25mm cable ???

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Lamps is the correct term used for bulbs.

'Correct' in the eyes of the electrical trade,

And this forum is dedicated to the electrical trade, so enough said!

 

[SparrowHawk99]

I asked for spotlights in the rooms, again what is wrong with having spot lights?

Because they are not designed for lighting up rooms - the clue lies in spot lights.

Yes I could buy florescent if I wanted to and get better energy but I'm not trying to compete with **** building regulations.

Nor should you - your obligation is to prove that the work you do complies with the Building Regulations.

It's up to me whether I have halogens or florescent

No it isn't.

who even cares?

Ultimately society cares. That's why we have these laws.

It's a case of changing the bulb !

I think you'll find that most LABCs follow the official guidance and insist on a minimum % of fittings that will only take energy efficient lamps.

You of course are free to enter into a dispute with them.

Why would I need a designer for christ sake it's a 2 bedroom rewire?

Because you are not competent to do it.

What on earth is the problem with some of you, need to cheer up.

Not so much a problem, more that we recognise your lack of competence.

and then people moaning about having a **** architect doing CAD drawings or something for the electrics.

Care to show where?

Don't be so stupid.

Likewise, I'm sure.

Go away and get a proper electrician do do the whole lot.

What's in your bonnet? Against the law to have halogen bulbs? You're talking absolute sh1te. Please be a kind gentleman and suggest a part l compliant bulb, as yet you've given **** all in terms of actually useful advice, just stupid bickering. I've asked for information, what in your post there has actually been informative, NOWT. And no I won't pay when I can run wires myself and pay for the connections. God, old people never change

 

[SparrowHawk99]

Does it actually matter how many people have spot lights in their houses? And the correct definition of a light bulb...

Quite. How you light your house is entirely up to you, and as for some of the electrical trade's unilateral decision to re-christen bulbs as lamps ...!! However, some people have bees in their bonnets about both those topics!

If, as you seem to be suggesting, many/most of your lights will usually be severely dimmed, that's fair enough. The point being made by some, with which I would agree, is that 200W-300W worth of lighting (non-dimmed) would be very excessive for all but very large rooms. However, some of those here just 'have a thing about' downlights and spotlights, and will say rude things about them no matter what the power or degree of dimming!

...whoever said £250 materials to rewire the whole house is clearly thinking of one standard sh1tty pendant in each room emitting dungeon light

I may have missed that - the only figure I recall being quoted was £450 - which, with true trade discounts might be just about do-able for some houses, with fairly modest requirements.

You need to be fairly selective in terms who you take much notice of, and who you 'take seriously', in any forum like this.

Kind Regards, John

Thanks John, kind and reasonable response there. If it weren't for someone like yourself balancing the foray, I'd have gone away with some weird paranoia about spotlights/downlights. Bloody hell they are in every home improvement magazine, from kitchens to bathrooms to bedrooms, and dimmable. It's 2014 I'm sure it's safe to dim spotlights safely now, that's wrong with some of these guys?

I'm at around 720 with the sensors, new consumer unit, etc, basically all per that list. Considering I'm paying nothing for labor I'm getting a good deal. So let's take your total as about £500, and mine around £720. Difference of £220 and probably sacrificing quality of fittings etc. The guy who priced this job allowed for mid to high range. Nice smooth, round switch plates, etc

 

[AndyPRK]

Ban likes a bulb suspended from the ceiling as its lights a room well.

If you want spot lights, which light a small space they are expensive to run as 50W, but if you fit LEDs then they are fine, but maybe a bit too white for some rooms.

 

[SparrowHawk99]

And John, with regards this comment ... 200W-300W worth of lighting (non-dimmed) would be very excessive for all but very large rooms.

Someone said earlier it would be insufficient having spots... So if I've 50W, 4 for a bedroom say that's 200W of lighting on full... the word earlier was this is insufficient? But your saying to much ? Which is it ? I'm having 6 in kitchen, 5 lounge. [/b]

 

[SparrowHawk99]

I guess in the age of some of you guys, pre world war you'd be lucky to have a working light in the house, things have come some distance since then.

Those were the days, not pre war but the 1950's when people were polite and accepted advice without giving rude comments when the advice was not the advice they wanted to hear..

Good luck with all those dimmers. You are aware that many cheap dimmers create so much electrical noise on the mains that other dimmers become unstable.

Dimmers work by chopping the power on and off. To prevent the dimmers creating a lot of internal heat the switching has be as rapid as possible, from ON to OFF in a few micro-seconds 100 times a second. ( slow switching creates heat in the switching device ). The rapid change in current causes voltage spikes and dips on the mains ( electrical noise ) and these spikes and dips confuse other dimmers.

So why the hell are they used in peoples houses if this is a problem ? Answer me that

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

At the end of the day people like downlights, they are pain to fit but people like, people pay, I take money!

 

[SparrowHawk99]

I guess in the age of some of you guys, pre world war you'd be lucky to have a working light in the house, things have come some distance since then.

Those were the days, not pre war but the 1950's when people were polite and accepted advice without giving rude comments when the advice was not the advice they wanted to hear..

Good luck with all those dimmers. You are aware that many cheap dimmers create so much electrical noise on the mains that other dimmers become unstable.

Dimmers work by chopping the power on and off. To prevent the dimmers creating a lot of internal heat the switching has be as rapid as possible, from ON to OFF in a few micro-seconds 100 times a second. ( slow switching creates heat in the switching device ). The rapid change in current causes voltage spikes and dips on the mains ( electrical noise ) and these spikes and dips confuse other dimmers.

Not only that but they cause radio interference to you and your neighbours. If you don't believe me try listening to radio 4 on long wave with them operating at half brightness.

If you want to control room brightness best to have say 3 sets of lights and only switch one of two on.

Ok so explain to me how this is different from having spots on a rail?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/shot-brushed-polished-chrome-4-light-spotlight/35355

Some of the most common bloody lights used in domestic properties..

 

[SparrowHawk99]

Ban likes a bulb suspended from the ceiling as its lights a room well.

If you want spot lights, which light a small space they are expensive to run as 50W, but if you fit LEDs then they are fine, but maybe a bit too white for some rooms.

Thanks Andy, can you or anyone suggest me a good LED for these spots? Besides the one that's been posted which is non-dimmable ? Ok fine perhaps if I settle on not having my beloved dimmers anywhere and just have spots with part l compliant LEDS as someone provided a link to before, would this satisfy everyone here, building reg and jesus christ? If so I'll do it.

 

[Monkeh]

Then you're buying s***te? Or that's without VAT

That's with VAT, and it's not ****e. This would be a good time to point out I've done electrical work and you haven't; I know good hardware from bad, you don't even know what it's for. And seeing as you haven't properly specified what you're buying, I had to pick stuff. Which doesn't include shiny things which just get dirty.

If they aren't suitable for dimming they wouldn't sell them would they ?

If cars weren't suitable for driving underwater they wouldn't sell them would they?

 

[SparrowHawk99]

Then you're buying s***te? Or that's without VAT

That's with VAT, and it's not s***te. This would be a good time to point out I've done electrical work and you haven't; I know good hardware from bad, you don't even know what it's for.

If they aren't suitable for dimming they wouldn't sell them would they ?

If cars weren't suitable for driving underwater they wouldn't sell them would they?

Ok well I'm paying over the odds then. I did a price comparison today and I've only one electrical wholesaler to compare with the likes of screwfix, toolstation, b&q etc. If you think you can get all that for about £500 then I guess that's the perk of being a sparky. So I guess I'm stuck paying over the odds, at least not as bad as average job public

 

[AndyPRK]

Screwfix sell led down lights which can be dimmed.

Don't know what they are like when dimmed though.

Dimming is a pain so you might just want to buy a dimmer for 1 room and try it out first.

 

[SparrowHawk99]

So if I buy expensive florescent bulbs for every room this would satisfy everyone here ?

Better still get LEDs, 50W equivalent under a fiver.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homeba...le-bulb-gu10-5w--50w----1-pack-246316[/QUOTE]

If I buy these bulbs, is the same wiring used that would be used for halogens, and are transformers etc required? Again, sorry I'm not a sparky I'm helping an ex-sparky to run the cables, so if this is a stupid question apologies, and I'm sure he will know which to use anyway. Just asking for my own education

 

[AndyPRK]

Gu10 don't require transformers

But mr16 do I think and it has to be suitable for dimming

 

[JohnW2]

And John, with regards this comment ... 200W-300W worth of lighting (non-dimmed) would be very excessive for all but very large rooms. ... Someone said earlier it would be insufficient having spots... So if I've 50W, 4 for a bedroom say that's 200W of lighting on full... the word earlier was this is insufficient? But your saying to much ? Which is it ? I'm having 6 in kitchen, 5 lounge. [/b]

As so often, "it depends". As a general truth, any arrangement of lighting which requires 200W-300W (undimmed) for a normal room is seriously (many would say 'ridiculously') inefficient, not to mention very expensive to run (300W for, say, 6 hours per day would cost around £100 per year to run, just for one room). So, in that sense, 200W-300W is very much 'excessive'.

However, if you achieved that 200W-300W by having 4-6 very narrow-angle 50W spotlights then, particularly if you had darkish walls/ furniture/ flooring, you could theoretically end up with just 4-6 small 'circles of light' on walls (or whatever they were pointed at) and not too much 'general lighting' - so in that situation, even 200W-300W, 'excessive' though it might be, might not produce adequate general lighting.

Kind Regards, John