Kitchen light options

[lisach]

Hi there

Been reading many threads tonight regarding lighting options. Please may I ask a couple of questions?

I have a kitchen that is around 4m x 4.5m in size.

It is lacking in natural light and I am now having it replastered and new lights fitted.

Based on the comments about downlights I am bit worried now that I have made the wrong choice, although its not too late to change.

For a room of that size I had considered that 10 GU10 50w lights would suffice, however I have now seen that might not be the best option.

The alternative as I see it is something like this:

http://www.environmental-lighting.co.uk/envlighting/prod_416876-CFSGU1011C.html

However I have also seen these, would I be able to use less of these to get the same natural light?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLAT113E.html

Any ideas, as its a kitchen and a dark one I need it to as naturally light as I can afford.

Thanks

Lisa

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is lacking in natural light and I am now having it replastered and new lights fitted.

Is there any way you can get a Sunpipe in there?

For a room of that size I had considered that 10 GU10 50w lights would suffice, however I have now seen that might not be the best option.

Indeed not.

The alternative as I see it is something like this:

http://www.environmental-lighting.co.uk/envlighting/prod_416876-CFSGU1011C.html[/QUOTE]
Still the same problem - they use little 2" diameter lamps. so you'll still end up with lots of narrow beams.

However I have also seen these, would I be able to use less of these to get the same natural light?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLAT113E.html[/QUOTE]
The bigger the lights the fewer you'll need and the better the overall illumination, so those would be better.

I've not actually seen these in the flesh, but they look like the sort of thing (available in white or stainless steel) which would be ideal for a kitchen:




Not the cheapest lights around though..

Another option would be basic, cylindrical (i.e. not cone-shaped interior), fixed (i.e. not eyeball) R80 downlighters that aren't particularly deep. Ring Lighting do one, for example.

Put Genura lamps in them - they are a little longer than the regular incandescent R80 lamps:

and ideally what you'll find is that the body of the luminaire stops where the domed glass part of the lamp begins, so none of the light-emitting part is enclosed or above the ceiling.

Low energy, high efficiency, good colour temperature, no narrow restricted beam.


Option 3 - get creative with concealed cold-cathode lighting?









One thing that you can do, doesn't cost much, and is very practical is a run of linked T4 fluorescent lights under the wall cupboards.

 

[skenk]

Hi there

However I have also seen these, would I be able to use less of these to get the same natural light?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLAT113E.html

That's the type i've just bought for my kitchen, which will not be fitted for a while yet. I've got the 2x18w fittings (5 of) in a space a similar size to yours but used at full capacity I think that might be too much. I thought I saw some similar fittings on the web which had an adjustable-height lampholder but I can't find them now (this would allow control of the 'beam angle'). I have 3m high ceilings so hopefully that should help spread the light. FWIW without seeing them in action, the frosted glass looks like it will be better than the clear glass.

Do let us know how you get on

 

[lisach]

Many thanks for the advice.

Would the following be more suitable for a room 4 x 4.5m?

Is how many might we need?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...hts_Index/Downlights_Energy_Saving/index.html

Any other possible options?

 

[nozspark]

If you are having wall cabinets...

how about putting some flourescent fittings on top of them and bouncing the light off the ceiling..

and then some under cabinet strip lights to light the worktop

 

[Steve]

Many thanks for the advice.

Would the following be more suitable for a room 4 x 4.5m?

Is how many might we need?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...hts_Index/Downlights_Energy_Saving/index.html

Any other possible options?

I have those in my bathroom. Their one downfall is that they take about 2 minutes to reach full brightness when new. As they age, this time increases to about 3 minutes (estimated, I havent actually stood there with a stopwatch, simply watched them while I sit on the lav).

The light is much higher quality than halogen though, and the beam is much wider.

However, you will get better light with the twin lamp fittings you linked to, and they reach full brightness within a minute (unless its really cold in your kitchen)

Any kind of spotlighting, however, should be supplemented with lighting which illuminates the ceiling. So a few linklights above the wall cabinets if you can. Spotlights dont bounce light of the ceiling, so the room will appear dark unless you provide some means of illumination high up.

 

[lisach]

In term of losing their brightness over time, what causes this? (I assume its not just the bulb!)

So these would be better?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLAT113E.html

If so how many for the space I have?

Also what are these type of lights called, so I can search for other similar types?

Thanks again

Lisa

 

[Steve]

In term of losing their brightness over time, what causes this? (I assume its not just the bulb!)

So these would be better?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLAT113E.html

If so how many for the space I have?

Also what are these type of lights called, so I can search for other similar types?

Thanks again

Lisa

They dont loose much brightness over their life, they just take longer to warm up.

I am currently running a 3 year old lamp and two new lamps in the bathroom. When fully warm, the difference is negligible.

That light you linked to is a PL downlight. PL is the type of bulb that they use. PL lamps reach full brightness pretty much straight away. I have an 11 watt PL desk lamp and I am more than impressed with tis light output.

With 13 watt lamp in each, I'd say fit 6 in your kitchen. Switch them in banks of 2 or 3, so you can choose which to have on at any time. Though im not a lighting designer. They are the type of fittings they use in banks etc, and have a nice wide beam.

Make sure you choose a fitting with high frequency control gear though. Switch-start fittings will humm annoyingly.

 

[lisach]

"high frequency control gear"

You may need to explain that one, or should my electrician now what to do once he sees the lights?

Also as this is going into plaster board, I assume the PL lights don't have serious heat issues?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Your electrician will know what high frequency control gear is. You might want to discuss with him the possibility of dimmable ones.

PL lamps are fluorescent - no heat problems.

 

[Stoday]

Much better to get the Atom with the PL lamp on HF gear.

I have ten similar downlighters in my house, somewhat larger at 26W. There's a lag of about 1 second before they turn on without flicker and at full brightness.

You can get lamps of different colour temperature: 3500K would be about right for a kitchen.

Six 13W in your size of kitchen, with under cabinet lights too, would be a minimum IMO.

 

[lisach]

Thanks again.

I rang a couple of suppliers today and both advised 12v MR16 spots.

I tried to explan the PL Atom lights and both said that these were not commonly used in domestics installations.

I will go with your advice but are the Atoms the only ones out there, who else makes something similar?

Am liking these, anyone know much about?

http://www.profile-lighting.co.uk/PDF/CF_cfd4.pdf

 

[Steve]

Thanks again.

I rang a couple of suppliers today and both advised 12v MR16 spots.

I tried to explan the PL Atom lights and both said that these were not commonly used in domestics installations.

I will go with your advice but are the Atoms the only ones out there, who else makes something similar?

Am liking these, anyone know much about?

http://www.profile-lighting.co.uk/PDF/CF_cfd4.pdf[/QUOTE]
Its you again. Please dont start another thread on the same topic.

As I said in the other thread, suppliers and designers all seem to think people want to boil their foreheads walking under a poorly designed lighting installation. Get those atom ones. They are the cheapest I've seen with HF gear, most others are switch start for that price. These are smaller too, desireable for a home. Most are a little bigger.

High frequency gear drives the tube at several thousand Hz (flickers per second if you like), whereas switch start gear drives it at 50Hz. The much faster frequency of flicker means it is not percievable to the human eye, and there is no 50Hz hum, which is usually audible from older control gear. I can see 50Hz tubes flickering, it gives me a headache. Everyone whos anyone specs HF these days.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I will go with your advice but are the Atoms the only ones out there, who else makes something similar?

Thorn.

 

[Steve]

I will go with your advice but are the Atoms the only ones out there, who else makes something similar?

Thorn.

Perhaps lisach isnt made of money.