Converting bathroom light from fluorescent to normal bulb..

[marvinsmother]

Hi there,

I'm in a bit of a mess and I really hope someone might be able to help…

I've been renovating my house and have just had my lights installed in my bathroom.. being a total idiot - I focused on the look of the light fitting rather than the light that would actually be coming out of it. I have 3 practical over head spot lights, 2 little strips of LED lights in the alcoves for a detail and then the big grand finale was to have 2 bathroom pendant lights hanging down from the ceiling either side of the bathroom mirror for ambient lighting.

It was only when my electrician asked for the light bulb and I was sent out to buy them that I realised that these pendant lights actually are fluorescent lights.. the very antithesis of ambient lighting. I was hoping, like a fool, that as they are 24W that they would be soft enough that it would still be ok.. and i ordered warm white - but having just turned them on - there is no mistaking - these are fluorescent lights.. not as bad as the ones you get in a dentist - but as they are in an all white bathroom - not far off!

The thing is the wiring is for pendant lights and the mirror is wall to wall so there is no way to now install wall lights unless we smash off the mirror that is wired in (for the demsiter pad) - breaking the whole thing and having to get lighting points wired into the wall.

The best thing I can do at this stage is to try and make these pendant lights work - I can not find a single other bathroom pendant light… so i had some ideas…

Firstly - would a lower wattage bulb work? I think they do 18w and 11w in this 4 pin fitting? Can I do that? Put a lower wattage in a fitting that requires 24w?

Secondly - is there anyway to customise the fitting so that I can put a normal bulb in there? Not a halogen.. but perhaps a normal LED bulb? In terms of keeping the wiring and all of the main silver part thats attached but changing the part that the bulb fits into so it now would take a different bulb entirely.

I want to be safe as these are in the bathroom but they are in zone 3 - with it being zone 3 - can I just put normal pendant lights in?

I'm new to this forum so not sure if I can attach a link to the light but if i can - here it is...
http://www.astrolighting.co.uk/products/bathroom-lighting/pendants/7031_Kyoto-Pendant

I really do appreciate any help and advice with this..

Thank you so so much if you have any ideas!

 

[delmel]

Could always remove them and replace with a down lighter, just an idea maybe not what you want. You can also get a bathroom dimming pull cord, however I very much doubt your control gear will be dimmer compatable in those fittings.

 

[bernardgreen]

The construction of the lamps might preclude the use of a thermal lamp ( one that has a hot filament ) as there appear to be little if any mean to dissipate heat from the fittings.

It might be possible to fit warm white LED lamps with wide angle illumination but this would require some creative re-engineering of the internals of the fitting to accept the LED lamps.

 

[flameport]

2G11 LED lamps can be obtained, which would fit into the existing lampholder.
The ballast or control gear would need to be removed.

There is no zone 3.