Lamp colour temperature

[RF Lighting]

Hello all.

Quick one for you.

I have some light fittings to replace in an old fashioned country type pub. They are recessed fittings with a cutout of about 150mm.

I intend to replace a couple of these which have failed with 18W PL downlights to save having to patch the ceiling, and also doing my bit for the environment.

Now the problem. I want them to match as close as possible the existing fittings which all have 60W GLS lamps in them.

I would have thought I need a colour temperature similar to that of your average supermarket energy saving light bulb type thing.

I've found White which I presume is your standard commercial office type lamp which would be too harsh.

I have also found warm white and extra warm white, but I'm not sure which one of these would look better.

I intend to fit frosted glass to the fittings anyway to take some of the harshness away aswell.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[333rocky333]

Most of the supermarket ones I have seen are 2700k. warm white
Rs do brighter ones at 4000k cool white, but these are even brighter than the white ones 3500k which you said are too much.

http://www.bltdirect.com/lampColourTemperatures.php

 

[Steve]

I intend to replace a couple of these which have failed with 18W PL downlights to save having to patch the ceiling, and also doing my bit for the environment.

Hypocrite.

Stick 6400K lamps in. They rock.

But seriously, 2700k is the warmest commonly available. 3500k is still warm though. Most CFLs on supermarket shelves are 2700k now. Perhaps why people claim they aren't as bright as they claim, Because the lumens are the wrong colour? A 4500k lamp certainly appears brighter.

And you'll always get another spark who'll come to replace the lamps and fit daylight tubes anyway. We had 2x18w downlight fittings in the old shop, a row of them, casting their light against a white wall. Looking down the row, it was obvious there were about 4 different colour temperatures. The warm white ones looked dirty, and the cool whites looked blue. Awful.

 

[RF Lighting]

Hypocrite.

I'm not sure I follow

 

[Steve]

You hate CFLs.

You wont have them in your house, but you'll fit them elsewhere. And your post made it sound like you suggested them.

 

[blondini]

Given the setting and the wish to match 60w GLS I would go for the extra warm white.

 

[RF Lighting]

You hate CFLs.

You wont have them in your house, but you'll fit them elsewhere. And your post made it sound like you suggested them.

There is a whole world of difference between not wanting them in my house, and reccomending them as an option to a commercial customer who is not bothered about warm up times, and will make a good cost saving over GLS / halogen lighting due to the fittings being left switched on for between 16 and 20 hours a day.

Oh and I do have some low energy lighting in my house, just not those horrid GLS replacement CFLs

 

[RF Lighting]

Given the setting and the wish to match 60w GLS I would go for the extra warm white.

Thanks for that

 

[Pensdown]

I have some light fittings to replace in an old fashioned country type pub. They are recessed fittings with a cutout of about 150mm.

Now the problem. I want them to match as close as possible the existing fittings which all have 60W GLS lamps in them.

It seems strange having to worry about colour rendering in a pub.

It was only a few years ago when it didn't mater what colour lamps were used because they all ended up the same dirty nicotine yellow anyway.

If the extra warm white doesn't give you the effect you're after, you could try a piece of tinted film behind the glass.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Stick 6400K lamps in. They rock.

The sniffer dogs, and the men with the bin liners and disposable paper overalls are on their way....