How bright are LED spotlights ......

[islandman]

...... or rather how much light will I get from 2 sets of 3 spots, ceiling mounted in a kitchen about 15 X 8 ft.

They will be replacing 2 X 40 watt flourescent tubes.

I also understand the best 'colour' light to choose is blue or white. seen them in the store but you can't get the slightest idea of actual performance in these circumstances.

Any advice very welcome thanks.

 

[jj4091]

http://www.screwfix.com/cats/A354593/Lighting-Lamps/Lamps/LED-Lamps If you look at the specifcation for each lamp it tells you the lumens/ watt you can expect & therefore decide which lamp you want to use.

 

[timtheenchanter]

2 sets of 3 spots will not give an equivilent light to 2 40W florries, it just wont...

by the very design the florries emit light at all angles, spots.....what it says on the tin.

Im not saying they dont exist, but the sensible priced (but decent) LEDs I have seen in action are still a narrower beam than most halogen equivilents, I also find the "white" too white for general lighting.

I do however have some in my kitchen to SUPPLEMENT the florries for task lighting and find the whiteness works well.

IMO avoid the blue, it gives me eye strain as it brings out alot of the UV reactive content of colours

I you must ditch the florries, please look at appropriate lighting for a kitchen, at the very worst the CFL downlighters that have a larger diameter arent too bad in the right setting.

 

[maltaron]

Modern LEDs are excellent for general and task lighting, but not really suitable for working lights as in a kitchen. personally I would stick with fluorescent and possibly LEDs for local areas. I have an LED above the tea mashing area, so we dont have to start a fluo. to make a drink. I also use them in the lounge over the settee, they are excellent for reading.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Then read why what you need to know is the illuminance, measured in lux that you'll get on the surface(s) you're trying to light up.

Lumens tells you how bright a lamp is, and it'll have the same value whether it's under a cupboard 600mm above a worktop or in the roof of the Albert Hall. But in the Albert Hall it won't light up the stage as well as it does the worktop in your kitchen.

Anyway - spotlights are not designed to light up rooms - fit something like these:

 

[islandman]

Thanks for the advice people.

I think we may need to rethink this now!

 

[big-all]

as a rough rule off thumb
i rate low energy bulbs as 4 times as efficient as normal bulbs [unlike manufacturers 4.5 to 6 times the power]
i also rate leds as 8 times as efficiant
so a 40w normal = 10w low energy and 5w led power

 

[mointainwalker]

@b-a-s

The lamp you refer to features frequently here. Please help fill in gaps in knowledge.

Sites talk about it having a gearbox. What's that ?

Other thing is it says "2 x13 watt" . Does it have two bulbs or is it sold as a pack of 2.

Yes I could ask the site but believe I will get an answer in one go here instead of two or three there.

Thanks.

 

[timtheenchanter]

yes it has 2x 13Watt lamps in it.

the "gearbox" is the control gear for lighting the lamp/keeping it lit etc (this is essentially a better version of what is built into the base of a normal compact flourescent)
t is not built into the lamps, but the fitting, or more precisly a box screwed to the fitting so it can be removed and placed somewhere more convenient if space is at a premium.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The same luminaire is also available with different lamp wattages.

As well as physical installation flexibility, external control gear can be replaced with ones which provide an emergency lighting function (IIRC that light is available in an emergency version off the shelf), or which allow it to be dimmed (and the dimming works much better than those Megaman etc dimmable CFLs).

Although if you're planning to swap out the control gear on day 1 it might be cheaper overall to look for lights which already do what you want.