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How many LED downlights?

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  • 29-06-2015 12:35am
    #1
    positron
    Registered Users Posts: 6,289 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    Considering getting standard 6w/GU10 led downlighters put in for the kitchen / dining area, I was wondering how many would be the right number to provide sufficient lighting.

    The overall floorspace is now around 40 square meters (half of which is vaulted roof of the new extension) and I thought 16 downlights would be an okay number but..... then I did some reading on up this, and I saw multiple references to 500 lux being the recommended brightness for a kitchen?

    Assuming the 6w/GU10 led downlights are 400 lum each, 16 of them over 40 square meters ( 16 * 400 / 40 ) would only give about 160 lux across the room, which sounds way off the recommended 500 or even 300 lux.

    Am I doing this wrong? Your thoughts and comments much appreciated!
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    #2
    gutteruu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭gutteruu


    I have 10 in 32 m2 and its perfect (8ft ceiling). 16 sounds ok, but more than that sounds excessive. I used 3w LED's but not the focused ones. The brighter 4-6w LEDs are more spotlight and give a fraction of the light due to pointed focus. The 3w ones I have use about 50 small LED's whereas the "bigger" 4-6w ones have 3 bright focused spots and were useless so ripped them out. Colour temp was a big deal when we picked. Modern kitchen with old yellow lights didn't look right so went with 'cool blue' and changed the whole feel of the room.


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    #3
    positron
    Registered Users Posts: 6,289 ✭✭✭positron


    Thanks gutteruu, so your 3W led are like this?

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cool-White-Daylight-MiniSun-3W-58-SMD-LED-GU10-Spot-Light-Bulb-420-Lumens-/370901535598

    16552.jpg

    That eBay listing says it's 420 lumens. The IKEA 6W led is 400 lumens despite being double the wattage.

    And based on what you said, 10 lights x 420 lumens each = 4200 / 32 sq meters = 131 lux.

    Do you also have under cabinet lights for extra light on the work tops?


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    #4
    gutteruu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭gutteruu


    positron wrote: »
    That eBay listing says it's 420 lumens. The IKEA 6W led is 400 lumens despite being double the wattage.

    And based on what you said, 10 lights x 420 lumens each = 4200 / 32 sq meters = 131 lux.

    Do you also have under cabinet lights for extra light on the work tops?

    Yes, Like those. 3w was just what was available to me, but any with the dispersed setup would be fine. The 6w bulbs focused on one point like a torch so ended up being very dark dispite being higher lumans. We only have a few wall cabinets but if we had more I would run an LED strip under it.


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