[dwb]

As part of improvements to my attic I am planning to install a lighting track. The system I have found has a lot of fittings which take GU10 PAR16 style bulbs. Mindful of the fact that it would be very easy to overload the lighting circuit and create undesirable hot spots with halogen fittings I am considering using LED replacements. Whilst I can see the power ratings for these replacements, I have not been able to find any references which suggest what the light output they produce.

My questions are

1) Are LED replacement lamps of this type any good?

2) At what sort of distance from the work surface are they effective?

David

 

[dwb]

>I thought G10 were mains voltage halogen? are these LED lamps direct replacements?
John, You are correct, they are and these lamps are a direct replacement.

>CFL (compact flourescent lamp)
dbc50, I think I know the kind of thing you mean. We've had something very like that in the wall lights in our living room for more years than I can remember. Changing 4 x 100W incandescents for them must have saved me a small fortune over the years.

The reason for opting for a track is that I can place the light where it is needed. The present arrangement is two single 36w flourescent fittings. They illuminate the central area very well, but the railway is out to the sides and the side to the rear of the fittings is quite dark. It has got a bit brighter since I installed double sided foil insulation, but I'd still like to add spots of some kind especially since I've "reclaimed" some space on the dark side of the water tanks.

Here's a link to the website I found the track details on. This company do quite a range of stuff and this is the one that seems to be a reasonable price - or at least I am prepared to pay it. For fittings I was thinking of the ones in the high teens / low twenties price bracket.

My choice of G10 was based on direct LED replacement. The decision on 240v is based on the lower cost. Transformers for the low voltage track systems appear to be very expensive.

I have not made a final decision. If someone suggests a better solution, I will certainly consider it.

David

 

[dwb]

QUOTE dwb, I don't know if there's anything amongst the selection here that may be suitable. There seems to be mains voltage LED GU10's and low energy GU10's available. The LED data sheet qoutes 3000mcd and a power of 1.5w so I wouldn't have thought they're going to be very bright.

Thanks for that gofer, it's exactly the kind of information I am looking for. I just wish I knew what 3000mcd might mean in terms of "experience". I guess that mcd is milli candellas and despite the fact that I spent one of my summer vacations working as a draughtsman for a consulting electrical engineer doing lighting calculations and drawings and so on, it's so long ago, I can't remember it and it was probably lumens in any case.

I'm not so concerned about the lower watts consumed by "efficient" light bulbs as it's light output I am after.

David

 

[dwb]

I found this article on Wikipedia. It does shed some light

on the subject. The one thing I have learned from reading around the subject is that halogens are the LAST thing I want in the attic. They achieve their brightness from burning very hot so they could easily become a fire risk in such a confined space.

The best approach may be to buy some LED lamps and see how it goes.

David

 

[dwb]

QUOTE I find even the ones in our bathroom start to burn the top of my head if I take too long shaving
Another reason not to take on that ritual, and I've not much protection on top either

David

 

[dwb]

QUOTE Have you considered those rope lights that come in 6ft and up lenghts/strings with small what looks like grain of wheat lamps wired in a heavy plastic tubing?

I hadn't. It's an interesting idea but I am rather set on being able to place light just where I want it. Thanks for the suggestion.

David