Home DIY

Are you sure about that? I'm no expert on the innards of LED bulbs, but I thought they contain LEDs which run on 240v, albeit with some gubbins like a capacitive dropper or a switch mode driver.

Anyway I'd rather the whole lot was user accessible/replaceable, having had to dig out dodgy transformers at our last place.

It's not only the transformers, the connectors for GU5.3 are another weak point. Possibly heat is the main factor in that case so LED should be better but I've had to replace many GU5.3 connectors. Just the damage that it causes to ceilings to have to access the connector and transformer is enough to stop me fitting GU5.3 again.

Downlights / ceiling zits are just crap really aren’t they?!

I'd praise the day we'd go back to a single ceiling rose , but no 18 mouse trap plaster/ plasterboard ruiners is the only apparent way forward,,
to add if anyone is thinking of caulking them to the ceiling it's cowboy

They are great if you want a lot of shadow free light, like a workshop or for hoovering.

But strip lights, even hanging strip lights

Fluro strip lights have that unpleasant flicker and you need multiple strips to get fewer shadows.

The only room I really value downlights in is my workshop. They are quite useful for hallways though. You can do a lot more with LED strips these days so there is even less reason to have downlights.

I think just before the inset down light trend a few designers (Inc IKEA) made interesting fluro tube housing, they still come up oddly in a smaller styles on kitchen cupboards, but yeah it's proper olds school. But I'd still think led strip Tec should way out do the inset spot.

Best Tec I've seen were bulbs you turn on for one kelvin (colour tint) then off and on for another & repeat for the final then again for back to the start... In 2023 smart home this is probably decades old , but I value kelvin

needing a hole in the ceiling every 3' + wirings just shows how shite they are (down, spot, lights) not how good

Yes! We have six super bright ones in our bathroom, evenly spaced throughout the ceiling, and yet do they light me/the mirror up enough for a decent shave? Do they arse.

Luckily we're going to demolish that bathroom eventually anyway so hopefully that will solve the problem.

The High CRI stuff at whatever Kelvin you prefer for the situation is great. I've used a lot in cabinet lighting. Can be tricky to dim though. I've still not really got my head around some of the led driver functions.

I'd like to have a kind of goto LED strip and electronics but the tech seems to change constantly.

Not sure why it only just started leaking but oh my god I am not surprised. Olive compression fitting on a bend, yeeehawww

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Should get a pretty decent connection just rotating the T so that joint it straight.

I hadn't considered dimmable, I think that would satisfy me, being in a rental it might be a bit much to expect the right bulbs to be purchased given I replaced 14 20-50watt halogen bulbs in GU10. I do need the electricity basics book even the GCSE revision theory would help.

high CIR

Did web search like the sound of those

The new track lighting from Hue looks pretty neat.

https://www.philips-hue.com/en-gb/products/smart-track-lighting/about-track-lighting

Hugely expensive though.

hm, I'm not sure, the pipe was still very much bending at quite an angle so I dont think it would ever be a particularly good fit. The pipe has also been crushed and has a crease in it (probs while trying to tighten it to get a decent connection on a bend).

Last night so I could go to bed I removed it all, connected up a push fit T to the copper pipe and reconnected to the rad with some PEX. Parts I luckily had from replacing a tap!

Will probs get a plumber in but what's the proper fix?

Hugely Hue-gely expensive though.

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We have Hue GU10 spots in our living room, combined with Hue bulbs in the floor and table lamps as well. I can't really fault them unless you regularly have visitors to whom you have to explain how smart lights work. We have two simple automations that switch off all the lights when we leave the house, and one to switch on certain lights when we arrive home. Then a couple of 'scenes' for dinner or TV watching. Overall it's much easier than dimmers all over the place day to day.

Out of all the various "smart" stuff I have, the Hue stuff is probably the best. Never breaks, never does something unexpected, no issues when the internet is down.

I bought a 2nd hand extractor fan and the chmney hood isn't long enough. where would I get one made, as the exact model doesn't exist any more

Engineering firm or architectural hardware supplier that might normally have a firm who can bend sheet metal to make door threshold covers. That's where I'd start. Probably end up making something in normal building materials to save costs by the end of the enquiries though.

Spotlights sorted… switched them to a 12v led driver. Any tips for cleaning these up? Assume the metal layer isn’t that thick.

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Autosol should sort that out. That's what I used on mine.

Decorating a newly plastered room. Is this the correct order? (mist is done)

1. Mist coat
   
2. Fill/smooth any defects
   
3. Decorator's calk the skirting gaps
   
4. Paint walls/ceiling
   
5. Fill skirting holes
   
6. Paint skirting
   
   

Mainly thinking when the best time to use the decorator's calk is. Both walls and skirting are white. Since being skimmed there aren't that many gaps anymore so idk if it matters anyways and I'm over thinking.