Home DIY

I've not rewired - just pulled out the downlights, snipped off the transformers & connectors, and wired in the new connectors

(NB - the downlighters I have a connector box attached - otherwise you should be connecting the wires withing a choc-box)

(I'm pretty sure none of this is notifiable, whereas rewiring would be)

What sort of switches are they?

You may need to wire a resistor in series with the lamp to increase the holding current

Anyone got a cordless grinder? Howards lock has jammed and he's stuck on the Southbank, he would appreciate some help with his predicament (I only have a corded grinder).

What are the slotmajigs for the screwdrivers and chisels?

Most of the heat from radiators comes from convection (radiation would require them to glow). As such, covers that restrict airflow will reduce efficiency: you need to heat the cover up until its temperature matches that of the radiator, but that is challenging because you're transferring the heat via air rather than water.

So my bet would be yes. We had a (much uglier) cover on one of our roads and taking it off made a bit positive difference for the temperature the room gets to.

Rewiring wouldn't necessarily be notifiable. Adding a circuit is but repurposing an existing one is not included, admittedly large changes to a circuit come very close to being a new circuit but as the rules stand you should be fine. Rewiring does still require you to check the new circuit properly and that involves proper electricians tools and the knowledge to use them.

My first thought is you are using a dimmer but you don't mention that specifically. If so you need to change to a specialised led dimmer to handle the lower voltage, v-pro are one of the most popular ones. You can change just the dimmer module and keep your switch plate / knob if you like.

Alternatively you can fit a ballast in the circuit, they are available from most electrical wholesalers.

I need to replace all the light bulbs in my kitchen because new bulbs keep blowing and I think it's because I haven't got them all matching

This is sooo not a thing. It reminds me of the landlord I had in York once who told me the bulbs in a light fitting were blowing because they were upside down 😂 He wasn't an evil landlord, he was a lovely chap, he was just a bit dim. Bless him.

I think @TW might be right and it could be heat related. I have never had good experiences with halogen or 12v spots so I would be replacing with LEDs and 240v where possible (I don't like transformers either).

So where is a good online place to get 240v GU5.3, preferably LEDs?

Screwfix. E.g.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-gu5-3-mr16-led-light-bulb-345lm-4-5w-5-pack/6917p

If you're happy to spend more and want better, Philips.
https://www.energybulbs.co.uk/products/Shop+By+Brand/Philips+Light+Bulb+Store/Philips+LED+MR16+Range/Philips+LED+Non-Dimmable+MR16+Range/Philips+CorePro+LEDSpot+5W%3D35W+MR16+(GU5.3)+-+Cool+White+-+36D/756420613?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsZ3kBRCnARIsAIuAV_SJxcWIIs71oh_Psis-tJzR2jMQ9jE0w6nW8RaFAgrArwDyX2IL5cMaAhzeEALw_wcB

I hadn't bought LAP bulbs before (LAP is their own brand I think) but I've just fitted a five pack of their G9 LEDs and I'm happy. Three year warranty too.

This is topical for me. I just fitted a new light fitting (with 5 x G9 LAP LEDs mentioned above) over the weekend and the bulbs are dimmable, so I dug out a Crabtree dimmer from the cellar and fitted it.

It's working fine but is only rated for 40-400w and the LEDs in total are 15w. Am I going to die?

Yes, sorry.

@Dramatic_Hammer @TW @Airhead

Thanks for all your replies. They're (supposed to be) on a trailing edge dimmer which I thought were supposed to be ok with LED? Anyway I appreciate the help and gives me plenty to get on with, cheers!

This is sooo not a thing

Well that is good to know! I can't see the transformers for the 12v lights when I remove the bulb holder (these are under the cupboards and shine down onto the worktop) there's just a plastic connector block that clips together so you can remove them easily. I guess the transformers are hidden behind the cupboards.

The main lights in the ceiling are 240v, so no worries about transformers there. What is odd is that I replaced a bulb on Sunday. Monday morning it was gone. Monday evening it was working again but a little flickery. There's definately something wrong with either the brand new bulb or the wiring. Will swap two bulbs over this evening to see if it's bulb-specific!

Could be that the lamp holder bases aren't making proper contact with the lamp pins?

For the screwdrivers, just a piece of scrap plywood with slots cut in that match the outer diameter of the tool in question. I did it that way rather than holes as I wanted to be able to pull them out rather them lift them up and potentially clashing with something else on the wall.

The chisel holders are crap, just some small squares that stick out screwed into a back piece, the chisels just sit over the squares. It's rubbish though, a bit of wind and the chisels will lean over. Will probably do that again when I can be bothered.

I have a pair of Besseys. Awesome kit.

This is sooo not a thing

You will have to re-educate some of the manufacturers in that case, I've purchased numerous bulbs that state that on the packaging.

I think trailing edge is generally best with the current crop of GU10. It's the lower voltage range of the dimmer that is too high if it's not specifically for led's. Given that 6x5w leds makes 30w and a dimmer designed to work with halogen would have a lower range roughly equivalent to 1 halogen bulb, so 40w or practically 50w. The x-pro dimmers are programmable so you can set a lowest and highest limit, just buy the module for £10 and fit it to the existing plate with the existing knob.

Another problem people have with bulbs blowing is caused by cheap bulbs. It's difficult to commit to buying a whole load of high quality GU10's if you've had a lot failing so you buy cheaper bulbs and they fail more regularly.

Don't mix led and halogen on the same circuit, it can upset some dimmers and cause them to fail. It happens quite a bit in tenancies where leds are supplied but the tenant wants to fit the cheapest bulb. This is less of an issue now that prices are coming down.

Try to get a bulb like Phillips master led from downlights.co.uk around £7 each, high cri and decent manufacturing quality.

I'm not sure about wiring or 'quality' of mains supply having an effect although I hear it quite a bit from potential customers. Normally when I'm looking at the systems involved they have a lot of lights and they are not constantly replacing the same lamp!

I guess that we've all heard the halogen bulbs buzzing when the filaments start to vibrate which usually means they will be giving out soon. Dimmer quality could have an effect on the filament I suppose. Wiring itself should be right or not with a variation of insulation resistance which would seem unlikely to play any part in the life of a bulb.

There are some issues that arise with the connectors in the 12v halogen variety, sometimes when you change the bulb the problem of the connection goes away for a while but the old bulb is still fine, it's just that if it's stopped working you don't test it generally.

You're a star, thanks for the comprehensive information!

Being a t30 bulb the options out there are pretty slim and not from your household name brands so I've kind of had to go with what I can get for that (Very happy to be corrected if you know a solid source for t30 leds though). Will get a V-Pro dimmer follow their instructions on setting the lower range, swap the faceplate over, and hopefully all will be good!

About to do my kitchen. I've got one picked out from Ikea, it's a small 2mx6m space, and we're doing an L shape.

Kitchen needs a teardown, retile, paint and decorate, plus the kitchen installed. I'm not moving too much around, so it should be relatively simple.

Where should I be looking for a fitter in E10 / Leyton, and any idea how much this is likely to cost me?

It's something like this. Just had a fiddle and now have gone from 2 of 4 working bulbs to 4 of 4 working.

They are (contrary to my earlier assertion) 12v spots. Just disconnecting them and putting them back in with a bit of a jiggle seems to have done the job. If it's lose connections in the little circular bit the bulb pins stick into I can just replace those easily enough. But if vibrations will work them lose anyway then I need another option for lighting my kitchen as it's under my son's bedroom.

There are some issues that arise with the connectors in the 12v halogen variety, sometimes when you change the bulb the problem of the connection goes away for a while but the old bulb is still fine, it's just that if it's stopped working you don't test it generally.

This appears to be my problem. Will better connectors likely help?

Some battery manufacturers say the same thing, I mix batteries too #rocknroll

Seriously if someone can come up with a good reason why two LED bulbs of the same voltage and wattage can't be on the same circuit change my mind...

Those shit 12v halogen connections are shit. Just spring leafs that never seem to give a reliable connection.

Get rid of them and go for GU10 230V lamps.

Sorry I was referring to the upside down bulb thing, I've seen it on lots of packaging and commercial/industrial sites. Something about the heat not being able to dissipate properly and frying the base/ballast.

Probably. I buy them in job lots from eBay and carry them in my toolbox. There used to be a UK manufacturer selling them.

Mr_Sworld is right though, best way forward these days is taking out the transformers, fitting GU10 connectors and GU10 leds. It has been a while coming but the quality is there at a reasonable price now.

When I have a customer with a faulty 12v halogen I don't like to be that guy who suggests replacing all the bulbs is the only way forward though!

Even the integrated downlighters are well worth consideration. Some have incredibly low profiles which means you can fit them where you couldn't have before. Then there's led strip which gives massive possibilities.