any good deals on LED downlights?

sam1970

We are starting a house refurbishment and looking to buy load of LED downlights. Any suggestion on where to buy from? Obviously we will need the complete unit (bulb and fixings)...thanks in advance

TheCyclingProgrammer

I replaced our kitchen spotlights with Aurora Enlite spots from downlights.co.uk. It was one of the brands our electrician recommended. Good price and easy to fit.

Cisco001

no idea where is cheap.
only recommendation is make sure it is gu10

vickyt23

we use a website call tlc direct which was recommended to us by a builder years ago. Everything seems good quality and reasonably priced although I'm not sure about them having any deals.

stacey-turnbull

Screwfix now have a huge range of LED bulbs etc. Our new rear extension need quite a few spotlights and they were definitely the cheapest.

wantonnoodle

If you want bathroom fixings I would highly recommend Wickes. They do a 4 pack of sealed LED downlighters that are excellent and not too difficult to fit for the competent DIY-er.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-LED-IP65-Downlights-White-4-Pack/p/147219

Holyhead

Things to bear in mind when buying downlights are as follows.

Can you change the bulb in them? Some are now LED integrated which is great but eventually when they give up you can't replace the bulb so you have to replace the entire fitting (if it's still available!).

Make sure you are using the right type of wall switch as a standard dimmer will operate halogens ok but won't like LEDs. Best to use a proper LED suitable dimmer switch if putting LEDs in your downlights.

What IP-rating do you need? If your downlights are for bathrooms you need to make sure you get the correct rating for the zone they are installed in. A good fail safe if you are unsure is to fit IP65 versions throughout the bathroom.

Are they fire rated? Back in the day you needed intumescent covers to fire-proof your downlights. (It stops the spreading of fires from one floor to another). These days most downlights are now fire-rated (they look like they have a can of beans on their back) however non fire-rated versions are still available so check what you are buying.

We have bought from a few companies but we tend to buy from a company called Lightahome in Coventry at the moment.

Brummie85

We have some LAP branded ones from Screwfix. They are pretty decent, the only thing that feels a bit cheap on them is the spring mechanism.

They're £90 for a pack of 10. IP65 and Fire rated. They do them in different bezel finishes (white, chrome, satin etc). If you don't need a full pack, they work out to the same price individually (£9).

phill99

We install loads of these in bathrooms and kitchens. Good value and easy to install.


IP65 so ideal for bathrooms and shower rooms as well as being fire rated so ideal if you are installing beneath a habitable room.


https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-cosmoseco-fixed-fire-rated-led-downlight-contractor-pack-chrome-500lm-4w-240v-10-pack/5957x

andyhop

Ansell Icage are our preferred lights. Open cage but fire rated . Nice strong springs , good finishes to

Davesnave

Some10 year guaranted lifespan units have proved to fail within a year or two, rather than what was claimed. Our electrician has found this expensive, as he gave a 10 year guarantee to us.

He gets a full refund from the manufacturer, but that doesn't cover his cost every time one stops working: that's four times so far.

He's fitting Robus units as replacements. No idea if they are good myself, but I expect he's done some homework by now!