Hallo.
I'm looking to replace the existing single rose in my living room with some LV downlighters.
I'm not final on how many, but at present it's looking like 6 or 7 20W ones. 6 x 35W ones would be var too many, as it's a smallish room.
There are a couple of things getting in the way of my plans. My gf went and bought a couple of LV kits from screwfix (3 x 20W with a 20-70W transformer which uses 0.75mm cable). The cable length between each bulb is about 600mm, and isn't really good if you consider two 100mm high joists in the loft, that leaves a realistic max of 400mm distance between bulbs.
So...what are my options?
Can I re-wire these bulbs (in parallel) with higher rated cable and extend the runs, or will the output of the transformer mean that the bulbs will glow at different brightnesses, or will all be dimmer?
Can I run a separate cable from the transformer to each bulb (perhaps through a lighting junction box with a 5A fused spur), and just make sure that each cable is the same length?
How much length will 1.5mm or 2.5mm cable give me, assuming I can do either/both?
I've heard of using a transformer per bulb as being a good idea. Where can I find a transformer of say, 25 or 30 W output?
If I decide to rewire, where can I get downlighter connectors? If Screwfix sell them (or LV cables) I can't find em.
Moving on slightly, what's the best (affordable) way to ensure safety regarding LV downlighters in a loft with 200mm of insulation?
I've heard folk use flowerpots. Plastic ones?
I assume clay onces are expensive (not a gardener), and I've got maybe 12+ downlighters planned for the house.
One idea I had was to get a 3M length of 110mm drainpipe and cut lengths to provide 'chimneys' to the loft space. Bad idea? The roof isn't fire proofed etc, just typical 10mm or 13mm plasterboard.
Thanks for the patience folks. I want to do this affordably, and I might end up with two tiny triangles in my livingroom I guess, but worth a shot.
Camie.
I'm looking to replace the existing single rose in my living room with some LV downlighters.
I'm not final on how many, but at present it's looking like 6 or 7 20W ones. 6 x 35W ones would be var too many, as it's a smallish room.
There are a couple of things getting in the way of my plans. My gf went and bought a couple of LV kits from screwfix (3 x 20W with a 20-70W transformer which uses 0.75mm cable). The cable length between each bulb is about 600mm, and isn't really good if you consider two 100mm high joists in the loft, that leaves a realistic max of 400mm distance between bulbs.
So...what are my options?
Can I re-wire these bulbs (in parallel) with higher rated cable and extend the runs, or will the output of the transformer mean that the bulbs will glow at different brightnesses, or will all be dimmer?
Can I run a separate cable from the transformer to each bulb (perhaps through a lighting junction box with a 5A fused spur), and just make sure that each cable is the same length?
How much length will 1.5mm or 2.5mm cable give me, assuming I can do either/both?
I've heard of using a transformer per bulb as being a good idea. Where can I find a transformer of say, 25 or 30 W output?
If I decide to rewire, where can I get downlighter connectors? If Screwfix sell them (or LV cables) I can't find em.
Moving on slightly, what's the best (affordable) way to ensure safety regarding LV downlighters in a loft with 200mm of insulation?
I've heard folk use flowerpots. Plastic ones?
I assume clay onces are expensive (not a gardener), and I've got maybe 12+ downlighters planned for the house.One idea I had was to get a 3M length of 110mm drainpipe and cut lengths to provide 'chimneys' to the loft space. Bad idea? The roof isn't fire proofed etc, just typical 10mm or 13mm plasterboard.
Thanks for the patience folks. I want to do this affordably, and I might end up with two tiny triangles in my livingroom I guess, but worth a shot.
Camie.
