Free Delivery*
Price Match Guarantee
Secure Fast Online Shopping

LED Lighting

Customer Services
Tel: 0844 800 9463
Exclusive Customer Line

LED Lighting > Useful Information

LED Lighting useful Information

LED (Light Emitting Diode). There are two types of LED lighting; Mains voltage and Low voltage, both of which operate on DC voltage via converters, either in the lamp itself or in the Driver.
Mains voltage LED lamps are simple and can be used to replace a conventional light source, when they both have the same lamp holder requirements. (The most popular change is using a GU10 LED in a GU10 fitting. Here you will be substituting LED for a Halogen light source, so the level of illumination will be much lower).
Low voltage LED lamps require a transformer (Driver). The transformer converts the 230 volts into either usually 12 or 24 volts DC. The number of lamps that can be used on a transformer is dependent on the total wattage of the lamps, which should be less than that of the total wattage capacity of the transformer.
LED lighting works by passing a current through a diode element. Where a conventional lamp heats up a filament, which then glows, an LED gives off light when current flows through it, with almost no heat generated. An LED runs cool and is great where heat is an issue.
LED lighting is quoted as “Fit and Forget” because of the long lifespan of each lamp, some lamps are quoted as high as 100,000 hours and even more, due to the lamps low running temperature and mechanical robustness of construction.
LED lighting technology is moving fast with LED lamp variety ever increasing. LED lamps are becoming available in much brighter outputs and smaller sizes, which will one day allow them to totally replace the conventional light bulb, the major leap here has been the ability to produce white light as opposed to the original coloured only LED lamps, and the capacity to extract more light from the same amount of power.
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.
When choosing an LED it is important to look at the overall light output of each lamp, to decide whether the light source will give you the required amount of illumination. Most LED lighting is geared more for accent and guide lighting than offering high values of illumination, such as tungsten or halogen light sources.
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 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 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 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 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.