Downlights

[hairless]

I have just had a room with 240v wiring for 10 downlights. I am now faced with the fact that the wiring will not take 50watt and was thinking of using 9watt megaman lamps.

Can I run 10 downlights of one feed and if so recommendations please
I would add that this room will be a study and as such lights may be used frequently. Also heat will be generated from office equipment.

Your help would be most appreciated

 

[davy_owen_88]

I have just had a room with 240v wiring for 10 downlights. I am now faced with the fact that the wiring will not take 50watt and was thinking of using 9watt megaman lamps.

What you mean by 'i have just had a room'? What wiring will not take 50 watts? Could you give more info?

Can I run 10 downlights of one feed and if so recommendations please.

You can run 10 lights off one feed, 1.5mm^2 twin and earth will be fine for this.

Davy

 

[Steve]

10 x 50w lamps is 500 watts. A 6 amp lighting circuit wired in 1.0mm² cable will take up to 1380 watts. If its all wired in 1.5mm² cable, you could even up the MCB to 10 amps and have 2300 watts of lighting!

However, given today's energy saving climate, I'd go with energy saving lights anyway. For a study, plain downlighters are very harsh and do not give very good study light. The energy saving versions of GU10 downlighters give a much better spread of light, and the light is of much better quality too. So as well has giving a better work envt, you're saving the planet (110 or 90 watts as opposed to 500 watts). Oh, and it will be much cooler than if you used standard GU10s.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...x/Lamps_and_Tubes_Index/GUCFL_Lamp/index.html

 

[hairless]

The room has been redesigned so that it will become a study. Before plastering the light at centre of ceiling feed was split two ways and 10 spaces were made for downlights. However i was led to believe that i cannot have 10 x12 volt X 50 watt downlights on that circuit as the wiring will become overloaded.

The only option i have come up with is to have 10 x 9 watt megaman lamps, or do i have other options?

I have just had a room with 240v wiring for 10 downlights. I am now faced with the fact that the wiring will not take 50watt and was thinking of using 9watt megaman lamps.

What you mean by 'i have just had a room'? What wiring will not take 50 watts? Could you give more info?

Can I run 10 downlights of one feed and if so recommendations please.

You can run 10 lights off one feed, 1.5mm^2 twin and earth will be fine for this.

Davy

 

[Steve]

did you read my post? the facts are there.

Your wiring may become overloaded with that room's lighting AND the rest of the house's lighting on the same circuit. This may be what the person meant.

You earlier said mains voltage downlights, now you're talking about 12 volt downlights. Which is it to be? Low-energy lamps are only available in 230 volt. This will be your best option.

 

[hairless]

Many thanks for your help you have helped considerably. I will go with the Megaman lamp 9 Watts and 230 volts

Malc

did you read my post? the facts are there.

Your wiring may become overloaded with that room's lighting AND the rest of the house's lighting on the same circuit. This may be what the person meant.

You earlier said mains voltage downlights, now you're talking about 12 volt downlights. Which is it to be? Low-energy lamps are only available in 230 volt. This will be your best option.

 

[r.bartlett]

I have been put off the led GU10 replacements as the light was both too cool -read blue- and nowhere near sufficient output compared to a 50w halogen

Are these getting close as my house has 20 and would love the chance to change them..

Cheers

Richard

 

[Steve]

The above aren't LEDs. They are fluorescent, like those long striplights, but curled up into a tiny volume. They give better light at a fifth of the energy!

LEDs, i'll agree, they are horrible lights at the moment. AFAICT, the best light from an LED array is from an RGB combination.