2 x 500 watt floodlights in series.

[JohnD]

"Which" carried out thorough long term tests,

When did you last test the light output and start-up time of modern CFLs?

 

[sparkticus]

I am getting a bit confused here. We use 500w floodlights around other properties and they do a good enough job. We switch them on when we want them and switch them off when we don't.

But aren't these "CFLs" a) less bright and b) slow to start ? When we need bright lights we need them instantly and not wait for them to warm up. Or do these have different characteristics to the ones used inside domestic properties ?

If this is a temporary solution then go ahead and use 500 watt lamps as you originally suggested - they will be fine. If this were a permanent solution then a low energy solution would be highly appropriate.

 

[ericmark]

I can only talk about personal experience. Two years ago a water leak resulted in both down-stairs rooms needing re-decoration so the fittings were changed from 4 three bulb fittings to 2 x five bulb for large room and matching 2 x three bulb for smaller room with the intention of using CFL's.

Before the change once a week we needed to change a bulb. After change a couple of bulbs went and were replaced but after that no more bulb changes. Yes they were more expensive but not having to mess around changing bulbs is good.

The lights are slow starting however when my wife has nodded off I can now switch on lights without waking her. So maybe soft start is a good thing.

In the winter the central heating in evening is now 2 degrees hotter than when we had tungsten lighting so not convinced as to saving energy.

There are no dark patches on ceiling where the heat and air flow has discoloured ceiling.

Because the lamps don't blow I don't have to go to garage to reset RCD or MCB when the bulbs blow.

During the summer the room is cooler.

So all in all yes I like my CFL's but not to save energy but because of low maintenance.

As to rest of house kitchen has florescent tubes. Stairs and landing again florescent with battery back-up. Bedrooms CFL's on ceiling, GU10's on wall above bed (At moment one has a tungsten lamp in it), loft florescent, garage florescent, which leaves just one room with tungsten bulb in ceiling the office mainly as still has a dimmer switch.

But I think the main thing is when I changed from tungsten to CFL's I also changed the fitting so I could increase the number of bulbs used. So instead of using one large 22Watt lamp to replace the originally 100W lamp I have 5 x 8W to replace in one room and 3 x 8W in other room.

I could still fit tungsten if I wanted and in the main room that would be 10 x 40W which I am sure would be brighter but if I did that it would be too bright and they would go to full brightness at flick of switch so I would also have to fit a dimmer to reduce the brightness and give soft start.

So CFL's are great when fitting is selected with CFL's in mind but not so good if used as direct replacement.

 

[scooby1]

I am getting a bit confused here. We use 500w floodlights around other properties and they do a good enough job. We switch them on when we want them and switch them off when we don't.

But aren't these "CFLs" a) less bright and b) slow to start ? When we need bright lights we need them instantly and not wait for them to warm up. Or do these have different characteristics to the ones used inside domestic properties ?

If this is a temporary solution then go ahead and use 500 watt lamps as you originally suggested - they will be fine. If this were a permanent solution then a low energy solution would be highly appropriate.

Thank you Sparkticus. This is indeed a temporary installation. I have this telegraph pole on the site that I can place a couple of the bog-standard 500 watt lamps on the top of and I want to be able to control the on/off from within the static that I am living in whilst the new place is being built.

I am throwing intruder beams all over the place so I know if we have visitors at un-sociable hours and it would be handy to light the site up so that they don't trip over anything and hurt themselves.

 

[sparkticus]

I am getting a bit confused here. We use 500w floodlights around other properties and they do a good enough job. We switch them on when we want them and switch them off when we don't.

But aren't these "CFLs" a) less bright and b) slow to start ? When we need bright lights we need them instantly and not wait for them to warm up. Or do these have different characteristics to the ones used inside domestic properties ?

If this is a temporary solution then go ahead and use 500 watt lamps as you originally suggested - they will be fine. If this were a permanent solution then a low energy solution would be highly appropriate.

Thank you Sparkticus. This is indeed a temporary installation. I have this telegraph pole on the site that I can place a couple of the bog-standard 500 watt lamps on the top of and I want to be able to control the on/off from within the static that I am living in whilst the new place is being built.

I am throwing intruder beams all over the place so I know if we have visitors at un-sociable hours and it would be handy to light the site up so that they don't trip over anything and hurt themselves.

Oh absolutely, we wouldn't want unwanted visitors breaking any bones

 

[scooby1]

That would be 1KW about 4.5 amps. 1mm would be fine from a current carrying capacity but this is outdoors right? You should really be using something better protected.

So to conclude, I need 1mm cable but because it's outdoors I need something more substantial than twin with earth ? What should I be asking for/using ?

TIA.

ps. Thanks to Admin/Mods for cleaning up.

 

[sparkticus]

That would be 1KW about 4.5 amps. 1mm would be fine from a current carrying capacity but this is outdoors right? You should really be using something better protected.

So to conclude, I need 1mm cable but because it's outdoors I need something more substantial than twin with earth ? What should I be asking for/using ?

Given it is a temporary solution, 6 months - 1 year - Assuming that no one is going to step on or trip-over it then I would use this:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA0dot75R3.html

In general this cable has a current carrying capacity in the region of 6 amps. The two 500 watt lamps in parallel will draw roughly 4.3 amps.
Make sure you protect the cable with a 5amp fuse and make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

 

[RF Lighting]

make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

Why?

 

[scooby1]

That would be 1KW about 4.5 amps. 1mm would be fine from a current carrying capacity but this is outdoors right? You should really be using something better protected.

So to conclude, I need 1mm cable but because it's outdoors I need something more substantial than twin with earth ? What should I be asking for/using ?

Given it is a temporary solution, 6 months - 1 year - Assuming that no one is going to step on or trip-over it then I would use this:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA0dot75R3.html

In general this cable has a current carrying capacity in the region of 6 amps. The two 500 watt lamps in parallel will draw roughly 4.3 amps.
Make sure you protect the cable with a 5amp fuse and make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

Thank you.

 

[timbim]

Given it is a temporary solution, 6 months - 1 year - Assuming that no one is going to step on or trip-over it then I would use this:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA0dot75R3.html

In general this cable has a current carrying capacity in the region of 6 amps. The two 500 watt lamps in parallel will draw roughly 4.3 amps.
Make sure you protect the cable with a 5amp fuse and make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

Surely should be using hi-tuff outdoors?

 

[scooby1]

Given it is a temporary solution, 6 months - 1 year - Assuming that no one is going to step on or trip-over it then I would use this:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA0dot75R3.html

In general this cable has a current carrying capacity in the region of 6 amps. The two 500 watt lamps in parallel will draw roughly 4.3 amps.
Make sure you protect the cable with a 5amp fuse and make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

Surely should be using hi-tuff outdoors?

Hi-Tuff ? Could you explain please ?

 

[flameport]

This is hi-tuf cable: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Index/Hi-Tuf/index.html
Good luck trying to fit that into a plug.

The rubber flex as mentioned above will be fine for a temporary installation.

 

[sparkticus]

Given it is a temporary solution, 6 months - 1 year - Assuming that no one is going to step on or trip-over it then I would use this:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA0dot75R3.html

In general this cable has a current carrying capacity in the region of 6 amps. The two 500 watt lamps in parallel will draw roughly 4.3 amps.
Make sure you protect the cable with a 5amp fuse and make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

Surely should be using hi-tuff outdoors?

Hi-Tuff ? Could you explain please ?

I don't think you need it. Hituf is a tough cable priced at around £2-3/meter.
For a permanent installation (not that a temp installation should be any less safe) hituf may be the answer. Provided you well rout the rubber cable such that it won't get stepped on/caught up in anything/damaged it will be fine.

 

[sparkticus]

make sure the circuit feeding the light includes a 30mA RCD.

Why?

I don't mean re-design the fixed circuit if it has no RCD. I mean add maybe a plug-in RCD if it is not already RCD protected. I just think that would be wise given an outdoor wiring run in non-armoured cable.

 

[scooby1]

Crikey guys, more help here than I initially expected. Thanks to all of you. It is for 6 months max while the new house is built. It's a re-po rural property and before we moved into the static they had all the copper away from the old place before we had chance to demolish it.