Under cabinet lights - fluorescent or LED?

[rich p]

A long, long time ago a, erggh, "friend" told me that Playboy had an advert for a novel piece of seduction kit. It was a slow-acting, automatic light dimmer that started out at full power and dimmed to utter darkness over the period set by the Lothario, by which time the "gloves were off". Very Seventies.

Re-invent it Slomo! We both look better in total darkness these days!

Actually I might get away with the gloaming.

 

[Archie_tect]

LEDs can be bought with different colour temperatures now SP, it's no longer cool/white..... LEDs bulbs cost more to buy but last far far longer and cost marginally more to power. Thorn 2D fittings are good but can't get them as strips. LED 4w bulbs give out the about the same light as a 60w tungsten or a GU35, while 7w give the same light output as a 100w or a GU50.
Daylight LEDs give a more natural light for seeing true colours [rather than the warm glow of soft white fluorescents and you don't need starters, and you don't get flickering Times have changed.]. Also you should take fluorescents to the official tip for recycling properly.

 

[slowmotion]

Re-invent it Slomo! We both look better in total darkness these days!

Actually I might get away with the gloaming.

You lucky boy! I think I'm more of a starless, moonless, cloudy night 300 miles from the nearest dwelling type person

 

[subaqua]

LED strips and get some with a colour tint to them, can transform a kitchen very easily. Halogens under cabinets are a very bad idea even if you do use a dichroic as a significant amount of heat is still thrown back into the fitting.
as a young electrician i was asked to check some halogen downlighters in the room below the housholders daughters bedroom as she was having recurring dreams about the house burning down . i pulled the downlighters out and the joists closest , which exceeded the distance recommended by building control and the maker, was charred and there was a lot of soot. ever since then I have had a strong dislike of halogen downlighters.

LED have no warm up time to full brightness but can take a second or two to come on . we have 2no 4 spot bar lights in the kitchen and thay have LED GU10 capped lamps in them and don't cast horrible shadows.

 

[junglegusset]

LED strips and get some with a colour tint to them, can transform a kitchen very easily. Halogens under cabinets are a very bad idea even if you do use a dichroic as a significant amount of heat is still thrown back into the fitting.
as a young electrician i was asked to check some halogen downlighters in the room below the housholders daughters bedroom as she was having recurring dreams about the house burning down . i pulled the downlighters out and the joists closest , which exceeded the distance recommended by building control and the maker, was charred and there was a lot of soot. ever since then I have had a strong dislike of halogen downlighters.

LED have no warm up time to full brightness but can take a second or two to come on . we have 2no 4 spot bar lights in the kitchen and thay have LED GU10 capped lamps in them and don't cast horrible shadows.

We have low voltage G4 capsules under our units, would you regard these as unsafe? Do the LED GU10 lights get hot?

 

[Archie_tect]

LEDs don't get hot- there shouldn't be any problem- ask your suppliers.

 

[subaqua]

LED GU10 lamps run cool. i tested this by placing a temperature probe to the front and rear of the lamp and left it running for 24Hrs in-situ. the temp of the lamp rose less than 0.5 degree C .

anything that runs hot and reflects heat back can cause the mounting to get hot enough to combust, unless the mounting is flame retardent. the fitting should have a little line diagram showing the mounting details and dimensions. part B of the Building regs will give you more guidance.
without seeing and feeling the heat its hard to determine.

 

[junglegusset]

Cheers, think I'll replace all our ceiling lights in kitchen with LEDs then. Pretty sure they don't meet building regs and are a bit of a hazard.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I've got a couple of the battery operated, self-adhesive LED lights and they are next to useless.

Sound great, I'm getting some!

 

[rich p]

Sound great, I'm getting some!

When I said "they are next to useless", I meant that they're on the arm of your chair.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

When I said "they are next to useless", I meant that they're on the arm of your chair.

Charming!

I'll get you for that 'like' too @MacB.

 

[Davidc]

Modern fluorescents (high frequency ballast) don't need starters and don't flicker. if SP puts them as under cabinet lghts in the kitchen, warm white tubes, he'll be fine - I just have done, to replace old strip lights. Power consumption down from 360w to 48w for the same light. That's down from 5p per hour to 2/3 p per hour, and no more cooking the cupboard contents.

Just waiting for the cool white 5w LED replacements for the 35w 12v halogens to come down to £3.50 or less and I'll be replacing those too, in the kitchen and bathroom with similar power reductions.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Out of interest which kit are you looking at?

 

[lozcs]

I think I'll treat myself to some of those GU10 LED spotlights for the kitchen ceiling and try out some LED strip lights for under-cabinet lighting.

I replaced the 35w halogen GU10's in my kitchen with those 7w fluorescent bulbs a couple of years ago - as you say, take a while to get going but not that bad to be honest - Iooked recently at replacing with LED's I trialled a load of bulbs from our supplier at work but couldn't find one with a decent wide angle throw and they all felt like spotlights adding shadows all over the place.

Would be interested in recommendations of decent LED GU10's if anyone has any...

 

[subaqua]

I replaced the 35w halogen GU10's in my kitchen with those 7w fluorescent bulbs a couple of years ago - as you say, take a while to get going but not that bad to be honest - Iooked recently at replacing with LED's I trialled a load of bulbs from our supplier at work but couldn't find one with a decent wide angle throw and they all felt like spotlights adding shadows all over the place.

Would be interested in recommendations of decent LED GU10's if anyone has any...

a bit like asking whats your favourite bike !

For looks rather than light colour levels beam etc i went to Ikea and got ther GU10 LEDs from there as the casing front is really good and suited the decor