How LED Lighting Was Used To Enhance A Kitchen
Customer Name: Stuart
Room / Project Type: Kitchen
Products used:
16x QLite 10W Daylight 5000K In White Bezel Finish (comparable brightness to 50W halogen GU10 bulb)
1x RGB LED Strip KIt 1 Metre 60 LED
With my original downlighting setup in my kitchen, I had 16x 50W GU10 halogen bulbs, which whilst I was happy with their lighting levels, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with having to keep replacing the bulbs that for no apparent reason kept blowing out! It felt like it was happening almost every month and It was at a rather dimly-lit dinner party that I was recommended by a family friend to switch to a low energy, longer lasting form of lighting, which I was told would save me on energy costs as well as not having to always replace my bulbs.
Originally I was told CFL bulbs would be the best low energy lighting solution to switch to, however after doing some research on them, I found a lot of negativity aimed at CFLs achieving full brightness (which apparently can take up to 2 minutes). That’s why I decided to pursue LED downlights, which sounded more future proof and longer lasting (as well as starting up instantly unlike CFL bulbs).
From the very first conversation with Downlights Direct, I thought they were extremely helpful and told me there were two types of LED downlights to consider (i) retrofit LED downlights where the bulb can be replaced and (ii) built-in led downlights, where a longer lasting led module is built into the downlight. Out of all the possible bulbs/downlights they explained to me, I was most drawn toward the 7W Philips Master LED bulb and the QLite complete LED downlight (which I was told was even brighter than a 50W halogen!). I think it was for that reason that I chose the QLite in a white finish. I also opted for the daylight option, which from the attached pictures can be seen producing a brilliant bright white light.
Whilst on the Downlights Direct website, I also came across a video on their Facebook page that showed colour changing LED strip that was used for kitchen under cabinet lighting. I was really impressed with the way it looked on video and how easy it was to order/install. I thought this might give a aesthetic to my kitchen and would be great for the parties I sometimes host.
Problems faced
Before talking to the staff at Downlights Direct, I was a bit confused about the choice of LED downlights around the internet and I found the staff at Downlights Direct to be extremely helpful and provided me with great insight so I could make an informed decision on any LED downlight purchases made. Delivery was fast, arriving next day and I had no problems replacing my halogen bulbs as the QLite fitted straight into the vacant holes left by my previous downlight. I used the plug in power supply for my LED strip, which was really easy to install thanks to the self adhesive back, easily sticking underneath my kitchen cabinets.
Overall I’m very pleased with the outcome following the upgrade to LED lighting, as I feel the QLite illuminates my kitchen with a brilliant bright white light perfectly and combines really well with my LED strip to providing a great task and aesthetic light for one of my most used rooms. I hope to install more LED lighting technology around the house in the coming years!
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