matnz wrote:Ripped out all our down lights year and replaced with Philips 10W LED down lights ($60 per light fitting, but at the time only one that fitted the hole size we had) and installed insulation above them

I replaces all my MR16 down lights with LED's got them for ~$15 a fitting, got a deal on groupon. had to pull the MR16 s out of the current fitting and put the new LED's as the hole in the plaster was the wrong shape for new fittings, I think they have paid for themselves now with theoretical electricity savings (thought have not noticed the reduction in the power bill)

I've stuck one 7W (I think) LED lamp into an old R80 fitting in the kitchen, looks pretty good and as bright as the CFL's that are in the other two, wouldn't work in the living and lounge though as I want dimmables for there.

Kind of a test as the fittings need replacing anyway, being the nice heat chimneys into the roof cavity that they are at the moment, just not sure whether to replace them with complete LED units or stick in some enclosed downlights that will fit the existing holes and put LED lamps into them.

just not sure whether to replace them with complete LED units or stick in some enclosed downlights that will fit the existing holes and put LED lamps into them.

go with enclosed downlights with integrated reflectors - trouble with the all-in-one led solution is when they die (and they will - the much touted '10 year life' is a myth) you can be in the nasty solution of the model you had no longer being available, so hassles with hole sizes etc when replaced.

If you go with a downlight style fitting that runs normal globes you're safe - Philips do dimmable LED globes (the panasonic LEDs you see in all the supermarkets AREN'T dimmable)

danose wrote:

just not sure whether to replace them with complete LED units or stick in some enclosed downlights that will fit the existing holes and put LED lamps into them.

go with enclosed downlights with integrated reflectors - trouble with the all-in-one led solution is when they die (and they will - the much touted '10 year life' is a myth) you can be in the nasty solution of the model you had no longer being available, so hassles with hole sizes etc when replaced.

If you go with a downlight style fitting that runs normal globes you're safe - Philips do dimmable LED globes (the panasonic LEDs you see in all the supermarkets AREN'T dimmable)

That was my thinking as well to be honest, easy to replace a lamp, hard to replace a whole fitting.

Will have to have a look around at what's available in terms of dimmable LED's when I get around to changing the fittings, should really have done it before winter but life gets busy......

Reason I went with LED fitting rather than Down light and bulbs is I could not find a down light fitting that fitted the existing holes and SHMBO liked, and I was not wanting to make the holes bigger and have yet to work out how to make holes smaller (without filling, Gib stopping and painting the entire room). In my case it was one of those jobs that could have been simple but wasn't.

If (when) we get a LED failure, if we cannot find an exact replacement, we have fittings in the hallway that can be used as spares for the main room.

Look carefully at colours - Ideally a high CRI (over 85), and look at temperature - I went with 2700K in living spaces - 3000K in work spaces (kitchen and study). 2700 is much warmer and softer.