Downlight circuit in extension

[Rip44]

Hello, new to the forum, I have used it a lot in the past for advice when stuck on projects (on my 3rd extension to my house, doing everything myself) so I thought it's time to register.
Looking at the forums on here, it's clear that GU10 downlights are not liked too much, however the wife likes them so that is that.
I have an existing circuit, running from a ring main, fed from a switched fused 3a connection. (this used to run to the outside light where my extension is now)
I plan to wire 15 30amp downlights from this feed, controlled by a 500w dimmer switch. The extension is a lounge, 6m x 5m.
Does this set up sound OK ? would anyone advise 9 downlights (3 banks of 3 instead of 3 banks of 5 ? I was wondering as although I will fit 30w downlights, in future someone could fit 50w, possibly overloading the circuit with 750 watts ?

 

[DeadJoe]

450W to light one room? Blimey! We use less than that to light our entire house, including the shed, loft and garden...

Sorry - I just had to say it.

 

[Steve]

I light my entire house with about 250 watts. Including the garden.

Re-think your lighting proposal. Downlights are not relaxing. They are a harsh, unforgiving light source. I would recommend uplighters, and a central pendant or chandelier for a lounge - this gives a soft glow. Its what I have, and fitted with CFLs its very efficient. I'm typing this under 34 watts of light. Not 450.

Let the wife know how much electric downlights use. They are the lowest on the efficiency scale.

 

[RF Lighting]

I light my house with 3020W excluding the garden.

Stick with your proposal. If the wifes happy you'll get a peaceful life.

Downlighters are really good looking lights.

CFLs give a horrible harsh light that messes with your eyes and they take forever to come on.

 

[Steve]

I see your post has just completely contradicted mine!

I like protecting our planet. Gives me a warm feeling inside. Oh wait, thats my CFLs.

 

[RF Lighting]

I like to be able to see where I'm going.

Think of the extra heating you need to keep your house warm without some of those little halogen heaters like i have.

 

[Steve]

Yeah, I love having warm ceilings . . .


Get on msn or facebook young un.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I plan to wire 15 30amp downlights from this feed, controlled by a 500w dimmer switch. The extension is a lounge, 6m x 5m.
Does this set up sound OK ?

Hmm. I think you do not mean 30amp?
15 of those would be over 100kW.
Got a prime mover in your shed?

Did you mean 30watts?
You can get 12volt – MR16 / GU5.3 Extra Low Voltage Halogen lamps at 30Watts, but they are not vey usual.
GU10s are 35 or 50watts.

I've seen 30watt LEDs but you won't dim them...

What did you mean?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I light my house with 3020W excluding the garden.

RF - you should not be trusted, or allowed to have, or to give any advice on, anything more technical than a stick for poking at mud.

You clearly have not got any sense of efficiency or engineering elegance in your body, you are a technological barbarian.

3kW is not only obscene, it is utterly stupid, and so are you if you think there is anything about it which is not to be abhorred.

they take forever to come on.

No they ******* don't.

 

[Steve]

 

[Taylortwocities]

Pathos (pronounced /ˈpeɪθɒs/ or /ˈpeɪθoʊs/; Greek: πάθος, for "suffering" or "experience;" adjectival form: 'pathetic' from παθητικό&#962 represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric (where it is considered one of the three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos and logos), and in literature, film and other narrative art.

Emotional appeal can be accomplished in a multitude of ways:

* by a metaphor or story telling, common as a hook,
* by a general passion in the delivery and an overall emotion and sympathies of the speech or writing as determined by the audience. The pathos of a speech or writing is only ultimately determined by the hearers.

Pathos is often associated with emotions, but it is more complex than simply emotions. A better equivalent might be appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination. An appeal to pathos causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the writer's point of view - to feel what the writer feels. In this sense, pathos evokes a meaning implicit in the verb 'to suffer' - to feel pain imaginatively. Perhaps the most common way of conveying a pathetic appeal is through narrative or story, which can turn the abstractions of logic into something palpable and present. The values, beliefs, and understandings of the writer are implicit in the story and conveyed imaginatively to the reader. Pathos thus refers to both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power with which the writer's message moves the audience to decision or action.

 

[RF Lighting]

I light my house with 3020W excluding the garden.

RF - you should not be trusted, or allowed to have, or to give any advice on, anything more technical than a stick for poking at mud.

You clearly have not got any sense of efficiency or engineering elegance in your body, you are a technological barbarian.

3kW is not only obscene, it is utterly stupid, and so are you if you think there is anything about it which is not to be abhorred.

In your opinion.

What if I was to tell you that the majority of that lighting is in fact HF fluorescent lighting?

Am I still a barbarian oh self righteous one?

they take forever to come on.

No they ******* don't.

Yes they ******* do.

 

[Rip44]

I plan to wire 15 30amp downlights from this feed, controlled by a 500w dimmer switch. The extension is a lounge, 6m x 5m.
Does this set up sound OK ?

Hmm. I think you do not mean 30amp?
15 of those would be over 100kW.
Got a prime mover in your shed?

Did you mean 30watts?
You can get 12volt – MR16 / GU5.3 Extra Low Voltage Halogen lamps at 30Watts, but they are not vey usual.
GU10s are 35 or 50watts.

I've seen 30watt LEDs but you won't dim them...

What did you mean?

Sorry, too early in the morning, I meant 35 watts, don't know where I got the 30 from or the amps ! I think I may reduce down to 9 downlights in total to keep the electric bills down, although with a dimmer I could turn them down a bit.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What if I was to tell you that the majority of that lighting is in fact HF fluorescent lighting?

Am I still a barbarian oh self righteous one?

My apologies - I didn't realise you lived in Castle Howard.

Yes they ******* do.

1a) No they don't - I've got some and they do light up.

1b) If they did you couldn't say that with certainty, because you haven't yet waited for ever. What you've got with the ones which still haven't come on after the last time you switched them on are broken lamps, not lamps which take forever to come on.

2) " the majority of that lighting is in fact HF fluorescent lighting" - none of it using compact lamps?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

with a dimmer I could turn them down a bit.

Won't save much.