Knightsbridge Garbage

[Gigagator]

Just raising a thread to have a little rant, and maybe others can throw their hats in.

Had a couple of Knightsbridge fluorescent fittings in a shed a few years ago and they all had to be binned due to the electronic control gear dying, just out of warranty.

I swore never to buy another Knightsbridge product again.

Fast forward a few years and we've not long had a full rewire which the sparks specced up with Knightsbridge fittings throughout.
Showering this morning and one of my Knightsbridge downlights in the shower enclosure is now flashing. Good job I'm not epileptic - I opened my eyes and felt like I was at a rave. It's barely 6 months old.

The moral of the story? Buy cheap, buy twice. Grrr.

 

[AndyPRK]

Didn’t know they were cheap!

 

[ericmark]

Unfortunately that's not the case, see the MK socket recall, they were always considered as good quality, but clearly not.

The moral really is, don't buy integral light fittings, buy the type requiring a bulb.

 

[trojanhawrs]

Unfortunately that's not the case, see the MK socket recall, they were always considered as good quality, but clearly not.

The moral really is, don't buy integral light fittings, buy the type requiring a bulb.

I'd disagree for downlights, just get something with a 5+ year warranty. Almost as quick to change as the bulb and you know they're designed to last.

 

[Murdochcat]

Very few Knightsbridge products are worth buying. Avoid is my considered advice

 

[Risteard]

Unfortunately that's not the case, see the MK socket recall, they were always considered as good quality, but clearly not.

The moral really is, don't buy integral light fittings, buy the type requiring a bulb.

I'd have to disagree. Integrated all the way. Collingwood are good. Robus should be too.

 

[flameport]

see the MK socket recall, they were always considered as good quality, but clearly not.

Those MK Essentials things were never good quality.
Just another example of Honeywell shoving a previously reputable brand onto poorly made rubbish.

 

[SUNRAY]

Very few Knightsbridge products are worth buying. Avoid is my considered advice

Even simple thing like the position of the threaded holes in backboxes. A year or so back a row of surface mount BB's were mounted in a straight line... very straight and very level as repeatedly checked, However the fronts were all p*55ed when screwed on, some were 2-3mm adrift. After several attempts by several people to straighten them the boxes were replaced with BG at about half the price

 

[JohnW2]

I'd disagree for downlights, just get something with a 5+ year warranty. Almost as quick to change as the bulb and you know they're designed to last.

That would be fine if there were a reasonable chance that one would be able to get an identical replacement under warranty if one failed in the after 'a few years' OR if you wouldn't mind one looking a bit different from the others.

In practice, it's often unlikley that an identical replacement will be available when needed, .

 

[Taylortwocities]

That would be fine if there were a reasonable chance that one would be able to get an identical replacement under warranty if one failed in the after 'a few years' OR if you wouldn't mind one looking a bit different from the others.

In practice, it's often unlikley that an identical replacement will be available when needed, .

Absolutely. I have suffered from exactly this. The manufacturer sends a "replacement", but the look and often the light output is not the same.
Name and shame. Among others I point an angry finger at Scolmore for the Inceptor range. The originals (LED4300) were a great product encompassing fixed and adjustable in one light, and a choice of bezels. What Scomore call the replacement is the NANO5. Totally different animal. Grrrrrr.

Never again for me will I install an integrated LED product. GU10 all the way.

 

[Gigagator]

I'm currently struggling to decide on whether to pick up an integral replacement or GU10 type so that I can replace the lamp if ever necessary. TLC my supplier of choice.

The problem I have with the integral ones, easy as they are to change, is it is also easy to damage the plaster around the hole when you are pulling the fitting out. I don't really want to be risking that more often than necessary. Replacing the lamp would be preferable.

The other issue is these Knightsbridge ones have an absurdly small cutout diameter so whatever I purchase, it looks like I will need to enlarge the cutout hole so not looking forward to that.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If you have some holesaw bits then this is the best method

If you dont have holesaws in your bag, carefully score the ceiling with craft knife to the required size. This stops the hole creeping. Then use a fine compass saw to cut carefully inside the marked area.

 

[Gigagator]

If you have some holesaw bits then this is the best method

Thanks for that. I do have some holesaws though not sure what sizes.
Might pick up the sizes I need from Toolstation on the way home, they are cheap enough.

 

[trojanhawrs]

Make sure you check inside the hole before enlarging it like that, if you're right up against a joist you'll need to offset it

 

[AndyPRK]

you could do some research to find out what the most common size is. So you don't drill it out, some large rare size