Too many downlights

[preecy]

I fitted 9 x GU10 down lights with 50w bulbs in our living room a few years ago. I quickly realised (flickering bulbs) the single light circuit wasn't powerful enough to server 9 x 50w and replaced the 50w bulbs with 30w, job done. The missus has now decided she wants to extended the living room by take down a partition wall. This will involve adding an extra 6 down lights to the circuit (she wants all the lights on the same switch). Obviously I cannot add another 6 x 30w bulbs to the same circuit. Would i be ok if I ditched the halogen bulbs and used 15 x GU10 led bulbs instead as I assume these use a fraction of the wattage traditional bulbs use?

thanks in advance

 

[Grenage]

Yes, I recently replaced my Father's 40W GU10 downlighters with these:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-gu10-led-lamp-250lm-4w-pack-of-10/5412d

Ten new use the same power as one of the old.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Flickering bulbs?

Do you have a dimmer? if so your problem is that the dimmer is overloaded with all of that 450WATTS. You need a bigger dimmer
OR
use LED lamps, or don't not use downlights and choose some lights that are designed to light up all of a room. not just puddles of light.

But seriously, 450WATTS to light one room is crazy, when one single 60watt bulb woud have been enough………..

 

[JohnW2]

I fitted 9 x GU10 down lights with 50w bulbs in our living room a few years ago. I quickly realised (flickering bulbs) the single light circuit wasn't powerful enough to server 9 x 50w and replaced the 50w bulbs with 30w, job done.

A standard 6A lighting circuit can supply a total of about 1380W, so your problem with 9 x 50W bulbs/lamps (450W total) was quite probably due to something other than the capacity of the circuit (unless there was a lot of other lighting load on the same circuit).

Having said that, particularly if you are now contemplating 15 x 30W lights (again 450W total), there is a lot to be said (not the least in running costs) for changing to the equivalent in LEDs.

Others will undoubtedly observe that if you have to have 15 lights to light one room, that suggests that you are using the wrong sort of lights - but that's really a matter of choice!

Kind Regards, John

 

[flyingsparks]

Flickering bulbs?

Do you have a dimmer? if so your problem is that the dimmer is overloaded with all of that 450WATTS. You need a bigger dimmer
OR
use LED lamps, or don't not use downlights and choose some lights that are designed to light up all of a room. not just puddles of light.

But seriously, 450WATTS to light one room is crazy, when one single 60watt bulb woud have been enough………..

God, your sounding more and more like BAS every day. One BAS is enough, we don't need another.

 

[Grenage]

God, your sounding more and more like BAS every day. One BAS is enough, we don't need another.

To be fair, he's not wrong though; downlighters are pretty s**t.

 

[JohnW2]

To be fair, he's not wrong though; downlighters are pretty s**t.

Except for very special purposes, spotlights in ceilings are pretty useless to do the job. However, wide-beam-angle downlights (which probably didn't even exist when BAS formulated his opinions) are, IMO, a totally different kettle of fish.

Kind Regards, John

 

[flyingsparks]

Down lights have a purpose for some lighting scenarios, and some peoples taste. BAS and some others here seem to think there should be a blanket ban to their use altogether. I agree at 50W each the old halogen ones were rediculous when you could easily have 500W lighting a room but the led equivalent now I think are very good.

 

[Iggifer]

Having recently temporarily put in a single 60w pendant for my parents whilst I make them a bespoke light, I beg to differ on the 'a 60w pendant would have done the job' it might have done the job back in the day when that was the 'done thing' but now it's gloomy, there's shadows in the corners of the room - and this is without a shade.

I agree there is a right and a wrong place for downlights, I just disagree with the standard 'a 60w pendant lit the room perfectly' arguement

 

[JohnW2]

Having recently temporarily put in a single 60w pendant for my parents whilst I make them a bespoke light, I beg to differ on the 'a 60w pendant would have done the job' it might have done the job back in the day when that was the 'done thing' but now it's gloomy, there's shadows in the corners of the room - and this is without a shade. I agree there is a right and a wrong place for downlights, I just disagree with the standard 'a 60w pendant lit the room perfectly' arguement

I agree. Unless, possibly, one has very light walls and ceilings, a traditional single central pendant light (of any power) will not usually produce particularly shadow-free illumination (if that's what one wants).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Grenage]

Most people don't want bedrooms or living rooms to be a startling wash of bright white light, it's about as relaxing as walking on glass. I agree that a single pendant is not optimal, and several lights should be employed for varying degrees.

It's all entirely subjective, of course.

 

[Iggifer]

I was on a job recently where there were 2x wall lights installed above where the bed was going to fall in the room.

The original spec was up/down wall lighters, until I pointed out to the sites owner, that NOBODY wants a light above their bed that shines directly into their face, once I'd explained he promptly went out and bought two uplighters

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A standard 6A lighting circuit can supply a total of about 1380W, so your problem with 9 x 50W bulbs/lamps (450W total) was quite probably due to something other than the capacity of the circuit (unless there was a lot of other lighting load on the same circuit).

And even if the circuit had been overloaded, it would not have caused flickering.

The problem was definitely due to something other than the capacity of the circuit.

 

[preecy]

Wow I've opened a can of worms here!
Yeah we have a dimmer switch so maybe this was the issue with the 50w bulbs? Anyhow we've now put dimmerable led bulbs in the down lights and all seems ok.
And agreed that many lights for a single room probably isn't the most energy efficient use of bulbs but it's what the missus wants... happy wife, happy life and all that!