Downlights

[MugabesDeadCat]

I'm after some downlights for our new kitchen. And have opted for mains voltage GU10's. Just wondering how many is an ideal amout for a 4.7m x 3.4m kitchen? Was thinking 8 might be sufficient but I'm not sure. I'm going to buy 4 or 5 Exergi LED bulbs and use them, and have halogens in the rest until they fail then I'll swap them for the LED ones. The LED bulbs are 4.4W and claim they're around 35-40W equivalent. So how many should I be looking to have installed?

 

[EdwardCurrent]

None.

Hello MDC.
After taking into account instalation costs, building regs, running costs, poor lighting and lamp life/future availability, to name a few, I really would consider a different 'type' of light.
Just my opinion though.

Ed.

 

[M4tty]

None.

Hello MDC.
After taking into account instalation costs, building regs, running costs, poor lighting and lamp life/future availability, to name a few, I really would consider a different 'type' of light.
Just my opinion though.

Ed.

Like what please

 

[Taylortwocities]

A designer fluorescent strip/

Energy saving, stylish and effective at lighting a work area.

 

[ColJack]

you'll get no love for downlighters on here..
they are ok for an office or art gallery where things on walls need lighting, but for general light they suck..
they produce a fairly narrow beam of light and use a heck of a lot more power to light a room than a normal light.
a kitchen is a place for work, not for displaying things artistically, so a fluorescent light for main lighting is a good choice..
if you MUST draw attention to that designer toaster and orange juicer that you bought, then the use of undercabinet lighting may be called for..

 

[MugabesDeadCat]

That's exactly what the sparkie said!! But I thought he was just trying to wriggle out of the faff on installing them!!

Was looking to pay around £150 for the downlights and bulbs, so what could I get that would adequately light a room of this size? Ideally something that doesn't look like it's come out of a 1980's classroom either!!

 

[ColJack]

http://technabob.com/blog/2007/07/18/systemx-interlocking-fluorescent-lights-by-yamagiwa/
I quite like the look of these...

i think they're taking this whole LED thing too far though...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's exactly what the sparkie said!! But I thought he was just trying to wriggle out of the faff on installing them!!

Nope - they are genuinely carp.

Was looking to pay around £150 for the downlights and bulbs, so what could I get that would adequately light a room of this size? Ideally something that doesn't look like it's come out of a 1980's classroom either!!

You may struggle to get anything decent for that price, but start googling for flush & recessed fluorescent lighting. There aren't just long tubes available, so with round ones, 2D, the various flat-U shaped ones (e.g. PL) there's a lot of flexibility in luminaire design.

Look into magnetic induction lighting, cold-cathode and dielectric barrier discharge.

You could try finding lights using Osram's new Planon product (a dielectric barrier discharge panel), but you may struggle to get them to answer any queries.

 

[MugabesDeadCat]

Okay, so I'm looking towards fluorescent lighting now.

Maybe something like this?

http://www.thelightingsuperstore.co.uk/product.asp?productid=35399

How many of those do you think I need in a kitchen of that size?

Or there's this which I like!!

http://www.lightsmart.co.uk/product.php?productid=7236&cat=256&page=1

 

[ColJack]

ooohh I like that last one..
bit out of my price range at £200+ EACH.. though..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Also unless you've got really good extraction facilities in the kitchen, which will remove every trace of airborne grease, those horizontal glass sheets are where the airborne grease will settle, and that in turn will provide an effective way to trap dust and the small insects which are attracted to lights.

I've yet to see these in the flesh, but this looks the sort of thing (available in white or stainless steel) which would be ideal for a kitchen:

 

[ban-all-sheds]

ooohh I like that last one..

I've learned, sadly, that if ever I look at a light and think, "Oooh I like that" it's going to be too expensive....

 

[ColJack]

I have friends with a metal bending and punching capability, and a brither who can get stainless screws and spacers made, so it's only a supplier of the glass ( or perspex maybe? ) that I need, and then some frosting spray or film and a bog basic twin fluorescent to gut and I'm good..

can make a couple for myself for about £40 each I recon...

heh.. result.. 750 x 220 x 6mm glass "shelf".. for a quid...

base the design on twin 2ft tubes...
sorted...

 

[MugabesDeadCat]

Also unless you've got really good extraction facilities in the kitchen, which will remove every trace of airborne grease, those horizontal glass sheets are where the airborne grease will settle, and that in turn will provide an effective way to trap dust and the small insects which are attracted to lights.

I've yet to see these in the flesh, but this looks the sort of thing (available in white or stainless steel) which would be ideal for a kitchen:

They look really cool!!! But I don't think I can justify £600 on say four of them.

If I were to install downlights, how many would be needed then? I really don't know what to do now. Willing to spend upto £250 now on lighting if they look decent, but finding it hard to find anything that looks good and comes within the £250.

 

[bernardgreen]

In the 1960's when there was only flourescent tubes a girlfriend designed her parent's kitchen light out of fabric shaped like an inverted tent that was attached to the ceiling to hide the lamp but allowed the light to glow through. When it got grubby it went into the washine machine.