Calculating number of downlights required

[pauld]

Can someone point me in the right direction as how to calculate the number of down lights I would need to light my kitchen. I am assuming there must be a calculation to do with size of room and the level of light required. Is there there a recommend level of lumens required for a Kitchen?

 

[Evans Electric]

There is, but as a rule of thumb ,I fit them (50W) at 1 mtr intervals between and 600mm out from the wall . I just do it by eye to be honest, if it looks right it usually is. Bit of past experience too I suppose , seems to work .

Don't think you need to get all complicated for a domestic kitchen TBH.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Can someone point me in the right direction as how to calculate the number of down lights I would need to light my kitchen. I am assuming there must be a calculation to do with size of room and the level of light required. Is there there a recommend level of lumens required for a Kitchen?

I think you will find it is the recommended LUX levels..

subtle difference...

The light outputs so many lumens...

The light intensity on a surface is measured in LUX...

The further away from the surface that a lamp is... (higher ceiling)

then you get less LUX for the same amount of Lumen output!

IIRC

1 lumen, 1 meter from a surface gives 1 LUX over 1m2 of worktop..

Recommended LUX levels...

Untitled

Oh don't forget..

watts is the power consumed...

Not the light output..

Often a 12v down lighter will give greater Lumen output than a 230v lamp of the same wattage.



---------- Post Auto-Merged at 17:14 ---------- Previous post was made at 15:54 ----------

For what its worth...

I shall add if you move the light source 2m away the lux level at the work surface is a quarter of the value if the light was 1m away....

e.g.

a bog standard 100watt lamp typically gave around 1200 lumens output...

if fixed 2m above the worktop, that would give 1200/4 = 300LUX

So if you can recall how bright a 100w lamp was....

anything brighter than that should be quite adequate for your 300lux recommended kitchen light level.

:coffee

 

[mikep]

Also when planning remember to make sure that the cupboards and their doors must not be too close to the lights I have seen people fit them without considering this and have scorched the doors when left open, another thing when planning think where the shadows are going to fall when standing in front of work tops or sinks as Deke said if it looks like then it normally is take your time in planning them out, can sometimes take a long time to figure it out.

Mike

 

[Evans Electric]

With kitchens I think theres often a need for under cupboard lights too, some dark areas you can't light from the ceiling .

 

[batty]

Do people still fit halogen downlights?

 

[pauld]

Thanks for the advise, I am planing to use LED lamps instead of halogen are any better than others?

 

[Evans Electric]

Halers or Kosnic probably all made at the same place.!!

 

[batty]

There are a lot on the market you need to check the output of the light they give out and the reliability.

 

[Evans Electric]

Do people still fit halogen downlights?

Yep! the cost of the LEDs has scared some customers off . They'll ban them soon anyway I'd guess.

 

[shed69]

Not when you can get them for

 

[Evans Electric]

I hear what you say but 8 X 10 =

 

[Badger]

Thanks for the advise, I am planing to use LED lamps instead of halogen are any better than others?

i order the led lamps that i use from led giant, LED Giant | LED Lighting with Giant Savings, gu10 and mr16s versions, fantastic lamps, just ordered another 15 for a kitchen lighting replacements job, next week, weve also got them here through the house, 77 spot lights in total. and the energy savings was amazing.

 

[pauld]

Thanks for link i have just ordered my lamps

 

[batty]

Badger what sort have you used are they the MR16 or GU10?

 

[m4tty]

Don't they need drivers ??

 

[batty]

I have a customer that brought some aurora ones that are supposed to be a direct replacement for MR16 low voltage but they have had a few problems to me its because as the transformers are rated at 20-60VA the 6 watt LED's aren't using enough power to run them.

 

[Badger]

i ordered both types gu10 for everything in general and mr16 for the underwater pond lights as i didnt fancy mains in the water. i also ordered the driver to go with the amount of lamps we have (4 of) in the pond.

 

[Ash]

i ordered both types gu10 for everything in general and mr16 for the underwater pond lights as i didnt fancy mains in the water. i also ordered the driver to go with the amount of lamps we have (4 of) in the pond.

Doesn't the driver convert it to 25V DC?

 

[Badger]

i think it is dc yes