Minimum Distance Between 240v LED Downlights

[Cinobite]

Does anyone know? I cant seem to find it anywhere.

I bought 240v Halogen downlights recently and they specified 14cm clearance radius.
However, having discovered that what I thought to have been some kind of driver, was in fact just a plastic box with a choc block in and swapping the bulbs for 240v LED's the heat generated is going to be substantially lower.

I'm panning on building a room length by about 22cm boxing across the roof of the living room especially and only for LED downlights, so I'm wondering is this is still possible using LED, obviousy it wouldn't with halogen.

TIA

 

[Adam_151]

It is possible that someone may fit halogen lamps instead of GU10 by mistake at a later date.

If you putting new fittings in specifically for LED lamps.... why not just use LED spots rather than GU10s

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Why build something like that across the ceiling - won't it look ghastly?

And if the minimum distance between lights is a concern, doesn't that imply that there is going to be a lot of them? If so, serious thought should be given about whether there are to be a lot because the room is enormous, or because the lights aren't actually any good at lighting up rooms, and so have to be used in large numbers to work round their fundamental unsuitability.

 

[Cinobite]

They shouldn't, I've just bought the house and intend to stay here.

I bought the GU10 Halogen's as they do a kit in B&Q, £15 for 3, then I swap out the halogens for LED and it still works out a lot cheaper than buying the LED parts - £17 for one bracket that's a choc block in a plastic box!
They are the cheaper type that have the spring clip to keep the bulb in, as the bulb mount can fall/pull through the hole, I could label each mount warning not to use Halogen.

I've done in the bedroom, but have access to the loft in that instance so could get the clearance, for the living room I cant access the ceiling cavity without pulling up polished fake floor boards, tiles and a bathroom which is why I'm planning to build boxing, then I can run power from a double socket below and convert the current light switch to a double near the power source

 

[Cinobite]

And if the minimum distance between lights is a concern, doesn't that imply that there is going to be a lot of them?

Sorry, to clarify, the minimum distance stated on the spec for the halogen kit is between the bulb fixing and anything else (wall, beam, strut etc) not between the lights. So I'm wondering - hoping - that by using LED bulbs the containment can be smaller as there will be virtually no heat generated

The lights will be spaced about 1.2m apart, much like this. There will be 4.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Are you planning to build this false ceiling solely to house lights that are not suitable for the existing ceiling?

That is - to avoid lights hanging from ceiling, you are going to lower the ceiling.

 

[Cinobite]

Yes, that's the plan, it will be a single room length piece of custom installed boxing built specifically to house the lights, about 22cm deep from the wall - so not the entire ceiling;

Perhaps something similar to this would be suitable? http://www.screwfix.com/p/robus-fix...re-rated-downlight-polished-chrome-240v/46177

I'm happy to use a specific LED setup as long as I know what I need to get. But again, I still need to know what kind of clearance I need before it gets the go ahead.

The height is variable as its a custom boxing, but the depth is what I'm really after, it will be about 22cm deep to keep in line with the vertical box (soil stack) you see at the left of the picture there. If distance between the bulb and the wall isn't a problem at all, then that's great. Obviously the clearance above is what most concern themselves with as heat rises etc etc etc, but I can drop the boxing down further if required

 

[EFLImpudence]

Oh, that's not so bad.

Just Google for various downlights and see the requirements.

 

[Cinobite]

I had a look in B&Q earlier, the spec on the box is the same as it is for halogen, 150mm from hole to wall on all sides, which means it's not achievable.
I don't see how, certainly not how the clearance is the same between LED and Halogen. But if they say and you say it's not possible, I guess I'll have to look at alternatives.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What did you do that with?

 

[Cinobite]

It's called "HomebyYou", a bit of a java app type thing. The free version is restricted in the items you can add in, but you can build rooms, add in their affiliated furniture with the links to buy or add, resize and texture random blank shapes to make things