Hi
I was wondering if there are any guidelines as to how close together these need to be for a kitchen where we will have an approx. 4m run of work top in an L shape with no wall cupboards.
I am considering the mains voltage 50W type, and want a bright working area.
TIA
I suggest you read back through earlier threads on halogen downlighters before going that route ;-)
If I may suggest, these arent one of the best possible choices. If you want the look of halogen downlights you'd do better to use 20w halogens, and make up the remaining light level with CFLs.
As Andrew said, google, groups, uk.d-i-y for the problems with them.
NT
For gods sake get LV and save yourself from expensive bulb replacements every fortnight. Every person I know with mains halogens hates the bloody things and has ripped them out - when you end up with half the lights blown every two months...so will you.
How does 4 years average lifetime in a busy are grab you on my 50W LV spots? And bulb price less than half the mains ones?
I would put about 1 every meter frankly. Over the worktop. For general lighting 2-5 square meters per bulb, and get wide angle ones. Eyeball firttings enable you to use a bit less, by allowing you to set where the bright patches are.
I have only two problems with mine, and they are electricity consumption, and I didn;t put enough in perhaps.
Everyone who has used mains ones I know wishes they hadn't, but I am well chuffed with the LV ones.
Compared with Her mood lighting wall mounted candle bulbs, which blow a bulb a week, I am replacing LV spots in similar illumination areas at the rate of 3 or 4 a year only. I reaplaced 6 40W candles last month alone...and so far they have blown two dimmers (now uprated )and have a 75% sucess rate in triping a 6A MCB when they blow...
If you are mean and green, use CFL's - but if you want the best lighting quality and accurate illumination, LV halogens are very very good. Mine even dim bless them.Do your sums on electricoity consumption, capital cost and MTBF and make up your own mind.
I guess I'm mean and green but think these halogen spots (mains or LV) to be a stupid affectation. The more so since my mother had the bright idea of getting the 2 x 4' fluorescents in her kitchen changed to 2 x 4 x 50W mains halogen spots and I'm the one who gets to change the bulbs. Nasty light with hard shadows in front of you just where you are working (of course due to the fittings being centre ceiling) and costing five times as much in energy and lamp replacements.
Just fitted 6 times 50W LV recessed lights last weekend. Very pleased with result. Spacing about 1m
... and uses 300 watts, quite a bit! I used slimline flourescent fittings and am also very happy with the result, total power for a
*big* kitchen about 100 watts or less.
I use 1.2 to 1.5m spacing, i have fitted loads of mains voltage halogen on diff jobs, 50w lamps cost >£2 each last app 1 year in my own kitchen
7 lights for 6x3m floor area, I use "task lighting" for worktop areas, linkable striplights screwfix No 98307, don't like lv downlights 50/50 chance transformer or lamp wiil blow first
We have 11 240V/50W and have replaced (IIRC) 3 bulbs in the last 18 months. Having said that, I fitted GZ10s (dichroics) rather than GU10s (aluminium reflectors). Fittings for GZ seem to be better built and slightly more expensive. Less heat thrown forwards too.
My dad has a B&Q 4-spot GU10 fitting in one room, and has replaced four bulbs in 2 years. The Osram ones I got him from Screwfix seem to last longer than the ones that came with the fitting.
Yeah, they're our "indulgence". CFLs pretty much everywhere else. Standard fluorescents give a lovely even light from just a few fittings which makes working in the kitchen easy. Downlighters of any description (even the nice CFL ones) give quite a directed light, so you need more than you'd think. I put four above a 4m run of worktop and just "inboard" of the edge of that worktop so that you don't cast a shadow while you're working, and they shine into drawers nicely. That worktop has no cupboards over, but another does and they are a problem and really need undercupboard lights to make the worktop nice to work at.
Oh, and the 11 lights are on three (dimmer) switches so you only need to switch on the particular group you are using.
Hwyl!
M.
This is popular misconceptions imho.
CFL qualities vary, you need to pick the better ones to get good results.
Halogens have several downsides compared to cfl, including in lighting quality, anyone can google.
NT
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