Dingdongler

Hi

I need a whole load of new lights for my bedroom. I'm getting very confused by all the different kinds

Can somebody tell me what to do?

The only thing I do know is that they have to be dimmable

Do I want Halogens or LED? And what's better for a bedroom, cool, warm or neutral?

Thanks

ScoobyWon't

Warm will give you a softer, comfortable colour, whilst cool (often referred to as daylight) is a bright white, almost like standing outside in summer, this may be a little harsh for a bedroom. My general rule is, warm light for rooms you want to relax in, cool light for rooms to wash or cook in (substitute cook for any subject you really need to be able to see clearly i.e. surgery, fixing things with small parts).

LED lights can be dimmable, but you will need a compatible dimmer switch, most people buy both from the same supplier.

I've always bought from LED Hut. If you see anything you like at LED Hut, pm me what you're after, as I might be able to get them discounted for you.

LEDs will be more expensive to start with, but they'll be cheaper to run than halogens in the long run.

dpb

Pain in the area to fit them either way.

I've just bought fitted this for the bathroom, whereupon mate said should gone with inset dimmable (to create relaxing atmosphere in the bath)

ScoobyWon't

Does it have an IP rating for bathroom use? I couldn't see one in the description.

dpb

Ip...??

Dunno, stuck it up myself

ScoobyWon't

It's how well protected an electrical device is against ingress or submersion to substances.

Have a look here at IP ratings.

dpb

Sold as bathroom fitting....


I wired up the earth, that any good?


Tv approved, come from the fatherland

ScoobyWon't

I'd hope so. But I wouldn't be pinning my life on hope. I'd wait for a jobbing sparkie's comments before panicking.

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Unless regs have very recently and drastically changed, ceiling lights don't need an IP rating, in a bathroom or anywhere else. The ad says the item in question can also be wall-mounted though, so it would depend where the poster put his.

As to the OP's original query, one thing to definitely be wary of if buying LEDs is poor quality rubbish that's likely to buzz or flicker, especially when fitted with a dimmer.

Chip

Changed from Halogen to LED in kitchen and bathroom a few months ago. Apart from the obvious money saving the light is much better. LED's are dimmable but you will need a trailing edge immer switch.

As Mark says don't buy cheap bulbs either, you do get what you pay for with LED. Cheap will flicker and buzz.

I got these which are superb:

http://www.simplyled.co.uk/shop-by/b...eries-iii.html

Dingdongler

Thanks.

But why do the led bulbs differ so much in price even when the output is the same? For example this one is £6

http://www.simplyled.co.uk/led-spotl...0-led-eco.html


And this one is £25

http://www.simplyled.co.uk/led-spotl...-led-bulb.html

Chip

I have no idea, probably down to components and quality of manufacturing. I have had cheap ones and they do not last, the light is not as good as the beam angle is usually narrower as well.

CharlySkunkWeed

iTrader: (7)

Installed a type as a trial in a guys kitchen (he didn't like the SMD type) and he noticed it interfered with his DAB radio. The boss went to his house and confirmed it.

Maybe the more expensive type have better components to eliminate things like that , though I am just guessing.

JackClark

Tesco have been doing 3 for 2 on LED's I picked up 3 Phillips GU10's for £10 the other day. Only the bathroom to go - 6 bulbs, ouch - and the whole house is done.

Chip

Have you got an energy monitor. you'll be surprised just how much Halogen uses over LED. Long term the savings will be good.

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

Depends what Zone in the bathroom they are in fella, always been the same.

Graz

I've done a fair bit of research on this as I have a lot of GU10 downlighters in my house.

The basic upshot is that at the moment any LED replacement bulb for a GU10 fitting is not going to be as good as a halogen bulb for two reasons. Firstly the light output isn't as good although they have got much better but this leads to the second compromise, to fit a LED or LEDs into a GU10 fitting that is powerful enough to produce a decent light then causes problems with heat dissipation. Despite what you may think high power LEDs get quite hot in use and if that heat isn't carried away from the LED then it will drastically reduce its lifespan. In a GU10 fitment its difficult to fit a big enough heat sink and there is rarely enough airflow around it to take the heat away.

Now from the sound of it you are about to fit new lights not just swap the bulbs and on that basis if you use dedicated LED fitments then they are engineered to solve both the issues mentioned. Something like these are ideal but they aren't cheap, £30 each! http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LTFRD12WW.html

As with most technology like this I'm sure the price will tumble in years to come and if it's in an area of the house where you have the lights on a lot then they may pay for themselves in a few years. Personally I'm going to hang fire on changing mine over for a while.

pflowers

This is not my experience, i have a large open plan lounge/kitchen/diner with 22 gu10 fittings. I paid £6 ish for each of the fittings from screwfix and have 4w LEDs in the kitchen diner area, 2.5w in the lounge all purchased from TLC for less than a fiver. They produce perfect light and generate no noticeable heat to touch even if they have been on all day.

Graz

Okay, I'll reserve judgement until I have the facts but IMO there is no way a 4W LED GU10 replacement could provide the same light as a 50W halogen let alone a 2.5W.

Can you post links to each of the LED bulbs you have so I can see the specs?

pflowers

They do, so much so that we had to change the bulbs in the lights over the lounge area as they were too bright.

Obviously I can't comment on the lifespan of the bulbs as they have only been up for six months.

Will see if I can find the specs.

Spoon

Hmmm, done this twice now and I'm back with low energy halogen in some areas.

I replaced kitchen bulbs (spots) a couple of years ago and the early LEDs were woeful where emitting enough light was concerned. I simply returned them and went back to the original bulbs. Some 8 months later I bought new Cree LEDs for the kitchen. These were in a different league and I still have them in today with not one blown bulb since fitting.

On that finding I bought more for other rooms. I had 2 spots go in less than a week in an ensuite. These were replaced by the company and another one went 2 weeks later, also replaced.

The bulbs in the living and dining rooms (candle) were bright enough, albeit a narrower angle of light with a few darker areas to the outside of the room (lights are central). However, within 2 days 1 bulb blew, or rather annoyingly flickered until it died, or it was removed. Then, followed a blown bulb nearly every 3 or so days. After I lost 5 I returned all the living and dining room bulbs for a full refund.

I had some in the hallway too, actually I still do, minus 2 that blew last week. I will be going back to the originals.

Upstairs lights were replaced, landing, bathrooms, bedrooms. The landing lights blew the same and were returned. The bedroom lights weren't spots and so no single LED was bright enough. They were swopped back. The bathroom's LEDs (spots) remain for now and are all working.

I replaced all my outside lights with LEDs too and haven't had a problem with the outbuildings and gate lights. I did have one security light fail after a fortnight though.

It appears at first that any LED bulbs on for a fair amount of time suffer, but then the outdoor lights are on more than any other bulbs in the house so this can't necessarily be the case, unless the cooling outdoors helps?

So in short, I tried but I'll hang fire for the foreseeable future and make do with the dependable 7 watt halogens.

dpb

http://www.bedazzled.uk.com/Light_Fittings.htm

I got these in the boat, ok 12v . They produce enough for me. I can imagine several these would light a house room ok.

1.2 w each

dpb

I mainly got them since I'm on 105 amp/hr battery of course, with no engine to charge it

Spoon

EFA.

dpb

Well I suppose that depend how big your gaffe is

Spoon

I based that on a averaged sized gaffe.

Dingdongler

Thanks.

Too late now I've bought them and the builder is fitting them as we speak, I'll just have to see how they go. I didn't go for the expensive type with heat sinks etc

Btw, I bought the gjd stuff you recommended and will be having them fitted very soon. I'll let you know how I get on once it's all up and running.

Spoon

I'll be interested to hear how your bulbs work out, Ding. As you can see, my experience was mixed to say the least.

Hopefully your PIR installer is familiar in setting up your GJD equipment. Did you go for the 'Opal Elites' and 1 control panel? Are you just using them for triggering security lights or the voice module too?

Dingdongler

The installer is very good and has installed them a couple of times before.

I have gone for the elites and have two control panels, one in the main family room and one will be mounted next to my bed.

I've gone for the voice kit as well so when triggered it will give a verbal message. This will have a break switch attached to it so will only be 'armed' at bedtime or when I'm out of the house. Otherwise it'll be annoying my neighbours by sounding every time I go to empty out the bins or get something from my car!

I need to choose a voice warning to record

Spoon

Excellent, just make sure you turn the Dygizone down or you'll bounce out of bed. Failing that you could always record nothing and have it on 'silent' that way with just lights showing activation. Not much good if you're asleep though.

As for the voice module, how about a recording of a AK47?