Replacement house lighting

[jx2mad]

On Sunday morning my wife asked me if I could smell anything burning. There was a slight smell like burning insulation but having checked all around the house I couldn't find anything. The smell disappeared but came back later. My daughter came in and said that the lights on the ducted air were flashing. There was a sudden burst of smell from the air vent and the lights went out. I immediately went out and turned the cct breakers off. Grabbing a ladder I climbed into the roof cavity but no smoke there or even burning smell. To be doubly sure I rang 000 and 10 minutes later the local volunteer brigade arrived. I had just retired from it after 50 years as a front line firery. They were closely followed by the metro brigade who went into the roof with a thermal imaging machine. No hot spots in the roof space but they did pick up a very hot double tube fluro light that was too hot to touch. Talk about 2 problems appearing at the same time. Now to my question. I was advised that 10 yr old fluros should be replaced as these were fitted with old type ballasts. I am not able to climb around in the roof space having just had a knee replacement and I am wondering what type of light I should fit. LED lights were suggested but i assume these run off transformers that have to be in the roof space. What options do I have as LED would be great. Jim

[Xtreme]

I'm currently running eight 12v x 9W LED's in the lounge room - no transformers, wired through two switches and then directly to a 12v 100Ah AGM battery. Intend hooking up to solar but so far have only had to recharge battery three times in 12 months.

I was surprised at how long they last and am considering converting others that are currently running off transformers to run directly off the battery - then I'll choose an appropriate size solar panel and be independant of the grid as far as lighting goes.

[Vern]

What lights do you have at the moment? Replace the flouro, with a flouro, but try get an electronic ballasted one.

[tonic]

I'm currently running eight 12v x 9W LED's in the lounge room - no transformers, wired through two switches and then directly to a 12v 100Ah AGM battery. Intend hooking up to solar but so far have only had to recharge battery three times in 12 months.

I was surprised at how long they last and am considering converting others that are currently running off transformers to run directly off the battery - then I'll choose an appropriate size solar panel and be independant of the grid as far as lighting goes.

Our contract auto sparky has done this through his whole house (with panels). When we do our refurb I'm doing the same. In the meantime I replaced all my Fluros with old style bayonet simple light fittings and put in low volt fluro things.

[Homestar]

I run a heap of 240 volt LED down lights. They use sod all power, no transformer and are never too hot to touch. They all used to be 50 watt halogens that sucked the power and got VERY hot.

Wit them all on now, I use less power than one of the old ones.:). They are a nice warm white colour as well, not that horrid stark white.

[Vern]

I swapped out around 70 x 50watt dichroics for led's in our place, reduced my total wattage down to 630w from well over 3000w. :)

[Basil135]

We just went thru this exercise at work. I was looking at replacing 600 odd fluro tubes with 400 LED.

By the time everything is factored in, it just isn't viable, cost wise.

The recommendation that came back, and as was mentioned above, replace like for like. If you have fluro's now, change them to a newer sort with electronic ballast.

Your running costs will be lower than they are now, and fluro tubes are cheap to replace.

BTW - I was, and am a lover of LED. I was hoping beyond hope, that we could justify LED, but the savings just were not there.

IF you are installing new lights, then by all means, look at the LED options. But to change existing lights, go with fluro's.

[austastar]

Hi,
I've just put in two of these: (http://brightgreen.com/au/products/d900-curve)

http://au.brightgreen.com/images/gallery/d900-curve-mm-05.jpg

Not cheap, but they are for reading lights, run through a normal dimmer, and are simply brilliant.
I got the pure white, as the Mrs does a bit of colour critical craft work.

cheers

[Homestar]

These are the ones I got - only cheapies, but I've had no issues yet after 6 months - I would have blown 2 or 3 halogen ones in the same timeframe...

8pcs 240V GU10 12W 4X3W Warm White LED Downlight Bulb Lamp Spotlight Brand NEW | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8pcs-240V-GU10-12W-4X3W-Warm-White-led-Downlight-bulb-lamp-spotlight-Brand-new-/121031835004?pt=AU_Lighting_Fans&hash=item1c2e0f3d7c&_uhb=1)

[richard4u2]

in w.a. up to 32v you don't have to have a sparky to do the installation so this would save you heaps so I would go for 12v led off of a 12v battery recharged from a sola panel

[Xtreme]

in w.a. up to 32v you don't have to have a sparky to do the installation so this would save you heaps so I would go for 12v led off of a 12v battery recharged from a sola panel

Anyone who intends using the above system should ensure that your 12v system components are clearly marked and separated from any of the old 240v stuff, especially if you intend using the original 240v switches and wall plates.

[Vern]

Out of curiosity, how does this fair with your home insurance?

[bee utey]

I finally found some LED fluoro tube replacements at a price I felt I could afford:

10 X Cree LED T8 18W Light Tube 1 2M 1200mm 4FEET SAA TUV Approved Milky Cover | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/120997633865'ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)

Offered the seller $125 (box of 10, free postage) and he took it. They're great in the workshop, full brightness straight away especially in this cold weather.

Also LED globes are coming down in price, these:

10 X LED Lights Bulbs | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130918769215'ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

are cool white replacements for 60W globes, very cheap, and these:

LED Light 3W 5W 7W 9W 12W 15W 18W LED Light Bulbs Australian Assembled | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/150953008858?var=450158880585&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

are brilliant indeed. their 7W globes equal 100W normal globes or 20W CFLs. The bigger ones are something else again. I'm down to only a few CFLs now where I rarely use them. LEDs have come of age with a vengeance.

[Ferret]

I swapped out around 70 x 50watt dichroics for led's in our place, reduced my total wattage down to 630w from well over 3000w. :)

I have a heap of these dichroics too. I have swaped a few out for LEDs but have been a bit disappointed.

The light from the dichronic spread evenly filling the entire room. The light from the LEDs I used was very spotlight like leaving dim patches in the room.

What model LED light did you use. Experimenting with these things is quite expensive.

[Vern]

I used e-star globes as that's what the wholesalers had, I can't really pick the difference between them and dicroics. :)

[jx2mad]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will pick up some of the new ballasts and fit into existing light fittings. Jim

[jx2mad]

I went and bought 2 new ballasts, fitted them and the new ones still get too hot to touch. Should they get hot?

[bee utey]

I went and bought 2 new ballasts, fitted them and the new ones still get too hot to touch. Should they get hot?
I was told by my sparkie that all wiring past a fluoro ballast should be high temp rated, 85C or higher, so I guess they get hot. You could have avoided this by fitting some LED tubes,they can be run without a ballast at all.

[Utemad]

I had a smokey smell in our kitchen recently. After a bit of looking around it turned out to be the fluoro tube starter. Melted the casing with burnt bits inside. I don't know how old it was but by the writing on the surviving bit of casing it looked quite old.

I need to look into better kitchen lighting. It was alright with the twin tube fluoro but they are a fairly unattractive light. The short term replacement is a round 36w fluoro. An oyster light I think they're called. It is not bright enough though.

Will have to look into the LED option.

[Vern]

You can get bigger round flouro's than that, some have a two tubes in them. 55w I think. Flouro's give the best light, just unattractive.

[Utemad]

You can get bigger round flouro's than that, some have a two tubes in them. 55w I think. Flouro's give the best light, just unattractive.

Not at the last minute in Dalby you can't :-)

I'm going to go have a look at a lighting shop this weekend in Brisbane if I have the time.

[jx2mad]

I run dual tubes in each fitting, a 40cm round and a slightly smaller one. If you want bright light get tri phospheros tubes. Jim

[modman]

I have done a few led retrofits to the standard 'low voltage down light' that takes a 12v diachronic globe
Some people want to keep the original fitting so I use a g10 9watt 240v led globe (built in driver) and a g10 fly lead
No transformer, decent light easy to connect
I do prefer complete led fittings
Am using them now in downlights, emergency spitfires, emergency flouro lights
Victoria now has a wiring rule that when recessed lighting is installed in an accessible roofs pace a suitable sign must be affixed to the access (manhole)
I do a LOT of small lighting installs and spend more time on paperwork stuff than some simple installs. Most people are happy to pay
Dc

[rocket scientist]

I'm currently running eight 12v x 9W LED's in the lounge room - no transformers, wired through two switches and then directly to a 12v 100Ah AGM battery. Intend hooking up to solar but so far have only had to recharge battery three times in 12 months.

I was surprised at how long they last and am considering converting others that are currently running off transformers to run directly off the battery - then I'll choose an appropriate size solar panel and be independant of the grid as far as lighting goes.

I've been doing the same for about 2 years now. Fantastic!
one LED globe in the kitchen has been on continually for nearly 3 years.