Soffit down lights ... led or mains?

[Dorr69]

Hi
I’m considering having a few down lights fitted on my bungalow, mainly the corners and 2-3 inbetween
I’ll be having them on two circuits so that just the corner ones light or all on together
Is led the best option? And more energy efficient?
Would 240v ones with led bulbs in be less efficient that low voltage led ones?
Many thank you folks

 

[winston1]

240 volts is low voltage. I can't see why 240v ones would be any less efficient than say 12v and there would be less to go wrong.

 

[Taylortwocities]

"LED or mains" is comparing two completely separate things. Its like saying shall I buy a car or shall I fold some paper.

An LED is (in this context) a type of device that produces light. "Mains" is a common name for 230v AC power supply.

LED lamps come in many different types and require different voltage inputs to make them work. There's "mains", 12v, 5v, 24v. All sorts.

For your application, the 230v LED lamps are the better choice, as you then do not need to buy additional power supplies that convert the 230v "mains" to a lower voltage.

As for light output, lamps these days are rated as their light output (in lumens) so you can compare how much light you'll get.
LED lamps are much more energy efficient than lamps such as halogen, and last much longer, especially when used in very cold conditions.
And also note that halogen lamps are being phased out. My local supermarket no longer stocks them.
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/08/eu-halogen-light-bulb-ban-everything-you-need-to-know/

 

[Dorr69]

Thank you both
I thought some come in low voltage with a transformer
My mistake

 

[cwhaley]

Thank you both
I thought some come in low voltage with a transformer
My mistake

They do. The LED driver/transformer regulates the voltage supplied to an array of LED light fittings. LED lights require very little energy which is why you would need the driver/transformer to reduce the flow of energy.

 

[Taylortwocities]

They do. The LED driver/transformer regulates the voltage supplied to an array of LED light fittings. LED lights require very little energy which is why you would need the driver/transformer to reduce the flow of energy.

Eh? You cannot be serious.

 

[cwhaley]

Eh? You cannot be serious.

Totally happy to be proven wrong and to learn from it, but my knowledge tells me that an LED driver regulates the voltage supplied to an LED light fixture. By regulate I mean to reduce the current to a low, direct current (as opposed to alternating current) and also to protect the LEDs from voltage fluctuations (hence my reference to "regulate").

What part of that is not serious/correct/true?

 

[JohnW2]

What part of that is not serious/correct/true?

To be frank, most of it. For example, in the case of 230V LED lamps/bulbs, the current control and 'regulation' is within the lamp/bulb, so no external driver or transformer is required.

Kind Regards, John

 

[cwhaley]

To be frank, most of it. For example, in the case of 230V LED lamps/bulbs, the current control and 'regulation' is within the lamp/bulb, so no external driver or transformer is required.

Kind Regards, John

That's fine, but raises a question for me. When I call off kit for an illuminated sales area within the company I work for, I would call off an LED driver, a powered back panel and then 6 LED lights (plus cables). Should we connect the LED lights directly into the AC 230v, they would and have been destroyed as a result -- the driver is required to power them properly.

Would it be more accurate to state that some lamps/bulbs have regulation within the lamp/bulb themselves?

Also, why the quote marks for 'regulation'? Is that different to 'control'?

 

[JohnW2]

.... When I call off kit for an illuminated sales area within the company I work for, I would call off an LED driver, a powered back panel and then 6 LED lights (plus cables). Should we connect the LED lights directly into the AC 230v, they would and have been destroyed as a result -- the driver is required to power them properly.

That would obviously be correct if what youy specified were extra-low-voltage (12V or whatever) "LED lights", but ...

Would it be more accurate to state that some lamps/bulbs have regulation within the lamp/bulb themselves?

That is effectively what I wrote (" in the case of 230V LED lamps/bulbs...") - since 'some' LED lamps/bulbs are 230V ones, but some aren't. The impression I get is that extra-low-voltage LED lamps/bulbs are probably becoming less common/fashionable - certainly all those I have in my house are 230V ones.

Also, why the quote marks for 'regulation'? Is that different to 'control'?

I used the quotes since most 'LED drivers' seen in domestic situations (this is a DIY forum) are not actually 'drivers' in the sense of being constant-current sources but, rather, are electronic voltage sources (I hesitate to write "constant voltage") which are often very poorly regulated - and, incidentally, are often not what they seem to be - e.g. a "12V eff" electronic transformer {switch-mode power supply"} might, for example, produce pulses of 20V or 30V, which average over time to about 12V - that's what "12V eff" usually indicates.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's fine, but raises a question for me. When I call off kit for an illuminated sales area within the company I work for, I would call off an LED driver, a powered back panel and then 6 LED lights (plus cables). Should we connect the LED lights directly into the AC 230v, they would and have been destroyed as a result -- the driver is required to power them properly.

Indeed it is, but it is not to, and does not "reduce the flow of energy"

Would it be more accurate to state that some lamps/bulbs have regulation within the lamp/bulb themselves?

Different lamps have different characteristics.

One thing they all have in common is that they need the right voltage/current/frequency/etc of supply.

Also, why the quote marks for 'regulation'? Is that different to 'control'?

John has a penchant for liberally sprinkling his posts with quotation marks. They don't really mean anything.

 

[JohnW2]

It is a life-long habit of mine, but I don't think I am unique. As I have just explained, I use (single) quote marks when I wish to indicate that something is not quite/completely what the word might suggest - in this case I put 'regulated' in such quotes to indicate that I meant 'allegedly regulated' or 'not necessarily very well regulated' (those last two pairs of quotes being to delimit phrases ), or something like that - it's a habit which saves a fair bit of typing of explanatory qualifications!

 

[cwhaley]

That all makes total sense to me. I never, ever professionally impart my own understandings of electrics as I only call off the kit for electrical contractors to fit. I think generally my understanding was there but not to the level or depth as you have explained.

I would use inverted apostrophes (as opposed to speech marks " " ) the same way you would too. Must have misconstrued their use in this instance!

 

[JohnW2]

That all makes total sense to me. I never, ever professionally impart my own understandings of electrics as I only call off the kit for electrical contractors to fit. I think generally my understanding was there but not to the level or depth as you have explained.

Fair enough - but you do need to specify whether you want mains voltage (~230V) or extra-low-voltage (e.g. 12V) lights, since that will determine whether or not the contractor needs to supply and install drivers/transformers/power supplies.

I would use inverted apostrophes (as opposed to speech marks " " ) the same way you would too. Must have misconstrued their use in this instance!

As I have just written, I usually use single quote marks (non-inverted apostrophes!) since, at least when writing in places like thjis, there is no simple way to type inverted apostrophes!

Kind Regards, John

 

[cwhaley]

Fair enough - but you do need to specify whether you want mains voltage (~230V) or extra-low-voltage (e.g. 12V) lights, since that will determine whether or not the contractor needs to supply and install drivers/transformers/power supplies.

The lights are all standard parts to our kit. The lights, drivers, link cables, etc. are all supplied as part of a kit of parts under a single code. The electrician just has to connect it up to an electrical feed and sign off as working. That was where my understanding of a driver came from -- in that it is required to step down and regulate the voltage feeding our lights.

As I have just written, I usually use single quote marks (non-inverted apostrophes!) since, at least when writing in places like thjis, there is no simple way to type inverted apostrophes!

I meant to say inverted commas Anyway, I'll stop the digressing!