12v V 230v
- Thread starter canduit
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are the lamps in the 230v lights the correct wattage?
¿que?
They are either cheap or quality!
Downlights are the least efficient way to light a room. Your company should be considering alternative forms of lighting the place in order to reduce their energy bills and improve their green credentials.
these are excellent, I have them in my bathroom. Direct replacement for normal GU10 lamps, BUT they are a little longer - worth checking if your fittings can take deeper lamps.
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S
sparkyspike
It can make a big difference if downlights are installed in a ceiling below a walkway (landing, corridor, etc) as there is more vibration in the ceiling. Downlights on the top floor should last longer.
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how many 230v lamps do you have, and how many fail per year? this is important in determining the rate of failure
I recommend you change to CFL (energy saving bulbs). A well as lasting 5 times as long as using one-fifth the electricity, they are very tolerant of voltage fluctuations that reduce the life of filament lamps.
Wickes, Dyas and other stores in my area are selling CFLs at 50p for 5. I think this is subsidised by the electric company as part of their commitment to save energy.
I recommend you change to CFL (energy saving bulbs). A well as lasting 5 times as long as using one-fifth the electricity, they are very tolerant of voltage fluctuations that reduce the life of filament lamps.
Wickes, Dyas and other stores in my area are selling CFLs at 50p for 5. I think this is subsidised by the electric company as part of their commitment to save energy.
Not megaman GU10's though!
Indeed, but why cant they subsidise other lamps such as LEDs and CFL GU10's? This is non-sensical. They are trying to shift all these 11w standard CFLs, but everyone who wants one has got one (or has got 5 for £1)!
Yet we're still paying £8 retail for Megaman GU10s (£4 trade on ebay)Should have mentioned before; the 230v are GU10's, the 12v are dichroic. Both are 50W. I have not kept a record of how many fail, but I guess one fails every 4 days or so. We use them in a hotel type environment to illuminate specific areas such as posters, billboards, pool tables. From a technical viewpoint I thought there may be a reason. ie prone to suffer from voltage fluctuations. I will be investigating alternatives as we have approx 20 of poxy things! Cheers for your input.
Not megaman GU10's though!
Indeed, but why cant they subsidise other lamps such as LEDs and CFL GU10's? This is non-sensical. They are trying to shift all these 11w standard CFLs, but everyone who wants one has got one (or has got 5 for £1)!
I was annoyed that there were all these really cheap CFLs in the supermarket for bayonet fittings, but not for screw! And I looked all over for a desk lamp with a bayonet fitting (like my old broken one had), but no, always screws. £4 on the lamp but another £3 for the bulb :-@
That's like saying "the 230V have ES bases, the 12V have red glass".
Anyway - that could be something to check - not all GU10 based lamps are PAR, you can get dichroic ones, so check if that's what's being fitted - if they are being put into luminaires which only support PAR lamps then they could be overheating.
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Back to basics. The quartz halogen lamp relies on the active material (tungsten) being reflected off the very hot quartz and being redeposited on the element.
So if they are run under voltage or over voltage their life is shortened hence why you should not use with dimming units.
The transformer is really an inverter which ensures exactly the right voltage so those run from transformers (inverters) last longer.
How much longer depends how much the voltage fluctuates. but even at correct voltage because to filament thickness the extra low voltage versions last longer.
However the lack of cold cathode versions to run on extra low voltage means the GU10 is more flexible so are popular. LED is improving but the price for high output versions does mean not so well used.
The 5.3 extra low voltage come in many angles are where the fitting is some distance from the area needing to be lit then there is really no option but low voltage versions which are also brighter.
Although pictures etc can be lit with strip lights the colour temperature is important so often one is given very little option where whoever designed the system has stipulated exactly the angle and temperature of the lamp all we can do as electricians is replace as set up in the design.
Of course in Domestic it is rather a hit and miss affair with very little if any design but "canduit" states "At work".
So if they are run under voltage or over voltage their life is shortened hence why you should not use with dimming units.
The transformer is really an inverter which ensures exactly the right voltage so those run from transformers (inverters) last longer.
How much longer depends how much the voltage fluctuates. but even at correct voltage because to filament thickness the extra low voltage versions last longer.
However the lack of cold cathode versions to run on extra low voltage means the GU10 is more flexible so are popular. LED is improving but the price for high output versions does mean not so well used.
The 5.3 extra low voltage come in many angles are where the fitting is some distance from the area needing to be lit then there is really no option but low voltage versions which are also brighter.
Although pictures etc can be lit with strip lights the colour temperature is important so often one is given very little option where whoever designed the system has stipulated exactly the angle and temperature of the lamp all we can do as electricians is replace as set up in the design.
Of course in Domestic it is rather a hit and miss affair with very little if any design but "canduit" states "At work".
Are the new ones also 230V, or 240?
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