Inadequate room lighting

[kingj]

Hi ,

I have two fixed lights in a room but they dont provide adequate light, I replaced the old 7W ones with Philips 20W  but they still seem to be insufficient.

I was wondering if the cover is frosted and would need to be replaced? 

what other options do I have without making any major changes to the existing system.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @kingj,

I believe the issue here is that this recessed light fitting is designed to take a directional reflector type globe. The fluorescent globe you currently have shines its 20watt worth of light out in a 360-degree direction, which is more suitable for a hanging light. Approximately 80 percent of that light is lost into the recessed housing, and only about 20 percent is being directed into the room. I'd suggest that a Philips 10W R80 880 Lumen Reflector LED ES Warm White Bulb, which directs out a 120-degree beam of light, will provide more illumination in the room than the higher-powered fluorescent you currently have. This Phillips globe is warm white, and if you want the daylight colouring similar to what you have at the moment, then the Luce Bella 9W 920lm Daylight R80 LED ES Globe would be the closest match.

Traditionally this type of recessed light fitting was designed for an incandescent Philips 75W R80 Clear ES Reflector Globe, and they are still an option. In any case, you need a globe that has a reflector built into it.

Let me mention the knowledgeable @redracer01 to see if he can confirm my hypothesis.

Mitchell

[kingj]

Thanks,I also tried this one Philips 100w Clear Edison but didn’t significantly change the light.

Again am not any expert in lighting but seems like same ones as you suggested 

[MitchellMc]

@kingj,

As far as I am aware, that R080 incandescent reflector globe would produce the maximum amount of light possible for that type of light fitting. It should also provide more light than my previous suggestions and is in the reflector style I was suggesting. There are quite possibly LED globes that conform to the R080 shape globe that could outperform it, but I am not aware of any.

How big is the room? This might be a case of the room requiring four recessed light fittings instead of the two.

Mitchell

[kingj]

Thanks @MitchellMc 

Will definitely try it, room size is 8x3m 

See the picture below , it’s a bit photoshopped by real estate agents!

 

[MitchellMc]

@kingj,

You might like to consider some supplementary lighting in the room. Not only can they provide an additional light source, but are perfect for creating a unique atmosphere. Alternatively, you could have the downlight fixture retro-fitted to either a pendant or track light. Either of these would allow you to have multiple lights in that one location. An electrician would be needed to change the existing fitting.

You should find these guides useful:

• How To Install A D.I.Y. Pendant Light

• How To Choose Pendant Lights For Your Home

• Choosing The Right Interior Light

• How To Choose The Right Lamp

• How To Choose track Lights And Spotlights

Please let me know if you have further questions or need assistance.

Mitchell

[redracer01]

Hello @kingj 

@MitchellMc's hypothesis is correct! A lot of the light is lost or rather limited and redirected into a limited cone downwards. I'm afraid the only way to increase the brightness in the room is to increase the number of sources of light. Now you've mentioned that you would like to keep the current setup so that you will not have to make major changes. My first recommendation is to purchase a floor lamp. Now before you say there is no room please read my many reasons why you should.

- Easy to move and place where light is best in the room to provide maximum brightness.

- Can be transferred anywhere in the room if its in the way.

- Can be taken with you should you decide to move out.

- Can be sold when you get tired of it.

- Does not need an electrician to install.

- You can change its lamp cover depending on your mood or season.

- You can buy the super schmick ones that don't even have lamp shades just one giant row of LED's.

- It can be attached to any modern timer or bluetooth timing device and linked to your phone!

- Still not enough light? Buy 2! It's affordable enough.

Below are the pictures for a self decor DIY lamp. The lamp assembly is easy enough you just need to pick a lamp shade that you like as it is sold separately. A strong LED lamp will usually put out a lumen or light level of 900 to 1600 lumens. It is about the equivalent of an old 100 watt lamp. But a lot of that light is directed light and will not cast a a wide cone of brightness. A floor lamp with a thin lamp shade cover can cast more light while using a reasonably bright LED bulb. There are so many choices for the type and shape of floor lamp but my suggestion is to get one that goes with your current decor, I strongly suggest that you to consider this idea as it is both economical and can be easily to install. I've placed my suggestions below but please visit your local Bunnings store and check out whats available!

Cheers,

Red

Luckily there was no smelting accident when putting the gold on!