Wednesday 20 November 2013

LED

Changing all Erin Mae's halogen bulbs for LEDs was not cheap, but a no-brainer for saving those batteries (and the planet). The old ceiling fittings limited the size of the replacements, but an 8-blob unit was just out, and did the job very well, if slightly less brightly than before. We feel very worthy at using just 10% of the current.

So, needing to replace the light fitting in our kitchen at home, we decided to go for an LED solution, and found one on the internet. I wasn't sure how the LEDs would be fitted, but tended to assume there'd be three or four bright bulbs inside. When I removed the cover, this is what I found.


Rather more than the 8 blobs of Erin Mae's units! I haven't counted them properly – I'm not sure I can stand the anticipation of losing track about two-thirds of the way through. They're not in rows, but a little bit of geometry suggests there are in the region of 144π, about 450.

The fitting of this item has certain challenges. Electrically I'm going to use a Wagobox connector – new to me, but straightforward, I think. But fixing the whole thing to the ceiling is slightly complicated by having to support the screws on the screwdriver as you pass them through those holes in the light-plate, while holding the whole thing in position with the other hand. The manufacturer appears to be well aware of the issue – I quote from the instructions:

"6. Screw the Screws Through the Fitting into the Pre-placed Anchors.
This step is a little hard because the screws are shorter than the fitting. We are so sorry that we do not find so a long screws. 2 people working together are much easier."

Says it all, really. But I don't remember the last time an instruction manual apologised for the design of the item in question!

2 comments:

  1. Martin, I changed all Wand'ring Barks lights to LED last year. In the end it was successful but I used small 9 led units in the salon to start with and they were not bright enough and a bit "cold". Instead I bought a couple of 25 led units with white dome coverings rom Mid Chandlers at nearly £40 each. Not cheap but the light quality is excellent and they draw almost no current. Its the future!

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    1. Truth to tell, my best beloved finds our present setup not quite bright enough, but there's really no alternative for the ceiling lights. However, Erin Mae has four wall-lights, and I'll probably end up putting something more powerful in those. But at the price of these bulbs, you want to make sure you get it right!

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