Debate with son over down lights, am I wrong?

[ericmark]

I feel down lights which at 2" across i.e. replacement for the MR16, are no good over 3W as the surface is reduced to include cooling fins, and although the 7W lamp may give 540 lumen compared with 260 lumen for 3W much of the light is lost being absorbed into the floor rather than lighting the room.

I like the idea of the larger GX53, the larger 5" means they can better get the 550 lumen (7 watt version) into the room rather than absorbed into the floor. Not actually fitted any yet, but like the idea.

He wants to light a new lounge with a slopping ceiling, I still think nothing wrong with standard 3 or 5 bulb chandelier, I suggested a ceiling rose which would allow it to hang vertical like the Maestro although my son likes the cheaper Ashley klik type, I feel the klik back box makes them too big.

However he seems to think the 7W GU10 lamp in a MR16 type holder will light the large living room well, I suggested arranging them in the shape of the Great bear star cluster which did not go down well. I thought if going to fit lights to make the room like a planetarium may as well go the whole hog?

Think I am at least getting him to consider plug in ceiling roses, as he says with the klik emergency version he could have a chandelier with two sets of lights, so at flick of a switch three lighting levels.

However he has a hall with 3 x 7W GU10 lights which he points out is brightly lit, however mother larger hall way is lit better with 2 x 5W bulbs in shades. And walls of hall are white, I would not expect a lounge wall to be white, I am sure his wife will insist on wall paper.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

I like the idea of the larger GX53, the larger 5" means they can ...

Actually not quite 3".

 

[333rocky333]

i would not trust a klik rose cable support to support a chandelier

 

[SimonH2]

I feel down lights which at 2" across i.e. replacement for the MR16, are no good over 3W as the surface is reduced to include cooling fins

Depends on the lamp. Many newish ones have a single high-power emitter - and the lamp could be reduced to something like 1" without affecting anything. What does matter is how much of the emitting area is obscured by the fitting - in our kitchen we inherited the (not so) bright ideas of the previous owner and the lighting was really crap because although they were 5W LED bulbs - they were the "loads of little LED" type and about half of the emitting area was obscured by the bezel

and although the 7W lamp may give 540 lumen compared with 260 lumen for 3W much of the light is lost being absorbed into the floor rather than lighting the room.

Indeed, any recessed luminaire is going to struggle to light the room well - and if in the ceiling will only be able to light surfaces that are within a cone directly below it. That's where the good old pendant fitting wins out - a significant amount of the light goes upwards and the ceiling then reflects it around to give soft even light without harsh shadows.

I suggested arranging them in the shape of the Great bear star cluster which did not go down well. I thought if going to fit lights to make the room like a planetarium may as well go the whole hog?

However he has a hall with 3 x 7W GU10 lights which he points out is brightly lit, however mother larger hall way is lit better with 2 x 5W bulbs in shades. And walls of hall are white, I would not expect a lounge wall to be white, I am sure his wife will insist on wall paper.

It's fairly likely that the hall is small enough that some of the wall area is within the cone of light - thus taking on the role of diffuse reflector that your mother's ceiling will be doing much better.