choice of downlighters (ed.)

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Hi,
I have a few questions about down lights. I’d be interested to hear from DIYers and professionals.

1) My toilet is less the 1m x 2m, how many lights do I need? There is currently 1 light fitted with a energy saving bulb with is great, it hangs off the ceiling giving great light coverage, I’m unsure if 1 down light would do the same.

2) Hole in ceiling, I’ve noticed the lights have different cut out sizes, is there a more popular size I should stick to? Should I start off with a small hole in case I need to change the light in the future and can make the hole bigger, in case a hole needs to made smaller, is there anything on the market to help over the holes or is it new ceiling time?

3) Integrated bulb or replaceable bulb? My brain is saying replaceable bulb for obvious reasons.

4) What wire, twin & earth or 3 core flex?

5) Position of lights, is there a trade secret that will help me with placement or is it just a case of getting a tape measure out and drawing marks on the ceiling?

thanks.
 
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1) My toilet is less the 1m x 2m, how many lights do I need?
One

There is currently 1 light fitted with a energy saving bulb with is great,
There you go.

it hangs off the ceiling giving great light coverage,
Sounds ideal.

I’m unsure if 1 down light would do the same.
It would not. Put a tube around your present light and see - or not.


Stick with what you have.

Job done.
 
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The beam angle of the downlights can make a massive difference - as can the reflector construction.

I am a big fan of fixed downlights, but get quality units and also make sure that the edge cases like poor supply characteristics are sorted. Cheap LEDs have a poor CRI and will literally make objects look bad.

Ideally, downlights unless they are purely for lighting an area for a specific task should be part of a "lighting scheme" and this will make the placement different depending. Alowing one downlight per 1.2m2 will provide high levels of lighting, but you might want to look into directional spots or wall lighting depending on how close you want the donwlights to the walls. I'm not a lighting designer, but when it's done well in conjunction with the right decor it can totally transform a room and it's usually just not considered at all.

Electrican will like the "pro" version of whatever downlight you use, as usually these will come with terminals that allow for resistance tests without having to fiddle with lamps themselves.

Hole size can vary and has a tolerance usually associated with that particular downlights fire rating so it is important.
 
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