Energy saving lighting for kitchen

EssexHebridean

we now have a combination of LED lighting in the kitchen - LED strips above and under the cabinets which along with a single LED spotlight to give task lighting in one specific area (the sink) give enough light for the vast majority of time in there. If we do need a little more then we have a ceiling mounted fitting with 3 x LED GU10 equivalents which works well - that's the only change we've had to make, switching out the previous halogen bulbs for the current LEDs - everything else was originally installed as LED when the kitchen was done 5 years back. 

The LED strips could be a good easy option as they are simply a self adhesive strip that you cut to size - our only issue with ours has been one that was cut slightly too short and "pulled" at it's connector meaning it flickered - but that was easily sorted. 

Swipe

Can the halogens be directly swapped out these days with an LED because I remember about 10 years ago my late father bought some LED replacements for the bathroom and I had to fit a different transformer to make them work?

victor2

Swipe said:

Can the halogens be directly swapped out these days with an LED because I remember about 10 years ago my late father bought some LED replacements for the bathroom and I had to fit a different transformer to make them work?

If they are mains powered without a transformer, such as GU10 fittings, then direct replacement for LED is simple. If a transformer is used, you need compatible LED bulbs and they often will not work on an existing transformer, even if the voltage is correct, because they don't draw enough current.

Northern_Wanderer

What's a good replacement for a cfl strip light in the kitchen? It's very old and probably uses a lot of leccy. I am planning on replacing the kitchen soon but thought about replacing the ceiling light just now. I'm not a huge fan of super white light, prefer mellow yellow although that might not be best in a crisp new kitchen?

QrizB

Northern_Wanderer said:

What's a good replacement for a cfl strip light in the kitchen? It's very old and probably uses a lot of leccy.

Old-school fluorescent lights are roughly 1 watt per inch of tube, but the actual wattage should be marked on it.

You can get LED light fittings in the same form factor. Examples here:
https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/led-batten-lights/cat8010010

victor2

Northern_Wanderer said:

What's a good replacement for a cfl strip light in the kitchen? It's very old and probably uses a lot of leccy. I am planning on replacing the kitchen soon but thought about replacing the ceiling light just now. I'm not a huge fan of super white light, prefer mellow yellow although that might not be best in a crisp new kitchen?

You can get LED strip lights to replace fluorescent tube fittings, such as

https://www.smart-light.co.uk/product/40w-led-batten-light-samsung-chip-120cm-40w
Not particularly recommending that, just found it with a quick google. You can choose the light colour too.
But if I was planning a new kitchen, I'd seriously consider uplights hidden in the pelmets plus LED spotlights where necessary. I put LED strips above our kitchen units to supplement 9 spots in the ceiling. They are not the fluorescent replacements linked above, but a 5 metre strip cut in half and controlled by a phone app and automated "dusk" trigger and time controlled function to switch them off.

Northern_Wanderer

QrizB said:

Northern_Wanderer said:

What's a good replacement for a cfl strip light in the kitchen? It's very old and probably uses a lot of leccy.

Old-school fluorescent lights are roughly 1 watt per inch of tube, but the actual wattage should be marked on it.

You can get LED light fittings in the same form factor. Examples here:
https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/led-batten-lights/cat8010010

I'll check wattage, thanks.

victor2 said:

You can get LED strip lights to replace fluorescent tube fittings, such as

https://www.smart-light.co.uk/product/40w-led-batten-light-samsung-chip-120cm-40w
Not particularly recommending that, just found it with a quick google. You can choose the light colour too.
But if I was planning a new kitchen, I'd seriously consider uplights hidden in the pelmets plus LED spotlights where necessary. I put LED strips above our kitchen units to supplement 9 spots in the ceiling. They are not the fluorescent replacements linked above, but a 5 metre strip cut in half and controlled by a phone app and automated "dusk" trigger and time controlled function to switch them off.

Thanks for the tips.

Mister_G

I replaced my 5ft tube in the garage with one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323767257418?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=512759172679&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

They do have different lengths.

Northern_Wanderer

Mister_G said:

I replaced my 5ft tube in the garage with one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323767257418?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=512759172679&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

They do have different lengths.

Does this need a converter? I though you couldn't just swap CFL to LED? It might do for now but the whole light fitting is very old so it will be going when kitchen replaced.

BUFF

Northern_Wanderer said:

Mister_G said:

I replaced my 5ft tube in the garage with one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323767257418?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=512759172679&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

They do have different lengths.

Does this need a converter? I though you couldn't just swap CFL to LED? It might do for now but the whole light fitting is very old so it will be going when kitchen replaced.

If you are going to replace it anyway you might as well do it straight away rather than having an extra intermediary step - that always costs more in the long run.