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Changing from GU10s to normal light fittings?

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  • 21-11-2012 7:19pm
    #1
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭


    Friend of mine had his house built 10 years ago.

    He has 15 spots in his siting room and has Robus LEDs in them.He is fed up with them and wants rid of them.

    I was out looking at the garden wall he built today and he was saying to me that that he wants to go with 2 normal light fittings.

    He is thinking of 1 fitting at each end of the sitting room with an 11w CFL bulb in each fitting.




    How hard would this be to do??

    Would it cost alot for an electrician to dissconnect the spots and wire up 2 normal ceiling lights??


    Thanks.:)


«1

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    #2
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    if you can blank off 13 points
    and use 2 points for your new light fittings

    that's prob the handiest way
    simple job
    you'd need a plasterer after electrician is finished

    50-60 euro if the spots have coffin boxes fitted and it's only a matter of disconnecting flexes
    more work if t+e is connected direct to spots


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    #3
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    if you can blank off 13 points
    and use 2 points for your new light fittings

    that's prob the handiest way


    He was talking about getting the ceiling reskimmed in the new year,as theres a few dimples and hairline cracks in it.

    So I suppose he could get the downlight holes plugged in with some bits of plasterboard and then reskim the entire ceiling.



    How safe and secure would it be take off all GU10 fly leads and leave the junction boxes up there????


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    #4
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    i
    paddy147 wrote: »


    He was talking about getting the ceiling reskimmed in the new year,as theres a few dimples and hairline cracks in it.

    So I suppose he could get the downlight holes plugged in with some bits of plasterboard and then reskim the entire ceiling.



    How safe and secure would it be take off all GU10 fly leads and leave the junction boxes up there????
    it's ok once the joints are made off in a joint box
    technically joints are supposed to be accessible
    under a floorboard or in an attic is accessible


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    #5
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    i
    it's ok once the joints are made off in a joint box
    technically joints are supposed to be accessible


    Should it be a rewire then,or would the joints/boxes be ok,once propperly jointed and secured??

    Hes the sort of chap that would actually take the ceiling down...if he really really had to.


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    #6
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    paddy147 wrote: »


    Should it be a rewire then,or would the joints/boxes be ok,once propperly jointed and secured??

    Hes the sort of chap that would actually take the ceiling down...if he really really had to.
    no need to rewire
    unless it's convenient to do so imo


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    #7
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    no need to rewire
    unless it's convenient to do so imo


    I dont think that taking down an entire ceiling would be "convenient"...for him but seen as he is talking about reskimming the ceiling in the new year....:pac:


    I wouldnt put it past him to do it.


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    #8
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    Oh and thanks for the advice.:)


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    #9
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    you can redo the connections
    put the connections under 2 screws using 15amp connectors
    it might be more reliable if the existing connections are the small ceramic connectors with 1screw on the t+e
    i wouldn't take down a ceiling


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    #10
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    you can redo the connections
    put the connections under 2 screws using 15amp connectors
    it might be more reliable if the existing connections are the small ceramic connectors with 1screw on the t+e
    i wouldn't take down a ceiling



    I dont underatand?.......(because Im not an electrician)



    Thanks.:)


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    #11
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    paddy147 wrote: »



    I dont underatand?.......(because Im not an electrician)



    Thanks.:)
    tighten the t+e under 2 screws after you disconnect flylead or flex


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    #12
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    tighten the t+e under 2 screws after you disconnect flylead or flex


    Ah now I understand.:D


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    #13
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    If you get a bit of plasterboard and drill out the required number of 63mm holes, they can be used to close up the holes via a piece of wood across the hole above the ceiling slab.

    A screw each side of the hole through the ceiling into the strip of wood, and then a screw through the drilled out pieces from the slab.

    Ceiling only needs skimming then.


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    #14
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    If you get a bit of plasterboard and drill out the required number of 63mm holes, they can be used to close up the holes via a piece of wood across the hole above the ceiling slab.

    A screw each side of the hole through the ceiling into the strip of wood, and then a screw through the drilled out pieces from the slab.

    Ceiling only needs skimming then.

    Thanks for that,,,I was only thinking that myself.;)


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    #15
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    Can I ask you all 1 thing...was it a fad for clients and electricians to put in spots in houses a few years ago??


    Now I know I have them in my house,and Ive no problem with them,but are people starting to go away from spots and revert back to a normal ceiling light fitting or 2???

    My mate is seriously pi55ed off with the spots in his house,and thats only a 10 year old house.

    15 spots and 4 watt Robus LEDs,and he now wants to just have 2 single light fittings in the sitting room with 2 CFL bulbs.


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    #16
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    Can I ask you 1 thing...was it a fad for clients and electricians to put in spots in houses a few years ago??


    Now I know I have them in my house,and Ive no problem with them,but are people starting to go away from spots and revert back to a normal ceiling light fitting or 2???

    My mate is seriously pi55ed off with the spots in his house,and thats only a 10 year old house.

    I think it was possibly, but I had not noticed people going back to pendant fittings myself. I was never into them myself, although I would see them as more attractive an idea with low wattage/low heat led bulbs now.


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    #17
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    I think it was possibly, but I had not noticed people going back to pendant fittings myself. I was never into them myself, although I would see them as more attractive an idea with low wattage/low heat led bulbs now.


    I think my friends thinking is that he doesnt like all the downlights in the ceiling and also that he is using 60 watts in total compared to say using 2 x 11 watt CFL bulbs and a less cluttered ceiling too.


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    #18
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    He saw the lights and 2 x B22 led bulbs on my landing and ever since then,he is going on about having them in his sitting room instead of 15 downlights.


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    #19
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    If you get a bit of plasterboard and drill out the required number of 63mm holesr, they can be used to close up the holes via a piece of wood across the hole above the ceiling slab.

    A screw each side of the hole through the ceiling into the strip of wood, and then a screw through the drilled out pieces from the slab.

    Ceiling only needs skimming then.
    thats the way i do them
    if they were done rough with a padsaw you might be able to fit a 63 inside a 73 to make a neat hole for blanking
    i often drill the 63 when first fixing spots and widen it widen with the concentric holsaws later if the spots are bigger


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    #20
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    M cebee wrote: »
    thats the way i do them
    if they were done rough with a padsaw you might be able to fit a 63 inside a 73 to make a neat hole for blanking
    i often drill the 63 when first fixing spots and widen it widen with the concentric holsaws later if the spots are bigger

    Yea i used the concentric hole saws a fair few times, usually for steel trunking though, or gland plates, where a hole needs to be made bigger.


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    #21
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    obviously you'll be blanking 15holes
    the 2 pendant lights will be fitted close to the 2 spot points that are being utilised
    if that's the way it's being done


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    #22
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    obviously you'll be blanking 15holes
    the 2 pendant lights will be fitted close to the 2 spot points that are being utilised
    if that's the way it's being done


    Would that be the norm and acceptable then?


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    #23
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    paddy147 wrote: »


    Would that be the norm and acceptable then?
    what do you mean
    you wire your pendant lights from the 2 most suitable spot points
    and close off all the holes

    if you're doing it this way


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    #24
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    what do you mean
    you wire your pendant lights from the 2 most suitable spot points
    and close off all the holes

    if you're doing it this way


    What I was asking was and is is that how an electrican would do it,if my friend were to get in an electrician in the new year to do it for him?

    So hense me asking and saying "norm" and "acceptable"...:)


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    #25
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    What I was asking was and is is that how an electrican would do it,if my friend were to get in an electrician in the new year to do it for him?

    So hense me asking and saying "norm" and "acceptable"...:)

    It is acceptable once the jb`s are connected well as m cebee mentioned. Its hard to say its the norm since it would not be the norm to change from spots back to pendants, as in it wouldnt happen often.

    It would likely be almost as big a job to wire it as a straight 2 light pendant setup as it was to do the spots in the first place if that were the preferred method, but easy enough to leave the jb`s as they are now, or fit oboe boxes if none were originally used, at each spot position before closing up.


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    #26
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    well imo
    hollowcore dropped ceiling
    he may rewire as joints are inaccessible
    fish cable around

    bungalow
    he may rewire as it's convenient

    floorboards above
    prob not rewire

    joints are acceptable if they're done properly and accessible
    see what he says


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    #27
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    M cebee wrote: »
    well imo
    hollowcore dropped ceiling
    he may rewire as joints are inaccessible
    fish cable around

    bungalow
    he may rewire as it's convenient

    floorboards above
    prob not rewire

    joints are acceptable if they're done properly and accessible
    see what he says


    2 storey 4 bed detached in Malahide.

    Upstairs is a mix of stained floorboards and carpet,as far as I can remember.


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    #28
    freddyuk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭freddyuk


    paddy147 wrote: »
    I think my friends thinking is that he doesnt like all the downlights in the ceiling and also that he is using 60 watts in total compared to say using 2 x 11 watt CFL bulbs and a less cluttered ceiling too.

    Why not consider a couple of very unobtrusive flat round panel lamps? They are in all sizes and can be dimmed so a very high power 14 watt fitting can be dimmed to suit the requirement. In white they are not even obvious.
    Pedant lights are awful but only installed because they are expected to be there. Lighting is so flexible it is a shame people still want to see that glare hanging from the middle of the ceiling.


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    #29
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    freddyuk wrote: »
    Why not consider a couple of very unobtrusive flat round panel lamps? They are in all sizes and can be dimmed so a very high power 14 watt fitting can be dimmed to suit the requirement. In white they are not even obvious.
    Pedant lights are awful but only installed because they are expected to be there. Lighting is so flexible it is a shame people still want to see that glare hanging from the middle of the ceiling.


    Interesting...any pics or link to see what you are talking about?

    Thanks.:)


    PS-I dont like the normal ceiling lights and shades myself,as Im tall and would be more or less walking into them,in other peoples houses.:(

    Good way to keep myself awake though.:pac::D


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    #30
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    paddy147 wrote: »


    2 storey 4 bed detached in Malahide.

    Upstairs is a mix of stained floorboards and carpet,as far as I can remember.
    the rules says under floorboards is ok
    where possible locations should be marked

    no mention of carpet-it would be a stretch to say they're accessible under glued carpet


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    #31
    TPM
    Registered Users Posts: 871 ✭✭✭TPM


    paddy147 wrote: »
    I think my friends thinking is that he doesnt like all the downlights in the ceiling and also that he is using 60 watts in total compared to say using 2 x 11 watt CFL bulbs and a less cluttered ceiling too.

    There will be a difference between 60w of led light and 22w of CFL light.
    I would connect up the 2 x CFL and make sure he is happy with the light from them before anything else is done, easier to patch a few screw holes from the pendants if he isnt happy then have to drill out and refit the downlights ;)


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