Downlight Guide 360

Our Downlight Guide 360 has been produced to provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to make your lighting vision become a reality.

Featuring the very latest products and technology available from the UK’s leading brands.

GU10 vs Integrated 3 Colour Temperatures 6 DimTone Dimming 7 Wiring & Connectivity 8 Controls 10 Beam Angles 11 Fire Rated 12 Insulation Coverable 13 Selection 15 Something Special 16 Customer Case Studies 17 Thank You Page 23 Contents

GU10 or Integrated -

Which Downlight Suits You?

Integrated LED downlights come as one unit. The fitting is purposly designed around the LED. They are technologically more advanced, with superior thermal management.

GU10 downlights are a combination of two separate components; an LED with a GU10 cap and a GU10 downlight.

GU10 Downlights

Most GU10 fire rated downlights are fully enclosed and don’t offer any ventilation to the LED. Cutting off the air supply to an LED can cause it to overheat and fail.

GU10 downlights are made up from 2 separate items

Integrated LED Downlights

Integrated downlights are more technologically advanced: but if they ever fail, you’ll have to replace the entire fitting.

Integrated downlights are more reliable & have longer guarantees

Colour Temperatures

Traditional light bulbs like halogens had a warmer 2700K colour tone. Known as extra warm white, they’re ideal for use in living rooms, some people think this is too orange. Warm white 3000K is the most popular colour temperature. It produces a mid-range, clearer tone of light than 2700K but not as harsh as 4000K cool white...Just right? The cool white 4000K produces a whiter, cleaner tone of light. Used in the right setting, this can make a room appear modern and bright, but used incorrectly, like in a living room, it can make a room feel cold and sterile.

DimTone LEDs dim in colour temperature as well as brightness

MASTER Value

Achieve the perfect balance of ambient lighting with Philips DimTone

Wiring & Connectivity

Most premium downlights have push-fit terminals. Economy downlights have screw terminals which take more time & effort to terminate the cables.

Push-fit terminals are quick & easy.

Push-Fit Terminals

Screw Terminals

Wiring & Connectivity

Plug-in wiring connectors come as standard with most premium quality integrated downlights.

They reduce installation times and make wiring considerably easier. You wire one side of the connector into your lighting circuit during the first-fix phase. Usually with the loop-in, loop-out method. Then plug the downlight in When your ready.

Then connect the downlight into the circuit when you’re ready during the second-fix phase.

Controls

Consideration How are you going to control your new lights? .

Basic light switch, dimmer switch or Smart Lighting system perhaps?

A Lightwave Smart switch converts ordinary lights into smart lights. Allowing you to control them with a smartphone. Set scenes, dim, switch and create automated timer functions from the App.

Beam Angles

A wider beam angle doesn’t emit more light, but it does spread the light out further and more evenly.

If you’re illuminating a smaller room like a bathroom for example, a medium beam of 40 degrees is fine. But if you’ve got a larger room such as a living room, a wider 60 degree beam would be a far better choice.

Narrow beams like 25 degrees are more focused and intense. They are better suited for illuminating specific objects or areas and for rooms with higher ceilings.

Fire Rated Downlights Most LED downlights are fire rated as standard these days. If you’re installing downlights in homes, they should be fire raed.

In the event of a fire, a fire rated downlight seals off the hole and delays the spread of fire

Insulation Coverable

Some downlights can be covered directly with thermal insulation, without needing accessories.

Insulation Coverable Some downlights require additional accessories such as Spot Clips or Loft Lids to allow them to be covered with insulation.

Selection

Ultimately, many purchasing decisions come down to cost, but consider:

• Lumen output (Brightness) • Efficacy (Lumens per Watt) • Life Expectancy • Guarantee period • Quality of material • Reliability of the brand • GU10 vs Integrated • Type of wiring connector • Insulation cover-able • Shallow ceiling void • Matching existing hole sizes

These are some main of the reasons why some Downlights cost more than others... They are better!

Something Special in Mind?

If you’re looking for something special, we have a selection of specialist downlights that include:

• Low glare, baffle downlights • Twin downlights • Smart downlights • Trim-less, plaster-in downlights • Minimalist, invisible lighting

Steve the Sparky

Occupation Steve is an electrical contractor with over 20 years in the game – a genuine electrical expert!

Interests Likes watching football, drinking beers & alone time.

Current Project Sourcing & installing downlights for a customers 3M wide x 1.63M length bathroom.

Budget Maximum of £30 per downlight.

Criteria Something reliable so he doesn’t get called back. With wiring connectors so he’s not wasting valuable time. Specification IP65 rated for bathroom use. Fire rated, dimmable & 4000K cool white. How Many? Fitted 6 downlights which provided a bright and even lighting effect. With a grid formation of 2 rows of 3. Discovery Discover what Steve achieved in his customers bathroom on the following page…

Steve the Sparky

Steve fitted the Collingwood H2 Pro 550 integrated LED downlight which comes with a wiring connector.

Our lighting design proposed 6 downlights, producing a nice even spread of light (uniformity) across the room.

Kate the Interior Designer

Occupation Kate is an interior designer with a keen eye for design. She wants everything to match and won’t compromise on her vision.

Interests Entertaining guests, cooking and TV boxset binging.

Current Project Kate has renovated her kitchen into a kitchen/ diner. She wants a minimalist, modern looking feel.

Budget Maximum of £40 per downlight.

Criteria Wanted something that offers flexibility – wasn’t keen on integrated downlights. Must be dimmable. Specification A minimalist appearance, with a bright lighting effect for cooking and a more homely glow when dining. How Many? With 2 rooms in 1, the kitchen had 6 and the diner had 9 downlights. With some pendants over the counter. Discovery Discover what Kate did in her kitchen/dining room on the following page…

Kate the Interior Designer

To fulfil her vision, we recommended Levello trim-less, invisible downlights. They provided the minimalist, almost invisible effect that she demanded.

With 15 downlights, 3 pendants & DimTone LED tape; when Kate dims her lights, they all increase in warmth. Her space is bright, cozy and ambiant.

Brian the Builder

Occupation Brian is a builder, a dedicated tradesman. Spends most of his time on site and has a great understanding of construction. Interests Bikes, gadgets and technology, he’s less focused on aesthetics and more focused on functionality.

Current Project Upgrading the lighting in his dining room.

Budget Maximum of £15 per downlight.

Criteria Wanted a smart lighting system that he could control locally and from his smartphone. Specification Colour temperature switchable, scene settings and timer functions. How Many? With a room size of 6x4M, he fitted 8 downlights with LED tape around the perimeter and pendant lighting over the table. Discovery Discover what Brian did in his dining room on the following page…

Brian the Builder

Brian wanted the flexbility of being able to switch between colour temperatures. He opted for the JCC V50 which has a CCT switch.

LED tape around the permeter & pendant lights over the dining table. Brian controls his lights using his smart phone via a Lightwave Smart switch & App.

Thanks for Viewing!

At Downlights.co.uk we go the extra mile to ensure our customers can make an informed purchase.

For further product information, check out our FAQ section or contact us to discover how we can make your vision become a reality.

Produced by: Chris Horridge; the Downlights Connoisseur