I would like to place 6 downlights in a bedroom. What would be the bes

Les Ward

Wed 06 Feb 2013 12:00am

I would fit fire rated dimmable LED fittings. The loft insulation should be moved away from around and over the fittings to extend their life. The fittings can be placed close to joists as there is no fire risk from heat generation, unlike halogen lighting. This work is subject to building control (as making holes in a ceiling affects it's resistance to fire) so use a Part P registered electrician for this work. LED lights use much less power than halogens so the possible extra cost of the LED fittings can be recovered over time.

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Carl Firmstone

Wed 06 Feb 2013 12:00am

Hi, You should choose either GU10 (mains voltage - no need for a transformer) or MR16 (12V) fittings. The type of lamp you fit to them is really dependant on your budget. LED are the most expensive but are cooler in use, last much longer and can even come with a 10 year warranty. Halogen are cheapest but are inefficient and will fail on a regular basis and require replacement. In between there are CFL (compact fluorescent) which have reasonable lifespan, cost more than halogen but less than LED but take time to warm up and produce their full light output (up to a minute). The look of each lamp is different and can give a different feel to a room by the range in colour rendering. The extra cost of LED would be recovered over time given the savings in energy use - 3 to 4Watts in LED gives equivalent light levels to 35 to 50Watt halogen. We always recommend LED to our clients - but as stated, budget generally plays a big part in their decision. Regards Carl Stator Electrical Solutions Ltd

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I would like to place 6 downlights in a bedroom. What would be the bes

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