New Bathroiom Lights

[ferris]

Hi guys,

looking for some advice on bathroom lights. My bathroom which is 12'x8' with a 36"x36" airing cupboard. Height of the ceiling is just over 8'.

Now the thing is this place hasnt been touched in years but all good quality, it all works its just tired. I am replacing electrical fittings as they keep breaking/falling apart etc, and I am replacing knackered old light fittings and replacing bulbs etc for LE options.

In the bathroom the old lights have something like 125mm holes in the ceiling (they are everywhere!!) - which as a temp I am using MDF above to fill in the big holes, the ceiling has two areas divided by a covered beam (where the bathroom - along with the rest of the house has been extended). so its a square ceiling section and a 'L' shaped section (where the airing cup is).

It currently has 4x light fittings in the ceiling - two each side of the beam. I have just purchased 4x IP65 fittings and loaded with 4x led 3w GU10's. I dont want to use halogens, but now the light these guys are giving off is pretty rubbish, nice colour light but rubbish amount of light. Are they the right lights? What are my alternatives is there any rule of thumb with the amount of fittings per sq/m of ceiling?

I am thinking I will try filling the holes again with fresh MDF and put 3x lights spaced equally on one side - 'L' shaped side, and 4x on the square side all running 3w led's - any thoughts?

Mark

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'd recommend something like these, if you want recessed lights.



Don't forget that all the issues of sealing the holes and reinstating insulation with enough clearance etc applies to anything where you cut a hole in the bathroom ceiling, not just with MR16 type lights.

• http://www.nhbc.co.uk/NHBCPublicati...ical/StandardsExtra/filedownload,16553,en.pdf
  
  
• Pre-formed cap to seal downlights: http://www.aico.co.uk/downlights-in-loft-space-what-to-fit.html (It's NOT a firehood....)
  
  
• IET article on installing downlighters safely

Which as you have discovered are rubbish at lighting up rooms. You had (I would guess) R80 lights, and you've now got ones a fraction of that size.

They are not designed to light up rooms. In fact they are specifically designed to not do that, and fiddling with the lamp technology will not resolve that fundamental problem.

Remove your MDF patches (which should have been plasterboard anyway), enlarge the holes and put in large lights which will do the job.