downlighters

[Kerry Hoskin]

hey up,

I'm looking at putting some downlighters in my lounge and I'm wondering on whether to go for low voltage or mains.

The lounge is 4.8m * 3.6m with a pretty high ceiling of 2.6m the ceiling is lath and plaster and not in very good nick (its 100 years old) so the plan is to baton it off stick up some plaster board and skim which will also lower the ceiling a bit. The lights will be installed in the new ceiling but with the old one still intact above it.

Any recommendations as to how many lights and whether to go for LV or mains?

Cheers

Kerry

[BigWallop]

You would be able to fit two electronic transformers with up to 4 X 50 Watt Low Voltage Lights on each from your existing light circuit. 400 Watts of lighting in a room of that size should be enough I think.

kit in the top left hand picture is one type you could choose from, but your local DIY Store may have many more styles and colours to make a better choice from.

The inlaid light fittings are OK to install in the lath and plaster ceiling, We have them installed here, but you have to be careful when using the hole saw to drill the plaster out as a template, then cut the laths with the blade from a junior hacksaw or fine toothed pad saw. The cowl of the fittings have spring clips which hold against the top of the laths no problem, and in a house of the age you say, then there is more than enough space above the laths to take these small fittings.

[Kerry Hoskin]

Hey up,

I currently have a partition wall in the room that I'm going to take down, I think a large chunk of ceiling will go with it so that's why I had the thought of battening the whole lot of save hassle in the long run, bloody old houses, grrrrrrrr I'll check out the link

Cheers

Kerry

[ddwyer]

In article , ARWadsworth writes

Both are a fire hazard. Electronic transformers overheat and shut down if close to the downlighter. The can also create so much interference as to wipe out medium wave radio. Mains are more expensive but can be dimmed reliably. LV transformers have all failed for me when dimmed.

[Kerry Hoskin]

I have a feeling that LV will be a bit of a pain up the arse. How much space do mains downlighters require around them for cooling and how hot does it get above them?

Kerry