Encapsulated downlights

[Evans Electric]

Just thinking about these encapsulated downlights ,  as in built-in lamp  .    Noting how often my wholesaler changes from one manufacturer /style /type/  to another .... it will occur that after fitting say 10  fittings  , one fails and a different make replacement doesn't match .    

I have one or two customers who are picky and would  not be happy  with suddenly having to have an odd fitting in the room  or , worst case , change them all .   

I can hear them saying why didn't you fit lights with replaceable lamps .  

Just saying .  

 

[ProDave]

It seems to be getting harder to find plain old say GU10 fire rated downlights so you can fit any lamp of your choice (power / colour) and replace said lamp when it fails.

I wonder who is driving this and why?

When I was choosing for my own house I got a pack of 10 GU10 FR downlights, complete with LED lamps for about £35 from screwy's.  Now they want £75 for a similar pack of 10, but £40 gets you 10 with encapsulated, non replacable lamps.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I can hear them saying why didn't you fit lights with replaceable lamps .  

Just saying .  

That's the very reason I have never supplied any downlights with built in lamps......

Always supply separate's   "lamps & fittings"...

Have fitted some that customers have supplied themselves..

But that's their problem when they fail.. Not mine..!

As it is 100% sure at some point thay will start failing...

even if the LED elements are reliable..   the driver electronics can burn out due to cheaper quality components..

Either failed complete,  or start that flickering strobe effect..

I have taken out a fair few failed encapsulated LED light fitting to replace with separates...

It is far easier more economical and more environmentally friendly to just pop in a GU10 LED rather than replace a whole fitting..

Also you have more flexibility of choice around the type of light.. not just the Style of the fitting..

once you multiply out your options of  Cool / Warm / Beam angle / Lumens... before you have even got round to white/brass/satin/polished/fixed/movable/IP rated/non-IP etc.. etc..

The whole concept is a no-brainer in my opinion.

:C

 

[binky]

the only advantage I can see is better cooling of the lamps, the encpasulated fittings having far superior heat sinking on the rear. I theory this means they should last a lot longer...

 

[Murdoch]

I stopped fitting "sealed" units last year after too many faults with other products and specifically JCC when their 10 year warranty was rather optimistic as they ran out of stock after less than 3 years

So its "cans" and decent quality LED lamps for me ...............................................from now on unless  I need something a bit different

 

[binky]

JCC are ****e! Worst I have fitted.

 

[kerching]

JCC are ****e! Worst I have fitted.

i am binning 20 of this utter pile of runny liquid festering rancid tomorrow !

6 have failed in the last 2 months ( fitted and supplied by others 3 years ago)

i thnk a couple of 8' flus would be better

 

[Doc Hudson]

Very few products are manufactured with a high level of build quality nowadays. Its build cheap maximise profits, with minimal consideration of reliability. You see all the time over a broad range of products; tools, clothes, furniture, electronics, etc, etc,. so why would anyone think lighting products would be any different? Whatever items you do choose to supply, you must factor in potential losses due to repeat visits for premature failures. As it is certain they will come along at some point. 

Doc H.  

 

[binky]

Some products are definetly btter than others. Crompton LED tubes have never caused me any problems. The JCC downlighters I fitted in my bathroom about 5 years ago have all failed at some point, along with the Megaman GU10 lamps I fited about the same time in my kitchen  - I suspect a dodgy design / cheap-skating somehere. Kosnic LED stuff has never failed that I have fitted. Aurora stuff is basic but seems reliable. I've fitted a few KSR 5ft LED fittings which failed in the heat of summer - someone got the spec wrong and only rated them for 30oC. Trouble is, it's hard to determine what will fail when good makes can be unreliable, so I tend to ask the couter staff at the wholesalers, who obviously see any returns.