Absolutely love downlights but as we are building a new home and want a modern architectural look, has anyone heard what (if anything) is replacing downlights. I am only asking this from a safety point of view with them catching fire, although in the 3 homes I have lived in with these, if they get too hot, they just go off for a while.
whats new instead of downlights
- Thread starter fernfurn
- Start date
I'm completely over downlights. They're fine at first, but like you said there can be problems with transformers heating up, sometimes the fitting itself can discolour with heat, dust can fall down through them.
But they're incredibly cheap - that's why people scatter them like stars across the ceiling. There are loads of alternatives. I used surface mounted pivoting halogen lights in my kitchen, but they cost about $200 each.
In my living rooms I don't have any ceiling lights at all - well, I have them but the globes went years ago and I've never replaced them. I use table lamps and floor lights instead.
Scott
But they're incredibly cheap - that's why people scatter them like stars across the ceiling. There are loads of alternatives. I used surface mounted pivoting halogen lights in my kitchen, but they cost about $200 each.
In my living rooms I don't have any ceiling lights at all - well, I have them but the globes went years ago and I've never replaced them. I use table lamps and floor lights instead.
Scott
Lots of nice oysters around for under $10 at various lighting stores, especially the ones I see that have been closing down for the last 5 years or so 
Since you love downlights Fernfurn but don't like the heat, you can go for leds...
that being said, there are very high power leds around which do get hot, and the heat produced by the transformer is based on how much load/how many lights it's running, and also by how well it's made. You could setup nice cool running led lighting, but won't be anywhere as cheap as oysters!
Leds are very long life as well, up to 100,000 hours is common so they could last a lifetime in many rooms (around ~11.4 years if you left them on 24/7) and the very high power ones can be around half that, which is still good! Leds are easily blown however, from things like power spikes or power supply/transformer faults Quality power supplies will avoid these problems, but yeah, that could get expensive.
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=...a=&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=led+lighting&gs_rfai=
Since you love downlights Fernfurn but don't like the heat, you can go for leds...
that being said, there are very high power leds around which do get hot, and the heat produced by the transformer is based on how much load/how many lights it's running, and also by how well it's made. You could setup nice cool running led lighting, but won't be anywhere as cheap as oysters!
Leds are very long life as well, up to 100,000 hours is common so they could last a lifetime in many rooms (around ~11.4 years if you left them on 24/7) and the very high power ones can be around half that, which is still good! Leds are easily blown however, from things like power spikes or power supply/transformer faults
Quality power supplies will avoid these problems, but yeah, that could get expensive.http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=...a=&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=led+lighting&gs_rfai=
You can get energy saver downlights, bit more light the old skool downlights that take a bulb, but they come in various sizes so you can still go for a similar downlight look with millions scattered about the house, without the issues of downlights already mentioned.
I went for them in an IP and pretty happy with the result. Can't remember prices tho. Not too dear from memory.
I went for them in an IP and pretty happy with the result. Can't remember prices tho. Not too dear from memory.
Geeze I knew Bunnings were into lots of things, but now seafood - unbelievable. Is that price for a dozen?
You're a funny man Rick!
Downlights would have to be the biggest energy efficiency "step back" I've seen around. Where previously one 60W old school light bulb would have done the job now people are installing six 55W downlights! And they think "low voltage" is a good thing!
Been happening for so many years it's not funny. Especially when an 11W fluoro would also do the job - 11W or 330W - I wonder which is better?
Anyway, if I really wanted the "look" of downlights there are plenty of (fluoro based with whatever colour you like) downlights that do a fantastic job at a quarter of the power consumption. No need for a transformer to waste energy heating up your roof space either...
Electricity to heat to light = bad (incandescent / halogen)
Electricity directly to light = good (fluro / LED)
Downlights would have to be the biggest energy efficiency "step back" I've seen around. Where previously one 60W old school light bulb would have done the job now people are installing six 55W downlights! And they think "low voltage" is a good thing!
Been happening for so many years it's not funny. Especially when an 11W fluoro would also do the job - 11W or 330W - I wonder which is better?
Anyway, if I really wanted the "look" of downlights there are plenty of (fluoro based with whatever colour you like) downlights that do a fantastic job at a quarter of the power consumption. No need for a transformer to waste energy heating up your roof space either...
Electricity to heat to light = bad (incandescent / halogen)
Electricity directly to light = good (fluro / LED)
all my recent downlights are the new fluro type lights - no heat/insulation problem and energy efficient.
i still like downlights because they don't dictate how a room should be arranged - as a hanging lights do. but i do have a mix of hanging in specific areas such as the bathroom, hallways, over the island bench etc (being 12ft ceilings) and downlights for general.
i still like downlights because they don't dictate how a room should be arranged - as a hanging lights do. but i do have a mix of hanging in specific areas such as the bathroom, hallways, over the island bench etc (being 12ft ceilings) and downlights for general.
330w. After experiencing life under a lot of downlights, using an 11w flouro instead would feel like the dark ages. Literally.
