 halogens, but realistically, you're going
to be looking at less than 1/10th of the light output. It is directed
into a much narrower beam, so on-beam it would not appear quite that
bad.

--
Andrew Gabriel