LED Lighting useful Information

• LED is an abbreviation for Light Emitting Diode, it is the light of choice, due to its low running costs and longevity, it can be used for general lighting, marker lighting, feature lighting, ambient mood and task lighting.
• LEDs works by passing a current through a diode element which then glows, a conventional lamp works by heating up a filament to provide the glow, when an LED glows almost no heat is generated and hence an LED runs cool and is great where heat is an issue, LED lighting is far more efficient than both conventional and modern “Low-Energy” Lamps, the technology also affords the ease of the controlling of Light sequences and colour change.
• There are two types of LED lighting; either a dedicated LED Light Fitting with no separate Lamp, or a convential Light Fitting using a retro-fit LED Lamp.
• LED fittings and LED retro-fit lamps require a Driver which is a type of transformer that not only steps down the voltage but converts the 230 volts AC into either 12 or 24 volts DC.This Driver technology is included in a dedicated LED Light Fitting and likewise is included in an LED retro-fit Lamp.
• LED lighting The wattage only tells you the amount of power consumed, you need to look at the Lumens and degrees Kelvin to decide on the right lamp for your needs The measurement of the light output is denoted in Lumens, as a general "Rule of Thumb", if you divide the Lumens figure by 10 that will approximately equate to the wattage if it were an old tungsten light source, the colour temperature of the lamp is measured in degrees Kelvin, the colour temperature of the light gives an indication of the warmth or coolness of the light source, 3000K to 4000K is a warm light suitable for a lounge area, 5000K to 6000K is a cool light more suited to a study, or a working or Garden environment where a brighter cooler white light is required.
• Using a Dimmer Switch, ensure the dimmer range minimum to maximum starts at zero and that the Light Source you are dimming is dimmable.
• Use LED lighting both indoor and outdoor (dependant upon the IP rating).

Indoor LED Lighting

• Staircase: Use LED recessed lighting in the wall adjacent to a staircase as a feature and a guide light.

Small round LED lights are most suitable for this type of application.

Position the lights in the wall, on a line midway between each stair nosing.

• Hallway: Use recessed LED lighting in the wall near to the floor to provide feature lighting.

Position rectangular (longitudinal) recessed lights in the wall approximately 200mm above the floor level for a good effect.

• Nursery: Use LED lighting in a nursery, to provide warm low level lighting that you can leave on during the night, being low illumination and low cost. Use the colour blue for this application; it will create a serene lighting effect.
• Floor: Use LED lighting recessed into the floor in any room to provide feature and guide lighting. It’s cool running, you and the pets, can walk on it.
• Bathroom: Use LED lighting recessed in the Ceiling, into the floor to provide feature and guide lighting. In the walls to create mood lighting whilst you are reposing in the bath.
• Wetroom:  Use LED lighting Recessed into the Ceiling and wall to mark a vertical dividing line of the shower area from the rest of the wetroom.

Outdoor LED Lighting

• Entrance to Driveway: Use LED lighting here to mark the entrance to your driveway.
• Use Led Brick Lights to replace a brick in the wall either side of the entrance.
• Position LED lighting on gateposts.
• Position recessed Drive Over units to mark the edges and path of the drive.
• Garden: Use cool white LED lighting here to great visual effect, by highlighting areas of shrubbery, borders to flower beds and accents to individual trees and plants of interest.
• Use spotlights and LED ground buried lights to theme the lighting, using particular colours to add interest and make your garden come alive. Enjoy your garden not only in the day, but also at night.
• Patio: Use surface mounted or Ground Buried LED lighting here to add interest and define the outline, or mark out particular areas of the patio.
• Ground Buried lighting requires drainage: For good drainage practise it is important to dig out an adequate area much deeper and wider than the volume of the Ground Buried unit itself. Place the Ground Buried unit in position and backfill with Pea Gravel for drainage, otherwise without adequate drainage, the unit will probably collect water. Unless it has an IP rating which defines it as; submersible.
• Decking: Use surface or recessed LED lighting here to add interest and define the outline, or mark out particular areas of the decking platform.
• Pond: Use submersible LED lighting in the pond to add colour and to bring life to this area of your garden.

We recommend that all Bathroom Lighting, Wetroom Lighting and Outdoor Lighting be protected with a residual current devise (R.C.D.).

All of the above information is intended as a guide only and you should consider all of the elements of your particular choice of product and it’s installation, before you commit an electrician to carry out any work. 

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