GU10 CFL equivalents

[mcmook]

I'm planning to install GU10 recessed light fittings into an insulated (rockwool maybe sheeps wool?) ceiling (the insulation will be there primarily for acoustics but the thermal insulation will be useful). The lights will be in a shop, our flat is above.

I know there are fire hazzards associated with using the halogen GU10's (either low voltage or 240V) and you need to fit fire hoods, cut away the insulation etc - but if i'm fitting megaman GU10 CFLs will this still apply? The heat output would be much less... would Building Control still insist on fire hoods since in theory halogens could be fitted?

Ideally i'd like to use LEDs but from what I've seen/heard the bulbs aren't quite up to it yet.

[ARWadsworth]

If your ceiling is fire rated you will need firehoods or fire rated fittings. Firehoods are to stop the spread of fire through the ceiling from one level to the next however the fire is caused, not to protect against halogen lights catching fire.

I recently fitted some firerated GU10 fittings and they are a lot easier to work with than the fire hoods.

Adam

[Andy Hall]

Neither are the CFLs

[mcmook]

install GU10 recessed light fittings into an insulated

thanks adam - do you recall the make/model. the megaman bulb is slightly longer that a standard GU10 and can protrude from fixed connectors so need a floating connector. would a fire rated fitting offer any protection in terms of heat shielding or does the insulation need to be cut away (not ideal)

my ceiling isn't fire rated (at least i don't think so as BC don't seem to have picked up on it, although it is a boundary between shop and house)

[ARWadsworth]

The lights I used did not have a floating connector. Are these any use to you

Adam

[David Hansen]

On 5 Feb 2007 10:34:41 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

You, the designer, need to cover foreseeable changes made to your design. It is foreseeable that someone will replace the energy saving bulbs with "ordinary" bulbs. How do you feel about the possibility of explaining your design in court?

[mcmook]

insulated ceiling. I'm not trying to cut corners I just can't get hold of any giudance. From what I've read on this site and others most installations have been 'clay flowerpots' over the fittings which i don't feel comfortable with. I also made the (mistaken) assumption that firehoods, or integral fire rated fittings would offer some heat shielding. Thanks to a previous poster for pointing that out!

[David Hansen]

On 6 Feb 2007 02:17:43 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

IET.

Personally I advise you not to fit such lights, anywhere.

[mcmook]

paintings/art on the wall. the idea with using recessed gu10 fitting was to have unobtrusive lighting, which can be directional (ie aimed at the wall if needed). i thought gu10 because i may have future options (ie LED - if/when this technology improves) but in the interim to go for the next best which i think is probably CFL. ideally thes would also be dimmable (megaman DORS) we'd like to avoid pendants and only use flourescent tubes if we can hide the fitting (uplighters? bouncing light of the ceiling) but i've been unable to find anythinh that fits the bill ...

[David Hansen]

On 6 Feb 2007 03:50:24 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

Lighting such things from the ceiling tends not to do them any favours, though some installations are better then others.

I would probably study the possibility of "traditional" picture lights just above the paintings, fitted with fluorescent lamps. These don't need to be "traditional" brass things though. They can be individually switched.

For general lighting, if the room is large enough, I might look at uplighters fitted with mercury vapour lamps or the "white" sodium lamps. The latter would be more efficient but you would need to consider whether the "white" is white enough for you.

[mcmook]

be good but the pictures are likely to change location and shape on a regular basis so fixed locations would be problemeatic... i tried to follow your suggestion re IET could you be more specific?

[David Hansen]

On 6 Feb 2007 06:09:18 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

[mcmook]

relating to installing lighting

[David Hansen]

On 6 Feb 2007 07:09:22 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

Other people in this group have highlighted articles by the IET on installing various things, including fitting downlighters into ceilings.

[Owain]

About the only useful solution for an art gallery is low-level general lighting (which can be fluorescent up or downlighters) together with a specialised track system, which nowadays will probably use 240V on the track and 12V dichroic halogen fittings with inbuilt transformers.

Owain

[RzB]

Just a thought - have you considered something like this....

of flexibility for paintings...

Roy

[Simon Stroud]

If your CFL GU10 bulbs are anything like the load I bought from CPC a while ago, there's more than a theoretical possibility that they'll be replaced by halogens - you'll probably do that yourself within a few days before your eyes have to grow "as big as millwheels" to compensate for the darkness.

Interesting use of "quite"!

Good luck.

Simon.

[b33k34]

Really? What are the problems with them - I'm happy enough with the

*quality* CFL replacements i've used instead of traditional bulbs around the place. I'd not use one in, say, a cupboard where instant light is wanted for a short period but for a light that's going to be on for some hours they're fine.

Our kitchen has two circuits of 35w 12v spots at the moment. We want to retain dimming on the ones over the table (and can use the lamps and dimmers from the other circuit as spares) but were going to swap out the circuit above the worksurface for 7w Megaman CFL GU10s.

[b33k34]

Any idea of the brand you purchased? Megaman stuff I've seen has been really good. Also, replacing a, say 35w halogen with a 40w equivalent CFL should compensate for the different light.

[Simon Stroud]

They were like this:

now apparently these have been replaced by this one:

thought the ones I had eere something like "Prolite" (like the new ones they now stock) or some such Chinese-sounding name, but it's possible I'm confusing them with the LED ones, which were even more disappointing.

Good luck!

Simon.