Energy saving lamps to replace halogen

[PS_RalphW]

Quick update on my 'new' home.

I have removed almost all the incandescents/halogens. I have replaced 2 halogen ceiling lights in the shower room with B nad Q 12V 3W LEDs. Light is poor and one flickers, but a 90% energy saving, and who cares in the shower? I have fitted heat sinks around the fittings in the roof void, and reduced the uninsulated area to a minimum. How much ventilation does a 3W light need that is only on 10 minutes at a time?

The bathroom has 4 halogen 12V ceiling lights. I may replace these with LEDs but not urgent as the wall light (15W cfl) gives adequate light. However, I cannot access the roof void to fix the obvious holes in the insulation. Grrr. One wall light I use a lot has car type 12V halogen bulbs. I will probably have to replace the entire unit.

I increased the loft insulation from a patchy 100mm to 300mm. I have started insulating the doors (2 mm plywood panels and massive drafts at the edges). I have improvised crude secondary glazing on one window.

Plenty more to do. I have had my first log delivery and booked a chimney sweep. More expensive remedies will have to wait until the finances have stabilised.

[therabble]

Completely agree about the inset lights. Although I have a fair bit of insulation in the loft there's a huge gap above each light and I can feel a huge draught around them.

I have been looking for something that will meet building regs to cover them and found these:

http://www.electricalcounter.co.uk/prod ... /893965040

Problem is they are really expensive and it would have to take a lot of heat loss to get any sort of payback, as I would need 13 in total. I am reluctant to fill them in as the ceiling is too low for most surface mounted lights.

I did read up somewhere of using terracotta plant pots instead and then insulating over the top. As I'm using LED there'd be no heat build up so perfectly safe, but if a future dweller was to switch back to halogen then there's the possibility of overheating. Might still do that though as I'm not planning on selling up anytime soon.

TR

[therabble]

I cannot access the roof void to fix the obvious holes in the insulation. Grrr.

RalphW,
If your insulation is anything like mine, I just had little "cut outs" where the lights were. Could you remove the bulb, stuff a load of insulation through the hole, and then let it expand above? Might not be perfect but could help a little.
TR

[kenneal - lagger]

..........I did read up somewhere of using terracotta plant pots instead and then insulating over the top. As I'm using LED there'd be no heat build up so perfectly safe, but if a future dweller was to switch back to halogen then there's the possibility of overheating. Might still do that though as I'm not planning on selling up anytime soon.

TR

The terracotta pots are a good idea but you would want to seal the hole in the bottom, now top, and seal them to the ceiling. With the maximum couple of watts power of an LED there wouldn't be any significant heat build up. If you ever moved make a declaration on the transfer documents and if the new people don't read it it's their hard luck.

By the time you move halogen lights might have been made illegal like tungsten bulbs.

[adam2]

If one desires to remove recessed down lights in the interest of avoiding heat loss through the holes, then it may be worth fitting a new type of miniature surface mounted fitting.
These are so shallow in depth that when surface mounted they resemble a recessed down light.

Replacement lamps are available in both LED and CFL types

http://www.nationallampsandcomponents.c ... 7/193/1226