Downlighters, even the 12V SELV units I have in my bungalow, shouldn't have loft insulation over them. Fair enough, clearly the lamp heat has to escape somewhere. Can I make a plasterboard tube, say 20 cm square, to surround the space above the lamp, clearing a tunnel, and put the insulation back around that? I intend to keep the connector block ourside the tunnel. Otherwise there is doing to be a lot of heat wasted in my kitchen.
R.
Install intumescent covers. Better still, remove them and help save the planet!
Christian.
How about old cans with both ends removed, or ceramic flower pots? They have a nice little hole in the top to let the heat escape.
sponix
Can't - the ceiling is wood - intumescent covers void the F mark.
The current lighting is 400 Watts, the new will be about 200, using narrow focus 35W bulbs with the light directed when it is needed - these are special F certified units because of the flamable ceiling construction.
Background lighting is by low-power flouresents.
Cans seem a bad idea, they will get very very hot and transmit the heat to the sides. I want the heat to go up. A ceramic tube sounds like it would work though - not sure the hole in a flowerpot is big enough.
R.
In my case, the BCO recommended I used lengths of plastic 100mm ducting to make "chimneys" which protrude through the Rockwool insulation - seemed to work pretty well.
David
Bout time for a downlighting faq methinks! Its all beeen written, just needs assmebling.
NT
It wasn't that long ago when every house just had one light bulb in the centre of the room with a 60 or 100w bulb in it. Now, when we're supposed to be getting greener more and more people are installing recessed lighting. I think many don't even realise the amount of power they're sucking with these things on.
My sister is in a newly built one-bed flat with thirty six (yes 36!) GU10 50w light fittings in the lounge. Okay, they're operated by 3 switches but it's still a horrendous waste of energy. The best part is I have to go about changing the bloody bulbs every other time I visit!
I have a couple of friends with thousands of these 'fashion' lights and they complain how often they trip the MCB ?
I still have two 5' flouros in the kitchen as they are economical, cheap to replace, run cool and provide ample light (the required function of a 'light' methinks)? We use the kitchen for prepairing food (to eat not to display) and I can't remember anyone ever mentioning anything about the lighting? Maybe if it was the kitchen in a designer flat and we had loads of dinner parties I might need 'different' lighting (well I wouldent but others might)?
In the lounge we have a 60 bulb (will be low energy when I can find one to fit?) in the middle of the ceiling mounted fan (a life saver in the summer) and we have a single low energy lamp on top of a high shelf (in 'uplighting' mode) for general room lighting.
We pretty well have low energy lamps throught the rest of the house.
I was given an armfull of new / used low energy lamps the other day because the lady 'didn't like them' (she even took the one out of a basic lampshade off the landing .. hardly a 'mood lighting issue there?). I tried to (gently) explain that if we all used them we could close a power station and she could save money (etc etc) but that wasn't of interest to her.
But then I'm only a simple bloke, never been into 'style' or 'form over function' .. and like to spend my money on other things not the electricity bill ?
All the best ..
T i m
On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:45:29 GMT someone who may be T i m wrote this:-
Assuming a kitchen roughly divided into a work area and a dining area. Independently switched fluorescent tubes over each area provide general lighting as necessary. Add a 100W GLS spotlight on a dimmer to illuminate the dining table, for better atmosphere while dining at the table with the general lighting switched off. One might risk a halogen light here, but these are generally too harsh for gentle light. Add a recessed downlighter over the sink (these can now be fitted with an excellent 20W CFL) for task lighting. Add fluorescent lights under cupboards and cooker hoods to deal with any dark area. End result - flexible lighting fit for purpose that does not make the electricity meter spin round like a catherine wheel. "Fancy" lighting? Stick fluorescent tubes on top of the cupboards and use them as uplighters.
In the shops you should be able to find a General Electric CFL called "mini extra", or "extra mini". These are as short as GLS bulbs and will fit nearly everywhere that a GLS bulb will. They are even shorter then the "Mr Whippy" ones. Sometimes a lamp holder will block the control gear box on the bulb. These holders can often be sorted out with the aid of a suitable saw.
I would disagree. We have 2 banks of 5x50W 12v jobbies which allow eithe half of the lounge to be illuminated via a diagonal line.
What we have found is in normal use, ony one half is ever on, and that is dimmed down to virtually as low as they can be which provides a nice atmospheric mood lighting.
1 Ikea "feature" lamp (looks like Medusa's hair)provides ample background lighting.Sure, not quite as economical as a pair of 7W CFL bulbs, but only a teensy weensy bit of the 0.5 KW output they are capable of for about 98% of the time.
Even though your light output is teensy weensy the electricity used will be (teensy weensy) * 3 or something like that, because even the modern electronic dimmers are not perfect, you'd be better off with lower rated bulbs. Old fashioned dimmers are much worse and only save a maximum of something like 10%. However all dimmers make the bulbs last longer and the soft start ones in particular.
But if you measure the power consumption, you'll find it drawing a large percentage 0.5 KW. A demo I've done a few times is to measure the power consumption of a 500W halogen. When dimmed to the light output of something like a 25W or 40W lamp, it still draws over 300W. To a first approximation, don't assume a dimmer saves electricity -- it's primarily a knob to turn down the efficiency of your lamps.
Quite. Use a switchbank instead.
NT
Dimmed lamps may last longer, but the power consumed is a much greater proportion of the full load than the light output is. It is much more efficient to dim by reducing the number of lamps lit. 12 lamps in one room is very much OTT, unless it is a public hall.
Thats what I said, reading it back I should have been clearer.
Or use lower rated lamps.
With halogens its not OTT in a room of say 20m2, they are realy poor as ambiant lights.
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