Kitchen ceiling Spotlights Glow

[Tynesider]

I have a plastic ceiling panels in my kitchen with spotlights fitted into it, the problem is the glow from the back of the bulbs which is a red colour is shining along the panels and we can see the red glow. Another problem is that when we go into our bathroom there is a red glow showing through the shower basin from the spotlight below.
Can I buy covers for the backs of the bulbs? I have been told to cover the backs with tin foil, but I'm not sure if that would be safe.
Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[ricicle]

Covering the fittings closely will almost certainly affect their heat dissapation which could cause problems, one of them being lamp life.

 

[flameport]

Lamps with aluminium reflectors rather than the dichroics you have now will stop any light going out the back of the lamp.

However both types of lamp get very hot, and they are almost certainly NOT suitable for installation into plastic panels.

 

[Tynesider]

Thanks for the replies, that was a concern of mine when the builders built the kitchen extension and fitted the plastic ceiling, but I was told it was safe and that lots of people get it done these days.
What do you suggest I do,take down the ceiling or is there another way around this?

Thanks

 

[Steve]

Fit something more efficient. LEDs or CFLs - neither or these shine light backwards, and they both run at far safer temperatures. Oh, and your electricity bills will be MUCH less. I wish the sheds would quit peddling these halogen monstrosities.

 

[Tynesider]

Thanks a lot Steve, I will look for some tomorrow.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Do be aware of the changes to be implemented re low energy lighting in the revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations. (Due 1st October)

The current regs dictate that provision should be made for 25% of fixed light fittings to be low energy.

Fixed is defined as “fittings … that only take lamps having a luminous efficacy greater than 40 lumens per circuit watt.” And “GLS tungsten lamps with bayonet cap or Edison screw bases, or tungsten halogen lamps would not.. (meet this standard)”.

In the proposed Part L 2010, it states that three out of four fittings must be low energy. Yes that is 75%!

The only bright point (pun intended) is that the definition of “fixed” now includes “standard fittings supplied with low energy lamps..(e.g. bayonet or Edison screw base compact fluorescent lamps).

 

[Tynesider]

Thanks for the good important info.
I now have to ask another question, the halogen bulbs I'm replacing are 12v 50w. I have quite a medium size kitchen with 10 spotlights and I want the brightness to be about the same. Do you know which LED bulbs I should replace them with as there seems to be a variety and the assistants in the shop like me don't have much of a clue.

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

500W to light a medium sized kitchen

That's almost as much as I have for the entire ground floor of my house, and as soon as I can sort out some dimmable low-energy lighting for the living room & dining room I'll be down to about half that.

The reason you need so much is the unsuitability of that type of lighting for actually lighting up a room, and fitting LED lamps won't cure that. Yes you'll use less electricity but you'll still have lights which don't work properly, and will probably be even worse at producing a good even spread of light suitable for a kitchen.

Ditch them completely and fit something like these:

 

[Tynesider]

Ive decided to pull all the ceiling out and get someone to fit a new ceiling and lights, its going to cost about £900 but it seems thats the easiest thing to do. The builders who put the present ceiling in were paid the same amount so its cost me a few quid just for 10 bulbs, but you learn from your mistakes I suppose.

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

An ideal opportunity to put in lights which work properly.

 

[Steve]

£900 to replace a ceiling???

I paid a plasterer to skim a whole living room and he charged £350. To give you some idea. I know they dont like ceilings, but thats still excessive IMO. Thats Lundun prices!

Those fittings ban linked to are brilliant - I recommend them. I have two in my kitchen - total wattage 52. Not 500.

 

[electronicsuk]

I recently had a small bedroom skimmed for £150 - I'm not in London, mind. I wouldn't think boarding would add massively to the cost, it's not particularly expensive for the materials and doesn't take long for a team of 2 to fit.

 

[Tynesider]

Yes to skim it, but I have no ceiling apart from the plastic one, so once that ceiling is down then a plastered one has to be put up along with the boards and lighting etc. So the builder will be making a new one from scratch. I paid £900 about a year ago for the one that is up as it was part of an extension. I'm about to work a lot of overtime and cashing in some savings to pay for this so I hope I'm doing the right thing.