Having some time ago fitted (5) 12v halogen downlights, I am now thinking it
may have been a mistake. Even after swapping the MR16 50W bulbs for 20W, I
feel they are a bit wasteful. I note that there are fluorescent replacement
bulbs available but are about £10 each, and I'm not sure how these would
compare in terms of light output. Bearing in mind I don't want to replace
the wooden ceiling,(which I would probably need to do in order to mask the
resultant holes if I removed the halogens) I wondered if there were any
other options I could pursue, not being totally up to speed with all the
modern developments.

Regards and thanks in advance

Pat Macguire

Syke wrote:

Having some time ago fitted (5) 12v halogen downlights, I am now thinking it
may have been a mistake. Even after swapping the MR16 50W bulbs for 20W, I
feel they are a bit wasteful. I note that there are fluorescent replacement
bulbs available but are about £10 each, and I'm not sure how these would
compare in terms of light output. Bearing in mind I don't want to replace
the wooden ceiling,(which I would probably need to do in order to mask the
resultant holes if I removed the halogens) I wondered if there were any
other options I could pursue, not being totally up to speed with all the
modern developments.

The consensus, at the moment, seems to be that CFL don't give
good, or enough, light output, and LED technology hasn't quite
got there yet.

So, whilst available solutions continue to evolve, feed them via
a movement detector like
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNCEFLPIR.html
so you don't waste energy when there is nobody present.

It works very well for me.
Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

In article ,
"Syke" writes:
Having some time ago fitted (5) 12v halogen downlights, I am now thinking it
may have been a mistake. Even after swapping the MR16 50W bulbs for 20W, I
feel they are a bit wasteful. I note that there are fluorescent replacement
bulbs available but are about £10 each, and I'm not sure how these would
compare in terms of light output. Bearing in mind I don't want to replace
the wooden ceiling,(which I would probably need to do in order to mask the
resultant holes if I removed the halogens) I wondered if there were any
other options I could pursue, not being totally up to speed with all the
modern developments.

Downlighters will never provide good general lighting, which
is what you really need in a kitchen. We cover kitchen lighting
very frequently here, and I suggest you look back over the old
threads.

What you could do with the existing holes is to fit some low
power decorative lighting, quite separately from the main
functional lighting.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Syke wrote:
Having some time ago fitted (5) 12v halogen downlights, I am now thinking it
may have been a mistake. Even after swapping the MR16 50W bulbs for 20W, I
feel they are a bit wasteful. I note that there are fluorescent replacement
bulbs available but are about £10 each, and I'm not sure how these would
compare in terms of light output. Bearing in mind I don't want to replace
the wooden ceiling,(which I would probably need to do in order to mask the
resultant holes if I removed the halogens) I wondered if there were any
other options I could pursue, not being totally up to speed with all the
modern developments.

Regards and thanks in advance

Pat Macguire


There were various halogen spots etc around our kitchen. Very pretty but
not suitable for using the kitchen.
Fluorescent tubes are much more effective for general lighting in our
opinion.

On Sun, 8 Feb 2009 12:21:13 -0000 someone who may be "Syke"
wrote this:-

Having some time ago fitted (5) 12v halogen downlights, I am now thinking it
may have been a mistake. Even after swapping the MR16 50W bulbs for 20W, I
feel they are a bit wasteful. I note that there are fluorescent replacement
bulbs available but are about £10 each, and I'm not sure how these would
compare in terms of light output.

I haven't noticed any for 12V fittings, but I may not have seen
them. I have seen LED lamps for 12V fittings though
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lamps_and_Tubes_Index/MR16_Led/index.html.

Assuming 12V CFLs are available then I imagine that, like the
equivalent 230V ones, they will be fairly slow starting. Having
reached normal brightness some people will say they are fine, others
will not. Why not buy one or two and decide for yourself. There is
still the problem that it is entirely the wrong sort of lighting for
a kitchen.

Bearing in mind I don't want to replace
the wooden ceiling,(which I would probably need to do in order to mask the
resultant holes if I removed the halogens)

Either leave them where they are, with or without CFL/LED lamps, or
make a feature of them in some other way. Use other lighting for
normal lighting.







--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

David Hansen wrote:
On Sun, 8 Feb 2009 12:21:13 -0000 someone who may be "Syke"
wrote this:-

Having some time ago fitted (5) 12v halogen downlights, I am now thinking it
may have been a mistake. Even after swapping the MR16 50W bulbs for 20W, I
feel they are a bit wasteful. I note that there are fluorescent replacement
bulbs available but are about £10 each, and I'm not sure how these would
compare in terms of light output.

I haven't noticed any for 12V fittings, but I may not have seen
them. I have seen LED lamps for 12V fittings though
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lamps_and_Tubes_Index/MR16_Led/index.html.

Assuming 12V CFLs are available then I imagine that, like the
equivalent 230V ones, they will be fairly slow starting. Having
reached normal brightness some people will say they are fine, others
will not. Why not buy one or two and decide for yourself. There is
still the problem that it is entirely the wrong sort of lighting for
a kitchen.

Bearing in mind I don't want to replace
the wooden ceiling,(which I would probably need to do in order to mask the
resultant holes if I removed the halogens)

Either leave them where they are, with or without CFL/LED lamps, or
make a feature of them in some other way. Use other lighting for
normal lighting.

Look at the earlier thread on CFL vs Led - There is a link to a CFL
downlighter which I am contemplating - I have an example at home. The
lam (Megaman) is a GU10 base and mains powered

Malcolm