Question about changing downlighters for 'normal' light fitting in bathroom!

NorthernKitty

Hi, 
I'm currently attempting to purchase a house, and amongst the list of 101 things I'll eventually need to change if I manage to buy it, the bathroom and landing lighting will need changing. 

I have some visual impairments, and am photosensitive, and, having lived in a rented house for 5 years with dozens of halogen downlighters in living room (didn't use the ceiling lights just table lamps!), hallway, kitchen  and bathroom (didn't replace bulbs when they broke so light wasn't so bright) I know I cannot cope with those small downlighter things that look like small torches shining down from the ceiling.  Which of course happen to be in the landing and small bathroom of the potential new house.

I can't spend the next 20 years wearing a baseball cap around the house just to climb the stairs without falling over after dusk!

Please can someone tell me,  are they easy to get rid of?

Can an electrician just pull them out from the loft, plug the holes in the ceiling then just fit one or two normal light bulbs (or one of those big circular flat glass dome lampshades for bathrooms or whatever the modern waterproof bathroom ceiling light equivalent is)?

Or is it more complex than that? I know nothing about ceilings, plastering, electrical stuff, and would like to know what I'm letting myself in for! 


Sorry for the seemingly daft questions (there may be more in the next few weeks depending on how well the house survey goes!) but I want to be prepared so I don't embarrass myself in front of an electrician!

Thanks!

rob7475

Your electrician will be able to replace the downlights with a standard pendant or whatever light you need / want.

If they have access to the lights from the loft, that'll make the job a lot easier but either way, it's do-able. They'll also be able to fill the holes left behind if you want them to.

No question is a daft question :-)

Good luck with the house

Jonboy_1984

Just to give other options if you are getting decorators or similar in ( avoid leaving open holes as moisture will get in):

1)In a commercial building I used to manage we simply installed a new ceiling light and left the disconnected downlighters in place rather than fill the hole at the time.

2)You can get plastic downlight blanking plugs to insert in the hole.

ashe

Have you considered using smart bulbs and just adjusting the dimming level to a low %?

ThisIsWeird

As Ashe suggests.

Dimmable LEDs - either a 'warm' light colour to begin with, or the type that dim progressively warmer as they are turned down (like Philips Warmtone), would be the simplest solution - if it is a solution?

NorthernKitty

Thanks everyone for comments and suggestions! Feel a bit more reassured now. Didn't know you could buy official ceiling plugs either!
(I tend to avoid any gadget with 'smart' in the title as I struggle with smartphones or anything vaguely reliant on touch screen technology, but also would prefer 1 light bulb to 6 in one small room!). 
After survey on house today, all being well and no major issues found, there may be 101 other DIY/house-mending-type questions to follow, I apologise in advance!

ThisIsWeird

Changing the type of ceilings light from one style to another, in either direction, is a pretty standard task for a sparky. 
From a wiring point of view, going from multiple downlights to a single central light is probably easier, as the wiring to one of these current lights (the one closest to the centre of the ceiling!) can be used to supply the new light fitting, and all the other downlighters can just be removed and the wiring safely terminated in the ceiling. 
Then 'all' that needs doing is making good the unwanted holes - a straight forward task, but can sometimes be tricky to finish the ceiling without them showing. If your ceiling is perfectly smooth and in good condition, it should be very doable. If it has a textured finish, or is in not good cosmetic condition - wobbles, bumps, ridges, etc - then smoothly-finished downlighter holes could well show up in contrast.
As said before, if there is access to these ceilings from above, either from a loft or by lifting upstairs floorboards, then the job should be significantly easier. 
Also as said above, if you don't mind leaving the downlighters, and just add an extra central light, that could be a cheaper solution.
So think about what DO ideally want, what you may be happy to compromise on, and then get 2 or 3 sparkies in to quote. They will all be grateful for a clear description, even if it has options.
Happy New House if it comes off! As you say, there will likely be a lot of such jobs, so see if this can be lumped in with any other electrical stuff.
Meanwhile, as soon as you move in, check whether the actual bulbs are halogen. If they are, then simply replace any switches with dimmers - the type you press for on/off - and set them to the level you are comfy with. 
(Just re-read your OP, and there is a loft above these ceilings? Easy peasy

ComicGeek

A friend had a similar problem. We plugged in a couple of floor standing and table lamps using these wireless socket adaptors from Quinetic https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/QUA313.html and then stuck these wireless switches wherever he needed them - no cables or back boxes needed.

We just left the original downlights in place, cheaper and easier to do that then. Cost about £60 for the wireless kit as he already had the lamps, took about 10 minutes for me to set up.

ThisIsWeird

ComicGeek said:

A friend had a similar problem. We plugged in a couple of floor standing and table lamps using these wireless socket adaptors from Quinetic https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/QUA313.html and then stuck these wireless switches wherever he needed them - no cables or back boxes needed.

We just left the original downlights in place, cheaper and easier to do that then. Cost about £60 for the wireless kit as he already had the lamps, took about 10 minutes for me to set up.

Cracking solution for living areas. Even has wireless switches that can be temp mounted to the wall, as well as a remote fobs. 

I think the main issue the OP has, tho', will be in the bathroom, hall and kitchen - not so easy.

Risteard

ThisIsWeird said:

Changing the type of ceilings light from one style to another, in either direction, is a pretty standard task for a sparky. 
From a wiring point of view, going from multiple downlights to a single central light is probably easier, as the wiring to one of these current lights (the one closest to the centre of the ceiling!) can be used to supply the new light fitting, and all the other downlighters can just be removed and the wiring safely terminated in the ceiling. 
Then 'all' that needs doing is making good the unwanted holes - a straight forward task, but can sometimes be tricky to finish the ceiling without them showing. If your ceiling is perfectly smooth and in good condition, it should be very doable. If it has a textured finish, or is in not good cosmetic condition - wobbles, bumps, ridges, etc - then smoothly-finished downlighter holes could well show up in contrast.
As said before, if there is access to these ceilings from above, either from a loft or by lifting upstairs floorboards, then the job should be significantly easier. 
Also as said above, if you don't mind leaving the downlighters, and just add an extra central light, that could be a cheaper solution.
So think about what DO ideally want, what you may be happy to compromise on, and then get 2 or 3 sparkies in to quote. They will all be grateful for a clear description, even if it has options.
Happy New House if it comes off! As you say, there will likely be a lot of such jobs, so see if this can be lumped in with any other electrical stuff.
Meanwhile, as soon as you move in, check whether the actual bulbs are halogen. If they are, then simply replace any switches with dimmers - the type you press for on/off - and set them to the level you are comfy with. 
(Just re-read your OP, and there is a loft above these ceilings? Easy peasy

Really would need to be taken from the first luminaire rather than the one nearest the centre as the other wiring would be disconnected/removed. Decorating is a completely separate trade though - I think anyone thinking that an Electrician is going to completely repair the existing holes is being unrealistic. It's really a job for a plasterer and decorator.

ChilliBob

Get some quotes, I suspect you'd need a separate decorator and electrician to be honest, which is of course extra expense.

Personally, I'd switch the bulbs out. I have Phillips Hue smart bulbs - they're great, you can have the brightness *very* low if necessary, and vary this throughout the day. Admittedly if you're not too tech savvy it's a learning curve, or somebody to do it for you - but - once its setup it's very easy. I have the hue dimmer switch thingies, just on and off buttons and brightness up and down so very clear, and not touch, real physical buttons. You can also get sensors for it if desired.

'Dumb' lightbulbs can also be dimmed if you have the right ones and a dimmer - another consideration. 

I think you need to weight up how much they bother you, how expensive it'd be to replace and redecorate well.