How many halogen downlighters

[doby the house elf]

I'm fitting mains halogen downlighters in my kitchen, 3m by 4m. How many 50w lights should I use or would be sensible in a room that size. Because of the position of the joists I need to work in multiples of 3. I was thinking of 6 with 9 being too many.
Thanks for any ideas or views.

 

[jime17]

6 should be fine. 300W is enough. however, 9 wouldnt be too much in my opinion. If dimmer being used, remember that whatever wattage the dimmer is rated at you have to halve that value for 240V halogens.

eg for a 400w rated dimmer, you can only use 200W worth of halogens.

 

[breezer]

just a "useless fact" halogens do not work properly if dimmed.

non technical expalnation. as lamp gets hot bits fall off inside, as its hot they float in side lamp (in halogen gas) then land back on filament where they came from) if lamp is dimmed filoment doesnt get that hot, bits still fall off, but cant get back

 

[delmel]

I'm fitting mains halogen downlighters in my kitchen, 3m by 4m. How many 50w lights should I use or would be sensible in a room that size. Because of the position of the joists I need to work in multiples of 3. I was thinking of 6 with 9 being too many.
Thanks for any ideas or views.

which did you go for. Either way i guess your dissapointed as u may guess i am not a fan of the 240v halagen LV much better

 

[baldelectrician]

I agree about the halogen spots.
I would prefer Extra Low Voltage as they are easier to dim, better light output and the lamps are cheaper and last considerably longer.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm fitting mains halogen downlighters in my kitchen, 3m by 4m. How many 50w lights should I use or would be sensible in a room that size. Because of the position of the joists I need to work in multiples of 3. I was thinking of 6 with 9 being too many.
Thanks for any ideas or views.

1) Are you aware that Part P of the Building Regulations requires you to notify LABC of this work in advance?

2) Are you aware that Part L of the Building Regulations prohibits you from making things worse regarding the efficient use of energy, so if your kitchen did not already have 300 or 450W of lighting you are on dodgy ground putting these in?

 

[nstreet]

2) Are you aware that Part L of the Building Regulations prohibits you from making things worse regarding the efficient use of energy, so if your kitchen did not already have 300 or 450W of lighting you are on dodgy ground putting these in?

Ban, What does this part of the regs say; does it mean if I only have 20w of light in a room I shouldn't exceed that when replacing a bulb or fitting?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The regs say very little.

L1
Reasonable provision shall be made for the
conservation of fuel and power in dwellings by—
.
.
.
(c) providing lighting systems with appropriate lamps and sufficient controls so that energy can be used efficiently;

No definitions, but the Approved Document guidelines-with-no-legal-force say that you should fit a certain number of luminaires that can only take low-energy lamps.

It also says that where something did not previously comply with a current requirement, if you do any work it should end up no more unsatisfactory in relation to that requirement than before the work was carried out.

You wouldn't really have a room with only 20W of incandescent lighting, would you, though?

But if you had a 20W fluorescent in your kitchen, then in theory replacing that with several hundred watts of halogen downlighters would be illegal.

How it would be policed is beyond me....

 

[doby the house elf]

Thanks for the info.
Used an electrician to fit 6 mains halogen, so Part P covered.
Part L covered by accident as they replaced old fashioned spots on
a central fitting.