Process of changing normal globes to downlights?

[Learner]

That's what I thought but I couldn't find any prices on the LED lighting sites I checked.

IYou might say to wait until LED is cheaper, but as you say that could be a number of years away. When an LED lamp is around the same cost as a halogen, then I think all new houses will go that way, rather than halogen.

In the meantime, isn't it hard to recommend LED as a viable alternative?

I don't like making holes in the ceiling roof to install down lights and wiring transformers also because of the high lamp temperature.

Besides I hate putting electronic circuitry in the roof. Some people do all the wrong things and buy cheap magnetic transformers without adequate thermal protection, poor quality fittings and make their houses potential fire hazards. On a hot summer day the temperature in the roof area may be quite high.Because the halogen lamp operates at very high temperatures, it can pose fire and burn hazards.

Quality halogen incandescents are closer to 9% efficiency,

Because the lamp must be very hot to prevent crystallization of WO₂I₂ or WO₂Br₂ at the glass surface, the halogen lamp's envelope must be made of hard glass or fused quartz, instead of ordinary soft glass which would soften and flow too much at these temperatures. The envelope material can be selected and modified (by means of optical coating) to achieve whatever lamp characteristics are required. Lamp bulbs' envelopes are made out of hard glass, or out of quartz 'doped' with additives to block most of the UV output (hard glass blocks UV without need of dopants).


Handling precautions

Any surface contamination, notably fingerprints, can damage the quartz envelope when it is heated. Contaminants, such as oil and other skin residue naturally deposited by fingerprints will, unless removed, create a hot spot on the bulb surface when the bulb is turned on. This extreme, localized heat causes the quartz to change from its vitreous form into a weaker, crystalline form which leaks gas. This weakening may also cause the bulb to rapidly form a bubble, thereby weakening the bulb and leading to its failure or explosion, and creating a serious safety hazard. Consequently, quartz lamps should be handled without ever touching the clear quartz, either by using a clean paper towel or carefully holding the porcelain base. If the quartz is contaminated in any way, it must be thoroughly cleaned with rubbing alcohol and dried before use.

I just use compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). They are now available as low as $5. Dimming versions are also available at higher cost made by GE and sold in Australia. They work with standard triac dimmers.

http://www.environmentshop.com.au/Pr...s.asp?PID=3142

You also have a dimmable compact fluoro halogen downlight replacement version. See link below

http://www.environmentshop.com.au/Pr...s.asp?PID=3217

Although electronic transformers for halogen downlights do not use electrolytic capacitors in their circuitry and hence have a very long life, I prefer CFLs just because they are so cheap and energy efficient.

And with down lights when something is not working properly you have to get into small roof spaces. A bayonet CFL is so easy to replace. Even a child can do it!

Australian government is banning incandescent lamps from 2012. Although halogen lamps may not fall in this category, they will be next to follow. Remember they are are also filament lamps

http://www.environment.gov.au/minist.../mr20feb07.pdf

A typical halogen lamp is designed to run for about 2000 hours, twice as long as a typical incandescent lamp. A CFL is designed to run 8,000 to 10,000 hours even after designing with electrolytic capacitors in the ballast circuitry.

[Bleedin Thumb]

How many woodies does it take to change a light fitting?






3.
One to change the light fitting and two to tell him its illegal

[patty]

What the?

[Vernonv]

One to change the light fitting and two to tell him its illegal

Classic!!
Kind of sums up the current forum attitudes/responses to asking anything even mildly related to electrickery .

[silentC]

This is the problem for me: One of those fluoro replacement globes costs $40. A halogen lamp can be had for a couple of bucks. The energy saving is 39 watts per globe, which is about half a cent per hour at full power. So it will take about 6495 hours to recover the cost, which is about 2/3 the life of the globe.

I know there are other reasons for doing it, but if I had to buy one of them for every light fitting in my house, it would cost me around $1600 to save about $5 a quarter on my electricity bill.

Lighting just isn't a big enough factor in my bill to make it worthwhile. There are other things that would give me a much bigger pay off, like switching off the beer fridge. That would save me about $20 a quarter and cost me nothing.

[patty]

yes lighting companies have been shafting the consumers for years on the price of low energy consuming lamps these have really only started to come down in price in the last 4 years and still are as dear as poison the same will be with leds they will milk the consumers for all they can get whilst they release poor prototypes and charge like wounded bulls for them... hate to say it but they got us by the shortn curlys...

[Learner]

yes lighting companies have been shafting the consumers for years on the price of low energy consuming lamps these have really only started to come down in price in the last 4 years and still are as dear as poison the same will be with leds they will milk the consumers for all they can get whilst they release poor prototypes and charge like wounded bulls for them... hate to say it but they got us by the shortn curlys...

The price of products is determined by manufacturing volumes. Standard non-dimmable CFL's are now made in china in large volumes and different shapes.The price has fallen to around $5.00. When first introduced 12-15 years ago they cost around $27.00 - 30.00. Same is true for any consumer item like televisions.

[patty]

very true its all about supply and demand but the energy authority/government should come in and do something about it to make products that have a positive effect not only on your wallet but the environment more affordable

[Learner]

http://www.ledlightingfixtures.com/

[journeyman Mick]

...............There are other things that would give me a much bigger pay off, like switching off the beer fridge. That would save me about $20 a quarter and cost me nothing.

Mick

[silentC]

My God, what am I saying?!

Kids, sorry but your playstation has to go!

[Skylark]

I am quite bemused by all of this sometimes unnecessary extravagance, that householders will go to installing these fancy new "low voltage" down light fittings. No offence, but why fix something if ain't broke? Considering that alot of people are now going along and embracing an energy efficient culture, why would you want to intall these fancy things that end up costing ALOT MORE $$$$$$$ in the long run, even more than the proverbial incandescent light bulb!

I think alot of people have been in a mad rush to buy these highly inefficient devices, simply because they see the words "LOW VOLTAGE", and are thus oblivious to the fact that you measure power use in WATTS (not VOLTS, which is the electrical pressure that pushes electrons).

Simple Ohms Law at work; P (power) = V (voltage) * I (current)

Remembering that these fancy fittings come with transformers that have to reduce 240V down to 12V, which is quite a substantial reduction. I think that these things are simply used for the wrong application, perhaps a boat or an aircraft where those machines don't have the capacity to produce electricty or use it at such high voltages.

I would just stick with fluroecent light fittings, which have a high energy efficiency of 90%+.

Just my two cents worth.

[Bleedin Thumb]

I agree with you Skylark except that the light given off by fluoro's suck and you can't dim them....but besides that they're the bee's knees.

[patty]

yeh cheers for the tech class skylark it bought back some shockin memories 15 years back

[silentC]

I am quite bemused by all of this sometimes unnecessary extravagance, that householders will go to installing these fancy new "low voltage" down light fittings.

So exactly how long have 12volt downlights been in use?

Remembering that these fancy fittings come with transformers that have to reduce 240V down to 12V

That's not very unusual. Just about every appliance I can think of in my house, apart from the stove, dishwasher and the washing machine, has a transformer in it.

fluroecent light fittings

You'll need to learn to spell that before the exam...