which downlighters

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm not sure how many you would need to be bright enough for a kitchen.

Not 10, I can assure you of that. And I very much doubt you'd need 4, which would be the equivalent wattage of 10 2" downlighters with CFLs in.

Which shows, I hope, what is wrong with those little lights - they are not designed to provide general whole-room illumination, and they do a poor job of it. For any equivalent lamp type, incandescent, CFL, LED, you'll need a greater wattage of 2" recessed downlighters than if you use a light fitting designed to light rooms up.

Also, hardtail, using those lights is going to create a number of other problems.

1) You'll have to make holes in the insulation, which will make it less effective, which is a contravention of Part L of the Building Regulations.

2) As it's a flat roof you won't be able to seal the holes you make, and given that it's a kitchen you'll get warm moist air getting into the roof space where it will cause condensation problems, and that's a contravention of Part C.

Installing these lights is notifiable, so the above contraventions can't be ignored.

Even if you plan to ignore them, along with the requirement to notify, will you be able to ignore the dirty marks on the ceiling from airborne particles carried by convection currents and the rotting of your roof timbers? And all so that you can have lights which don't work?

 

[hardtail]

so i take it downlighters halogen are a no no ,ow well least the ceiling isnt up yet may be i can find a couple of standard light domes or something then cheers for you help guys

 

[1john]

an LED head torch is the best way, uses hardly any power so it is very green and you are only illuminating where you are looking to that makes it even more efficient. They are quite cheap too so you could have one for yourself and one for the misses and kids to share, and maybe a spare for emergencies or if you get guests around.

 

[ColJack]

what's wrong with a bunch of candles and a roll of string?
once the candles have all melted and the wick has burnt away, you melt all the drippings ( about 3/4 of the candle ) and use a piece of string as a wick and re-make the candle..
you can even do this an eco way by using a magnifying glass on a sunny day to melt the drippings..

 

[1john]

think of the carbon emmissions from the candles, and the wasted heat energy though.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

what terribly inefficient suggestions, head lamps, candles etc. Do you not realise that those engineeringly-offensive ideas are the reserve of the hard-of-thinking!!!!!!!

You should all be ashamed of yourselves for using energy in a way not approved by the eco-crusader!!!!!!

Why not simply draw up a detailed, dimensioned schematic of where all your appliances/cupboards are etc. Teach all who use the property to learn where each item is, then you could do away with any energy-gulping luminaires all-together and simply cook by touch and feel when it is dark