Kitchen Downlighters

[ady4689]

Hi all, im sorry if this topic has been gone over already but cant seem to find the basic answers im looking for.

Ive just bought a house (first time buyer) and have loads of ideas to make the house a home. I want to start in the kitchen first. We have a horrible old fashioned strip light, right in the middle of the ceiling and i want to replace it with modern downlighters. My question is....how???

I know bits and bobs about electrics but not sure exactly how to do this?? Do i need a transformer or driver to run the down lights? If so is it a case of coming off the mains into the transformer and then from the transformer to the lights, remembering not to overload them of course???

Any help would be appreciated, many thanks!!!

 

[bernardgreen]

Yes this has been done many many times in the forum.

But recently outside the forum last week the new tenant in a rented house near here asked the landlord if it was possible to fit a "normal" light in the kitchen as the downlighters were in-adequate lighting. The tenant was prepared to pay for this. When the landlord asked the previous tenant for confirmation that the down lighters were OK they shocked him by saying one of the reasons they moved out of his "luxury hosue" was they did not like the down lighters and found them un-pleasant to live with.

 

[echoes]

A modern-design fluorescent light with an HF 'ballast' will light a kitchen really well with no shadows, no flickering, no hum and will not cook the top of your head.
My other half wanted downlights, but was persuaded otherwise and is very pleased with our fluorescent, remarking on how much better the light is than our last place with its halogen spot lamps.

They also do not need a bulb replacing every couple of weeks and use a fraction of the electricity that halogen bulbs use.

With any luck, BAS will do his rounds and post his portfolio of stylish fluorescent lighting. e.g. //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=277286&start=0

 

[ajrobb]

I agree with bernardgreen:

I think you should expect to install several hundred watts of downlighters (10 to 15x20W) to match a 50W fluorescent strip light lighting levels. In our last house, the living room had nearly 1kW of tungsten downlighters.

Many lights will also help with the short life of most halogen bulbs. Without fire hoods, any fire in the kitchen would quickly spread through the holes in the ceiling to the room upstairs. Smells and noise are also problems through the holes. They are a problem to paint around and enamelled ones soon discolour.

If you have the height, you could fit a false ceiling (as was done in our living room) and put the downlighters in that with the transformers in the plenum (space above the false ceiling). This leaves the existing ceiling as a barrier to fire, noise and smells.

I am sorry if the first project now looks more daunting. I wish you well in your new house.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

With any luck, BAS will do his rounds and post his portfolio of stylish fluorescent lighting. e.g. //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=277286&start=0

No need - he can just follow the link.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We have a horrible old fashioned strip light, right in the middle of the ceiling and i want to replace it with modern downlighters.

You should read this if you're planning electrical work in the kitchen: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part-p

What other electrical work do you plan in the house?

I know bits and bobs about electrics but not sure exactly how to do this??

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm[/list]I suggest you get stuck into the last link right away - it won't give you design ideas, and unfortunately it doesn't refer to the current edition of the Wiring Regulations, but it's free, and will still give you a good grounding which you can augment with more up to date publications.

 

[echoes]

Yes this has been done many many times in the forum.

But recently outside the forum last week the new tenant in a rented house near here asked the landlord if it was possible to fit a "normal" light in the kitchen as the downlighters were in-adequate lighting. The tenant was prepared to pay for this. When the landlord asked the previous tenant for confirmation that the down lighters were OK they shocked him by saying one of the reasons they moved out of his "luxury hosue" was they did not like the down lighters and found them un-pleasant to live with.

Another story: my in-laws went downlighter mad, and when I was there last was asked, "What can we do to prevent changing these bulbs all the time?"
My response was: "Get rid of all this nonsense and fit proper lights". Didn't go down too well. 20-odd 50W lamps in that 20' x 8' kitchen - wasn't very bright.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[slup]

Another story: my in-laws went downlighter mad, and when I was there last was asked, "What can we do to prevent changing these bulbs all the time?"
My response was: "Get rid of all this nonsense and fit proper lights". Didn't go down too well. 20-odd 50W lamps in that 20' x 8' kitchen - wasn't very bright.

That's not a 'downlighter' issue as such, more a 'crap downlighter' issue.

I completed my kitchen three and a half years ago and have yet to replace a single lamp.

 

[Cremeegg]

Quite agree - far too many crap downlighters, transformers and lamps sold. Did my bathroom 12 years ago yet to change a 12v 20W lamp. Kitchen down 10 years ago only changed one 20W lamp.

Go for Halers EVOLED 8W downlighters - 7 year warranty 50,000 hours life - excellent bit of kit - two colour temperature options, choice of colour for the units themselves and dimmable versions available.

Not cheap but you should get your money back in 3 years or so. In a few years time we'll wonder why we ever bothered with those nasty compact flourescent lamps.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There's nothing wrong, per se , with CFLs.

Some are nasty, but so are some LED lamps.

But as for the EvoLEDs, - no. Fiddling with the lamp type does nothing to address the issues of the format, and a mass of 2" diameter torches recessed into a ceiling is not a good way to light a room, whatever the light source is.

 

[ajrobb]

There's nothing wrong, per se , with CFLs.

Only that their tubes are too short to be efficient.

Correct me it I'm wrong, but I thought that longer fluorescent tubes are more efficient. Coupled with a high-frequency, electronic ballast and a 6' tube can be about twice as efficient as a bunch of CFLs and no flicker. Also many of the high-frequency ballasts can be dimmed efficiently.

Intriguing range of fluorescent fittings from the other thread.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No reason why you can't use HF, or dimmable HF, ballasts with CFLs.

 

[ajrobb]

No reason why you can't use HF, or dimmable HF, ballasts with CFLs.

Point taken. That wouldn't be the 'energy saving light bulb' variety though and probably not seen in DIY sheds.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.j...onsSpecificProductType=stick_bulbs&icamp=ns_6