Downlights
Downlights Guide
Downlights have been around for many years now and are still seen as a modern style of lighting, they are an elegant discreet lighting option that will compliment the style of most rooms. The fitting is recess mounted into your ceiling making them flush or semi flush with the surface. They offer a great alternative to the traditional central ceiling light fitting or can easily be installed as an addition light source. Downlights give a bright clear lighting effect that can be adjusted within some of the fittings and or via a dimmer switch. They are available with traditional style light bulbs and more recently in low energy versions as well as with the latest LEDs.
Choosing the correct type of Downlight for your individual installation can be confusing, but we are here to help and our fully trained staff are available to provide expert advice. With over 30 years experience in the industry we will be able to make you fully aware of all the options available to you regarding the different types of fitting available so that you can make an informed decision regarding your purchase. It is always advisable to seek advice from a qualified electrician before installing any lighting products and your local electrician would be apply to offer you further advice on your local building regulation requirements.
Low Energy and LED technology has now matched the brightness of halogen lamps in downlights whilst offering longer bulb life and savings on running costs. The LEDs do offer instant 100% light, where as some of the CFL bulbs can take up to two minutes to achieve a Max 100% light output. With this in mind you may wish to consider upgrading your existing downlights by simple changing the bulbs to a CFL or LED module, again our sales staff will be able to assist you with the options available.
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Downlights! Do I need Fire Rated?
The type of downlight you need to use depends on varying factors. Your ceilings give a vital barrier that helps prevent the spread of fire and noise to the adjacent rooms or those above and when you install downlights the holes cut for the light to go into reduce the effectiveness of this barrier, therefore the authorities and manufacturers introduced fire and acoustic rated downlights that when installed can help to protect against the spread of fire and noise pollution.
These fitting are made from intumescent materials which in the event of a fire react to the heat and seal the gap between the ceiling and the fitting itself for up to 90 minutes or more giving protection against the spread of fire into the void above or into your loft space. Fire Rated downlights do tend to be a little more expensive than the standard downlights but considering the safety benefits we feel the little extra cost is well worth paying. Please also be aware that should you purchase standard downlights and the regulations for your individual installation require fire rated fittings your electrician may refuse to install the standard fittings for you. For more help and advice please consult your electrician prior to purchase or call our offices and we will do all we can to assist you
What Are IP Rated Downlights
Having the correct IP Rated downlights is very important when installing fittings in a bathroom, Shower room, ensuite, outside and sometimes your kitchen in fact any are where water or ingress may be factor. In the case of bathroom lighting the bathroom is divided into zones and you need to ensure that you use the correct IP rated downlight in the correct zone area. Bathroom zone one requires fittings to be IP65 whilst zones 2 requires IP44. Downlights used outside would generally be rated at IP65. For full details of IP rating please contact your electrician before commencing any installation. We also have ip and bathroom zone guides available on our website <http://www.onlinelighting.co.uk/shop/bathroom-lighting/zones-explained.html **http://www.onlinelighting.co.uk/shop/bathroom-lighting/ip-ratings-explained.html
What Tools Are Needed
The tools required to install the downlights will depend on each individual installation point but as a guide when we have had downlights installed for display purposes the following tools where used by our electrician: A good retractable tape measure – Chalk line for marking out light positions and making sure they are in line – Pencil – Sharp Pad saw – Hand Drill – Hole Saw – Screwdrivers – Cable Cutters and Strippers- Electrical Testing equipment.Can I Add Downlights to My Existing Installation
Most household lighting circuits are 6 amp protected by a fuse or MCB To work out how many Amps can be run on each lighting circuit you can use the following calculation. UK voltage is normally 230 volts, assuming you are using 50w downlights and you want to use 10 the calculation would be Total Watts divided by Voltage i.e. 10 x 50 watts = 500 Watts divided by 230 Volts = 2.17 Amps. Therefore, your new downlights would use 2.17Amps. Which would not overload a 6amp fuse or MCB on their own but you need to make the same calculation for any existing lighting that is currently on the same circuit and add this to the total Amperage load. Remember to have your electrician carry out full calculations for your individual installation before any works are commenced
Safety First
We would always strongly recommend that you use a qualified electrician to complete any electrical installation. We would also recommend that you make yourself aware and read Part P This legislation will make you aware weather you can legally carry out electrical work in a specific area or of a specific type. Your local authority or electrician will be able to give you full information on Part P and its requirements.
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