Track Lighting / Light Bar - Where to get?

Howdy folks.

Re-doing the kitchen shortly and I'm not mad about downlights (or spotlights, whatever you prefer to call them). I also am not mad about traditional one-bulb pendant lights or chandeliers or the likes.

My taste tends to lie firmly with light bars (or track lighting ive seen it called).

In times gone by I've purchased from Argos for simple enough room lighting upgrades, and Argos, to be fair to them, do have a lovely light bar, at a reasonable price:

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/2809216






However, I think it would be nice to be able to get a longer light bar with more bulbs on it. Unfortunately, Argos seem to be the only irish based retailer I can find online.

I was wondering if anyone has come across any stores selling these, or any tradesmen making/fitting them. I realise Argos' ones are priced at the entry level budget for this kinda thing, and that has it's pros and cons (easy to damage, but cheap to replace) but I don't mind spending a few euro more if I can get something notably nicer.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions?


Cheers folks

Stoner

Nothing comes to mind bar looking into local nearby suppliers. You'd have the electrical wholesalers too. You could phone your local one.

These are not as popular as they once were as they use halogen gu10 lamps and a lot of them.

The LED replacement lamps were expensive and there are so many in each fitting

LEDs are about 6 euro now so it's cheaper but it still adds up.

I'd ring your local wholesaler and see if they can help often they have these thinks in stock but not on display.

antoinolachtnai

Ikea have a system. http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/search/?k=skeninge

They have other stuff that might suit you. http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/products/lighting/ceiling-lights/bäve-led-ceiling-track-5-spots-white-art-10340457/ - you could put two of these together.

I think the Ikea systems are a lot tidier looking than the argos systems. The whole benefit of these systems (in my view) is that they are quite high up. A pendant light or chandelier can make a room look smaller (I think).

Electrical/Lighting wholesaler locally should be able to suggest something too.

antoinolachtnai

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Ikea have a system. http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/search/?k=skeninge

They have other stuff that might suit you. http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/products/lighting/ceiling-lights/bäve-led-ceiling-track-5-spots-white-art-10340457/ - you could put two of these together.

I think the Ikea systems are a lot tidier looking than the argos systems. The whole benefit of these systems (in my view) is that they are quite high up. A pendant light or chandelier can make a room look smaller (I think).

Electrical/Lighting wholesaler locally should be able to suggest something too.

Hmm.. that looks interesting.. Do the 'connectors' just mean you can pretty much add a never ending amount of lights onto a track and make it whatever shape you want?

antoinolachtnai

Unless your kitchen is an aircraft hangar, the length is unlikely to be an issue. maximum load specified is 3680W. Who has wiring to drive 3680W of lighting in their kitchen ceiling though? Keep it under 200W, and you should definitely be ok.

Still, with 5W per LED light, even allowing 10W for a safety margin, I think you might have room for manoeuvre.

antoinolachtnai

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Unless your kitchen is an aircraft hangar, the length is unlikely to be an issue. maximum load specified is 3680W. Who has wiring to drive 3680W of lighting in their kitchen ceiling though? Keep it under 200W, and you should definitely be ok.

Still, with 5W per LED light, even allowing 10W for a safety margin, I think you might have room for manoeuvre.

Ah, no, I was more just wondering about the practical/functional nature of them.

I wasn't sure if they actually did just clip together and let youconnect them in a never ending maze of lights or not. They could well be a good fit for what I want. In fact, they could be ideal.

I must search further for them online and see what people are doing with them. I also want to stick a ceiling fan to the ceiling for warmer days or when cooking in the kitchen has too much heat generated (they work great - always surprised i never see them in people's kitchens) so being able to build around that would be great.

antoinolachtnai

Yep, you just clip 'em together. You need to think carefully about the lighting if you have a ceiling fan. If the lights are above the fan and too close to it, you will get a strobing effect I think. The fan supplier will be able to advise. You need to also think about how the fan will be powered and switched. I wouldn't think the fan should be on the lighting circuit but you need to get an electrician to advise.

CeilingFly

Any electrical wholesalers would be able to advise and get what you want.

Kellihers electrical, CEF, Eastern EWL, and others.