How many downlighters?

[Akshay]

How many downlighters would be sufficient to light a kitchen which is 2.5mx6m? I want to use mains voltage ones and currently have 4 surface mounted lights with glass covers. What I plan on doing is using the existing light wiring and split them to supply a row of downlights with the joist cavities. The existing lights are linked to 3 separate switches - 1 for 2 of the lights above the cooker area, 1 for a light in the middle of the kitchen, and 1 for the light above the dining table.

I'm thinking 50W GU10 type bulbs but would 35W be sufficient?

 

[Taylortwocities]

You can't have too much light in a kitchen. Make sure the washer up (you??) isnt working in a shadow.

Me I hate downlights. I can't wait for them to go out of fashion and for all those people to want the swiss cheese effect taken out of their ceilings!!

 

[Adam_151]

Me I hate downlights. I can't wait for them to go out of fashion and for all those people to want the swiss cheese effect taken out of their ceilings!!

I agree entirely, In our kitchen we used to have two banks of 3 surface mounted R63 spots (not recessed, thank god), fitted when we had a lapse of sense when we installed the kitchen, late last year I took down the 360w of lighting that cast shadows everywhere and installed two five foot 58w florescent tube fittings, the light is mch brighter and even, and when you think that you have cut the running costs to a third (even more if you count the rate we used to go through lamps), it just doesn't make much sense to install anything else in my mind

The bathroom has recessed R80 spots, that look dated and have rusted, I have some round glass and chrome surface fittings that will fit over the holes and take GLS 60W ES lamps to install when I get round to it, and I dare say they might end up fitted with CFL lamps (I don't always approve of CFL lamps where electric heating is involved*, but think they can be justified where heating is by gas [total system efficieny of ~80% for gas as opposed to ~30% for electricity])

*Where electric heating is involved you may as well just let the lamps take a small bit of the load off the heating system rather than using CFLs which come with the burden of introduceing some pretty nasty stuff into landfills, etc

 

[securespark]

People have gone off these "ugly fluorescent things", but I think they can't be beaten. In a kitchen, you want an excellent overall light with minimum shadow, and that is what flu's provide. Spots are just too local in their light source, and even if you have loads of them, can still leave bucketloads of shadow.

Don't forget the vast majority of accidents happen in a kitchen, and they invariably involve sharp implements.

Maybe that's next on the Govt Hitlist. After regulated HW temperature, maybe they could outlaw any lighting other than flu's in the working areas of a kitchen.....

 

[Adam_151]

Maybe that's next on the Govt Hitlist. After regulated HW temperature, maybe they could outlaw any lighting other than flu's in the working areas of a kitchen.....

I do not believe flourescent lighting in a kitchen can be beaten overall, but it would be a sad day when yet more freedom and choice is removed from people

 

[Akshay]

Thanks for that, I've decided against recessed spotlights because I can only fit them between the joists where the existing lights are and the spacing is too far apart. Hence I will only be able to fit 3 lines of spots which will be too far apart to given even light.
I'm now going for 4 surface-mounted spotlight plates with 4x50w GU10 mains bulbs, which can be dimmed so hoping this provides enough light.

 

[securespark]

it would be a sad day when yet more freedom and choice is removed from people

I was joking!!

 

[Pensdown]

Thanks for that, I've decided against recessed spotlights because I can only fit them between the joists where the existing lights are and the spacing is too far apart. Hence I will only be able to fit 3 lines of spots which will be too far apart to given even light.
I'm now going for 4 surface-mounted spotlight plates with 4x50w GU10 mains bulbs, which can be dimmed so hoping this provides enough light.

800watts of lighting in a Kitchen 2.5 x 6m, thats outrageous! Have you looked at recessed PL fittings?

 

[Akshay]

Hi Pensdown - I wanted recessed but the positioning of them in the ceiling means I'll have huge shadows everywhere, these mult-spots would be on a dimmer and not all used at the same time. I can't think of any other lighting that will be sufficient for the kitchen and I'm not a fan of fluorescent tubes!

What are recessed PL fittings?

 

[didthathurt]

What are recessed PL fittings?

Energy Saver's. They're the small fluorescent tube thats doubled and tripled back on itself to create a small low wattage light bulb.

see here

http://www.firstlightdirect.com/sitepage/Energy Saving Light Bulbs.html

here

http://kklight.en.alibaba.com/product/50043259/50192181/Energy_Saving_Lamp/PL_Light_Bulb.html

and here

http://www.thelightingsuperstore.co.uk/category.asp?catcode=166

 

[ebee]

Fluorescent lights give me a headache and I don`t like them.
However I`ll be the first to admit that in a kitchen ideal.
Plently of light for yer money you can`t beat them

Incandescent and especially downlighters are very wastefull but are usually prettier.

I am awaiting the explosion in clusters of loads of white LED to arrive.
The technologies just a hairs breathe away and I believe it will be the answer to all our prayers. Loads of lighting, last forever, minimal running costs.

5 years, 10, 20 ? who knows

 

[didthathurt]

They've arrived!

http://www.impactlighting.com/home/index.php?m=shop&catid=28

 

[ebee]

Sorry , Yes I know the`ve arrived, but I mean become commonplce to replace even normal Lamps and are cheap too, not quite there yet. A bit like calculators, digi watches, computers etc .
We are near but not yet there