Low voltage downlights & mains voltage

[Albopalbo]

My new house has (for some reason) in the kitchen, 2 rows of low voltage downlights and 1 row of mains voltage.

Would there be any problem with buying all low voltage units, and just leaving out the transformer and putting in a mains bulb in 3 of them (i.e. just using the units themselves) or do the units have to be specifically for mains?

 

[flameport]

Low voltage = 240V
Extra low voltage = 12V.

While the lamps are the same physical size, the lampholders are different, so you would be buying ELV fittings and throwing the lampholder and transformer away, then buying a new lampholder to (hopefully) fit in there.
The light output from 240V lamps will be significantly less than the 12V equivalent, so your already poor lighting scheme will be made much worse.

If you want them all the same, why not just replace the one row of 240V items with 12V ones?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Would there be any problem with buying all low voltage units, and just leaving out the transformer and putting in a mains bulb in 3 of them (i.e. just using the units themselves) or do the units have to be specifically for mains?

That doesn't make sense, even allowing for the low-voltage/mains-voltage confusion.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands


You've got 2 rows of 12V lights and 1 row of 230V lights.

And you want to replace the 12V ones with more 12V ones, and replace the 230V ones with 12V ones but discard the transformers and carry on using 230V lamps?

What would be the point? What are you actually trying to achieve? If they currently look different and you want them to all be the same why do you want to keep the current mix of 12V and 230V?

And if 1 row = 3 lights, how many have you got altogether? What is the total wattage? How big is your kitchen? Do you think that that many watts of lighting is reasonable for a room that size, or does it seem rather a lot?

 

[Risteard]

Low voltage = 240V

Between 50V and 1,000V AC but surely you meant 230V?

 

[Monkeh]

Low voltage = 240V

Between 50V and 1,000V AC but surely you meant 230V?

Say 230V all you like but it's 240V in reality. More or less.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe, but the domestic low voltage supply in the UK is officially 230V, and that's how it should be described.

 

[flameport]

230V is the official voltage, but if someone such as Albopalbo goes to a shop looking for 230V downlights or 230V lamps to go in them, they won't find any.

 

[Risteard]

A bit like the fact that boxes don't say "SELV downlight" on them. Doesn't make it any more correct though.

 

[dingbat]

A bit like the fact that boxes don't say "SELV downlight" on them. Doesn't make it any more correct though.

Quite right.

It should read "SELV Fire Hazard".

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or "SELV notaroomlight"