AA coughed up some electrons that declared:

On 1 Sep, 21:03, Tim S wrote:
So:

If starting from scratch, what *do* you choose?

Many 5W led downlighters in one ceiling have been suggested.

In a low ceiling , its a possibility , but concealed fluro may offer
a more even solution depending on the space.

Good idea - have to build the containment though, unless it's ready made
like kitchen wall cupboards with a plinth.


For my part, I'm trying to minimise the number of different lamp types I
have to stock as spares - and trying to use lamp bases where many
different types (eg wattage, colours, led replacements) are or might be
available.

Lamp bases is a bit of red herring really, keeping spares in depth
should become less of a problem with extending lamp lifes.

Still, in the "old days" we only worried about keeping 40, 60 and 100W BC
lamps and the odd pygmy.

In my current rented house, the mix of ES, BC and various shaped reflectors
(in ES base) is a right pain - always seem to run out of the lamp that just
blew.

So far, of fittings I have already acquired:

2 sets of GU10 240V fittings: rationale are that (currently) there are
loads of GU10 lamps in lots of ratings, colours and led types. The last
fact suggests *if* led lamp offerings become any good (and I mean lamps,
not lab grade leds, of which I have several excellent ones) then GU10
seems to be a format they are likely to appear in.

GU10 is just the base, the lamp shape is MR16, 16 1/8th of an inch,
dont think seen MR11 in GU10.

MR16 is a spotlight lamp, its meant for highlighting things .

I'm using then for secondary lighting in the kitchen where I can get some
worktop that's out of range of under cupboard lighting.

Also, the kid's bedrooms. I have two inexpensive fittings with 4 lamps, the
idea is that a couple wash the matt white ceilings and the other two light
a table area and the bed for reading.

Anyway MR16 lamps are 2" in diameter and can get a huge range of
fittings, from cheap downlighter rings to multihead ceiling fitiings
that take a 2" lamp.

And wattages. The fittings came with 4 x 50W lamps. I'm expecting to drop
some of these down a notch or two.

SELV fittings will have a trafo for them and probably a GX 5.3 bi pin
base but the lamp shape is the same, GU10 usually slightly deeper.

Yes. My bathroom is weird L shaped and I need lights in zone 1 - seemed
nicer to use 4 fittings dotted around the "L" for better overall lighting.

All the Compact Fluorescent CFL and Cold Cathode Compact Fluorescent
CCFL lamps in MR16 are rubbish, optically most of light stays in
fitting and the heat means they cook themselves, an option comfortably
ignored.

Agree. The R63s aren't much better in CFL - I can imaging how bad MR16s
would be.

LED MR16 goes from novelty, glass ones with quantity of 5mm LEDs
crammed in, cheap and dim but ok for very short throw use, great if
you want quantity in saturated colours.
Mid range , some of the better no brand 3 and 5W high power LED MR16s
are getting pretty good, its lifetime that may be suspect.

I found that with some B&Q bed lights I tried for my daughter. After a
month, several leds had burnt out - pathetic. I'm hopeful that in the
future led lamps might become decent, but for now I'm not touching them,
unless I've built them myself from a decent source.

High end, specialist lamps made from big brand named components from
known colour bins with choice of optics.Premium end of price
performance curve.

Get all of them in 12 or 240V flavours.

For general lighting ,lot of stuff that is still in commercial zone ,
and priced accordingly but often not built to match its price TBH,
that will hopefully begin to work down to domestic world.

Metal halide is now down to domestic sized lamps , 35W is available
but generally in commercial fittings.

Metal halide, high pressure sodium and high efficiency fluro are good
ways to go for general area lighting, if you`ve got the celing height
uplighters are available in all of these sources. Not reccomendation
just an idea of whats available outside of B&Q, John Lewis and BHS:

It is an idea. Certainly for outside illumination, some of those offerings
would be better than x-100W halogen tubes.


http://www.litecraftcommercial.co.uk...UPLIGHTERS.asp

Commercial downlighters also make some sense in some domestic
applications:


http://www.qvsdirect.com/Recessed-Di...-pr-21377.html

Screwfix one is a high frequency ballast accounts for difference in
price

Interesting - thanks.


http://www.screwfix.com/prods/24878/...ergy-Downlight

2 sets (7 total) 12V G4 lamps: used where SELV is a good idea (TM)

Fluorescent striplights for under cabinet use.

Stick to T5 which is a standard rather than T4 which is anyones guess.

Thanks for reinforcing that - had heard other musings to that effect too.



Anything else: standard size BC base - lots of decent CFLs in this
format.

ES, E27 is a more common continental base , but B.C . implies hanging
pendants , probably only good for the airing cupboard nowadays and
even then theres a case for LED...


I'm going to have some hanging pendants - hallways probably.

Cheers

Tim

On 2 Sep, 14:20, Tim S wrote:
AA coughed up some electrons that declared:

On 1 Sep, 21:03, Tim S wrote:
So:


In my current rented house, the mix of ES, BC and various shaped reflectors
(in ES base) is a right pain - always seem to run out of the lamp that just
blew.

Thats the problem with all mains voltage reflectors, lamp life in, er,
just hours.



Metal halide, high pressure sodium and high efficiency fluro are good
ways to go for general area lighting, if you`ve got the celing height
uplighters are available in all of these sources. Not reccomendation
just an idea of whats available outside of B&Q, John Lewis and BHS:

It is an idea. Certainly for outside illumination, some of those offerings
would be better than x-100W halogen tubes.

Main problem with MH in interiors is lack of dimmability , available
in colour temperatures other than blue artic white nowadays, CDM lamps
are particularly good.

Other problem both outdoors and in, is they wont hot restrike , need a
10 minute break to cool down before relighting, makes them a bit
useless on PIR triggers.



http://www.litecraftcommercial.co.uk...ERS/cid473/DEC...

Commercial downlighters also make some sense in some domestic
applications:

http://www.qvsdirect.com/Recessed-Di...2-x-18W-White-...



Screwfix one is a high frequency ballast accounts for difference in
price

Interesting - thanks.

Mag ballast can have power factor of less than 0.5 on a commercial
meter in matters, if your trying to be green in matters, because the
fitiings actually using an extra 50% of labelled power heating up the
ceiling void.





http://www.screwfix.com/prods/24878/...ercial-Industr...



2 sets (7 total) 12V G4 lamps: used where SELV is a good idea (TM)

Fluorescent striplights for under cabinet use.

Stick to T5 which is a standard rather than T4 which is anyones guess.

Thanks for reinforcing that - had heard other musings to that effect too.



Anything else: standard size BC base - lots of decent CFLs in this
format.

ES, E27 is a more common continental base , but B.C . implies hanging
pendants , probably only good for the airing cupboard nowadays and
even then theres a case for LED...

I'm going to have some hanging pendants - hallways probably.

Which is where the warm up time of CFL has never helped, its pitfalls
at every turn just trying to light your home ;-)


Cheers

Adam



Cheers

Tim