Number of downlights in kitchen

stephenstern · 1 Jan 2013

How many downlights (GU10 50w) should i put in my kitchen?

It is a kitchen dinner so will be splitting in two for each half.. roughly 3.7m x 6.11m

So each area will be 3.7m x 3.5m

I suggested 9 (3x3) to my builder and he was pretty surprised, suggesting he thought it was too much.

Taylortwocities · 1 Jan 2013

stephenstern said:
How many downlights (GU10 50w) should i put in my kitchen?
.

None

Downlights are a very inefficient way of lighting a work space.

They are called downlights because they light, well, down. So you will probably also need under cupbaord lighting to illuminate the workspaces which will inevitably be in shadow.

Also, please remember that you could light that room with a single 58watt fluorescent fitting.

You are planning 9 x 50 watt = nearly half a kilowatt of heat generating and energy wasting halogen lights.

Not too good for the icebergs, or your energy costs!

stephenstern · 1 Jan 2013

Thanks, but yes. im aware of the costs etc. Im going for the look. every house i have seen with downlights just look so good.

I may change them to LED bulbs later down the line

Chri5 · 1 Jan 2013

Though about these?

Ledlite via tlc.

They are 50% brighter, use 20% of the energy and with the 90 deg beam lens option 6 will do what 10 gu10 would do.

So less fittings cost, less wiring cost, brighter, warranted for 7 years, better light beam. Easy business case for cost justification.

stephenstern · 1 Jan 2013

Every LED light iv seen just doesnt put out enough light, are there brighter than 50w halogen then and how much? (cant find them on the tlc site)

RF Lighting · 1 Jan 2013

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...ownlights_Index/LEDlite_Downlights/index.html

Yes they really are brighter than a 50W halogen lamp.

stephenstern · 1 Jan 2013

Thanks.
If i was to use 6 in each side, the lights would cost me £400.
I cant really afford that. Prices will come down at some point, then i can consider purchasing

RF Lighting · 1 Jan 2013

Can you afford not to install them?

Working on an average of 4 hours use per day, the LED downlights will pay for them selves in just over 3 and a half years in saved electricity. It's not that long to see a return on your investment.

That's without even taking into account the money you'll have wasted on buying halogen lamps and fittings, and the time taken to replace all the old fittings.

flameport · 1 Jan 2013

If you can't afford £400 for lighting, then fit two of these: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLPL226E.html

Yes, just 2 of them, which will illuminate the room far better than 9 beady little halogen GU10s ever could.
Price to buy virtually identical to 9 GU10 downlights. Electricity used 8 times less. Lamps last 10 times as long.

stephenstern · 2 Jan 2013

Thanks for all the advice. Even if two lit the room, it wouldnt look very good.

I still think ill keep with the 9 (or 6?) and replace the bulbs later down the line. then I have the look and can save cost now and later)

still begs the question of how many i would need..

Chri5 · 2 Jan 2013

Counter plan, table and seating needed.

Counter plan for surface coverage bearing in mind wall units. If the lamps are not 600 off the walls with units, the light is not doing much other than lighting the wall unit top area.

x x x
x. x
x. x

For a u shape counter section one switch no dimming.

For dinning area and table where someone might want to read 9 in three banks of 3 with separate switching / dimming

So that's 16 fittings, say £10 each, and £400 to wire / fit.

On what I suggested 10 fittings £35 each, and £250 to wire / fit.

That's £560 v £600

Then you have labc loving you for being all Part L, and they love that (they may even insist!)

Then your clients will also think what a lovely developer you are for cost saving the energy bills.

jazzydan58 · 2 Jan 2013

I never really understand the hatred that down lighters get from sparks, I am having a new kitchen in and have gone for 12 downlights but the spark doing it suggested a flo tube I had to ask him if he was still living in 1981!

The LED bulbs ARE good if you get the right ones, you will need the ones that are about 5 to 7 watt anything less will be no use, I have them equally spaced along worktops (u shape kitchen) and a run down the middle, kitchen is about 3 x 4metres and I think it looks perfect but will know better when everything is finished. Total watts will be about 60 to 90 so not much different than the tube suggested and no shadows!

EFLImpudence · 2 Jan 2013

jazzydan58 said:
I never really understand the hatred that down lighters get from sparks,

Not very good for lighting - a slight disadvantage for lights -
incorporating the Great British rip-off associated with so-called energy efficient lighting.

Find joists so can be spaced equally without setting fire to house while still looking symmetrical in the room.

Drill numerous large holes in perfectly good ceiling - lath and plaster especially good for this.
Repair bits that fall off.

Fit lights into holes without damaging ceiling more - even better removing them.

Connect seemingly innumerable wires - even better with 12V - while looking and reaching up especially enjoyable.
Even better crouching or crawling in loft 'space' with glass-fibre itching powder.

Fit nice covers in glass-fibre itching powder so that glass-fibre itching powder can do its job of keeping things warm without keeping things warm and so that the holes you have just drilled don't act like holes do - namely leak.

A cost-effective energy-saving resource-conserving boost for the planet.

Taylortwocities · 2 Jan 2013

Ditto

I always enjoy that bit where the customer/architect looks at a blank ceiling and says

I want three rows of 12 equally spaced downlights.

With no thought about the cables, joists, pipes and other stuff that is in the ceiling that prevent the lights going where they are required.

As well as making swiss cheese out of a perfectly good ceiling we have to risk our health by drilling into Artexed ceilings (pre-1985 Artex has asbestos in it). And also do a removals job shifting furniture upstairs, rolling up carpet and underlay, being a carpenter to rip up floorboards or (worse) chipboard so that cables can be laid avoiding said cables, joists, pipes and other stuff.

AND you'll be wanting a fixed price before I start the job!

What's not to like?

canduit · 2 Jan 2013

Not jumping on the bandwagon but I dislike these downlights for reasons that the OP might want to consider. The glare from them when underneath I find particularely irritable to the point where I won't go to a pub/restaurant because of them. And no, I refuse to wear a baseball cap. Yes, LED's can be dimmed with the correct equipment, but they're not cheap. If you don't fit LES's, the heat dissipated from the back of halogens actually frightens me! Let alone the cost of running/replacing the lamps. You don't have to fit fluoro tubes but there are many options.

I;ve got something like these in my kitchen and I find them much superior to halogen downlights. I've got 2 of them in conjunction with under-cabinet lighting and I'm happy with the results.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lig...ains Voltage R80 Downlight/d220/sd3206/p74987

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Number of downlights in kitchen

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