will be installing recessed lighting in the cellar soon and wondered what the consensus is on whether to go for mains or low voltage units ? there'll be a total of 21 light fittings in 3 rooms... 3, 3, and 15 cost is a major factor, i.e. as low as possible
thanks LJ
Personal preference is low voltage because they last a hell of a lot longer than mains spot lights.
The three light systems are cheap and cheerful from most DIY stores, and the 15 light system is better to be split up in to 5 by 3 way systems, because a transformer would need to be huge to run all the lights at once. It definitely wouldn't fit inside a ceiling void. :-)
But that's just me.
Hi,
I would go for LV myself. Have both in my house 4 x 35w in bathroom and
4 x 50w in kitchen. The bathroom seems much brighter in my opinion and the area's lit are around the same size. You can get some systems which have a small transfer for each fixture and these can just be pushed up inside the hole that you drill out for the recessed fitting.CM.
In message snipped-for-privacy@individual.net in2minds ( snipped-for-privacy@redx.co.uk) wrote: Newsgwoups:uk.d-i-y
CFLs of various types are by far the cheapest, and halogens by far the most expensive lighting types. Both are available as recessed downlighters. Note that run costs far outweigh purchase costs.
If youve already decided on high run cost halogens, LV have almost all the advantages over mains halogen: longer life, cheaper bulbs, more robust, more efficient, more reliable. But if cost matters, it has to be CFL downlighters. The run cost of halogen lighting sometimes evokes responses like 'f that.'
A CFL in a central pendant is of course cheaper still, but unimpressive.
Note that uplighting with a white ceiling is much cheaper to run than downlighting with a carpeted floor. It is always possible to install downlights of lower power, and add uplights to bring the lighting upto brightness.
A note about cfl types: they come in 2700K, which give light just like traditional bulbs, and other colour temps, which look different, and to most tastes not as nice.
NT
I would go for neither. They are both horrendously inefficient ways of providing space lighting. A CFL or other fluorescent based solution provides not only increased thermodynamic efficiency, but increased efficiency in terms of the lighting profile, enabling lower equivalent power as well. (i.e. 40W of CFL bulbs provide as much effective space lighting as about
200W to 400W of halogen spotlights, depending on the pattern.Christian.
Low voltage.
Ataround 5 quid a mains halogen, and with a lifetie of about 6 montghs, compared with several years on LV types costing sub one quid per bulb, the extra 5 quid a fitting for a transformer soon pays gor itself.
I have two friends with mains halogens. They are never ever all on. At least one or more isgone whenever I go there, and they spend a fortune replacing bulbs.
I am so happy I went 12v.
But only marginally inefficient wasy of heating a room :-)
For eaxmple, if you house were heated electrically, there would be no energy savings at all in going to CFL's as you would simply use teh same amount to heat up tehroom anyway.
Ther same argument applies to halffilled kettles and many many other ways of '#saving energy'
They just add onto your gas or oil bill instead.
Agreed thats a tad cjhepaer than the electrics..
A CFL or other fluorescent based solution provides
Sure, save the whale Christian.
I just wish someone would ban the enormous spotlights that our neighbour hgas that have totally ruined teh ability to see the stars at might.
Andf how about switching off streetlamps at midnight, and traffic lights too?
In winter, anyway. In summer, it would add to the air conditioning bill. (as if!)
Christian.
Strictly speaking your neighbours spotlamps should only shine on his ground and should be either moved / lowered or shielded off to prevent nuisance lighting of neighbouring properties, but most enlighten the whole neighbourhood...
Ask him in a nice way to either shield off the lamp from you or to move it or lower it so the light stays in his garden.
/Morten
... or buy an air rifle ???
Agreed. Especially on motorways. There must be GWatts-hours used on the M6 each night
They do that in Germany, Austria and so on. I expect it would show up that our traffic light controllers are still using relays.
Strangely enough, I find it unnecessary to leave lights burning in the middle of hot summer days.
Obviously your lifestyle differs...
Nah. I'm going to invite my freind with a silenced .22 round for a weekends fun.
Got one, but its best done from everal hundred yards range - beyond the air rifle really.
forgive my ignorance but what are CFLs ?
LJ
compact fluorescent lamps, i.e. the "energy saving" ones
But that power is coming from generators that take days not hours to go through a shutdown/restart cycle so you might as well use it up on something sensible, I'd rather have safer motorways reasons.
Off topic but have a look the web site for the Drax Power station in Yorkshire (cant remember URL, google will find it easily). Its interesting to see how many tons of coal per year are used to generate only 10% of the countries energy requirements! CM.
Are there any statistics available for comparing energy usage or is it as simple as comparing the wattage of the unit? I know that with CFL's quote a usage wattage and an equivalent output wattage as well. When it comes to LV is a direct comparison to mains possible or does one have to take into account the step down in voltage and does this make the fixture more or less efficient? CM.
Most electricity is now generated by controllable sources, like natural gas and nuclear.
Christian.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.