Can I Convert a 110V Post Lamp to Low Voltage LED
dwpc
9 years ago
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David
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Future Proof House for LED - Line or Low Voltage
Comments (12)I assure you I can do the math. I was comparing LED to halogen - which is what the OP was asking about. But since you asked: The CFL cans that we have in our kitchen and a few other places are Juno ICPL626EN. I just looked around the net and found them for about $60/can, plus another $22 for trim, and $5-10 for the 26 watt bulb. That works out to about $90 per location. The bulb is rated at 1800 lumens, But I think due to the bulb and trim design less than half that actually makes it downwards. (Not measured.) They take about a minute, literally, to come to full brightness. Annoying as all get out. Contrast to a cheap 6" can with a CR-6 at about $50 per location. All 575 lumens pointed down, so no fixture losses. instant on, beautiful 92 CRI light quality, and they dim. And they only draw 9.5 watts each. Do the math. Even if I needed twice as many CR-6 to get the same illumination levels (which I doubt), I'd still be money ahead with LED in the end. In our MR-16 fixtures (mostly 12v for wall washers, but also a 6-light track light that uses GU10s), CFL really isn't an option. The few I have seen get horrible reviews. It is halogen or LED. Four years ago we used halogen. But because some of these are very highly used, I have replaced most of the 12v ones with the 10 watt Philips LED - which are easily as bright as the 50 watt halogens. At the tier 3 energy rates of about $0.30/kwh payback is less than a year....See Morelow voltage vs. line voltage, and other questions
Comments (14)Hi there, Here are my views/ experiences: 1) Low voltage bulbs generally project less heat than line voltage. They also last longer (even much longer, depending on the bulb). A 50 watt low voltage halogen bulb is a little brighter than a line voltage halogen bulb. Low voltage cans are available in smaller sizes than line voltage. The con is that low voltage is more expensive- there's a transformer to buy. But taking into account the smaller size, longer life (up to 20k hours vs 2k hours) less heat projection and brighter light, I always go low voltage when there is a choice. Now, if you have 30' ceilings, that's a different story. But for most homes, lv works great. 2) Not really. Kitchens are very task oriented. So the cans will be closer together over counter and other work areas to give good overlap and eliminate shadowing. But over walkway areas, they'll be farther apart. 3) Cable and rail halogens do offer a lot of flexibility. You can not only slide fixtures to move them, but add more very easily if needed. There is also a design issue. What do you want to see on your ceiling? I have rail in my hall, but recessed (3" low voltage) in my kitchen. Basically, every lighting design I do involves low voltage cans. As I'm in California, I'm forced to use LED for kitchens and bathrooms. Which are great units. But in a design sense, the low voltage allows for the smallest hole in your ceiling without sacrificing brightness or coverage. There are always exceptions, but for the most part, you can light up a room using the same number of 3.5" low voltage halogens as you would with 6" halogens. The light would be the same (if not better) and the overall heat in the room would be much less....See MoreSolar to low voltage
Comments (2)I don't care for the look and color of solar and they need to be in good sunlight to regenerate themselves. There are high end low voltage which I have. I do believe there is a solar feed that can be placed in the sun to feed the solar lights in the shade but they still generate a very faint purplish color light....See MoreLow Voltage U/C Wiring Help (also posted in Lighting)
Comments (4)The issue that quickly shows up with using NM for lov voltage wiring is the sometimes very high currents required by low voltage lighting. The wire size is based on current, with voltage playing no part (voltage determine insulation thickness). A 20 watt bulb in 120 V pulls ~0.167 amps. On 12 V a 20 W bulb pulls ~1.667 amps, and the lower voltage puts a premium on voltage drop. Dropping 1 V in a 120 V circuit is less than 0.83%, while in a 12 V circuit it is 8% and will result in noticeable color shifts (red tint) if a lower drop lights is nearby. To control voltage drops wire size may need to be increased evrn further (there are online tools that will compute voltage drop given current, wire size, and conductor length). Wire size directly affects box fill calculations and bending space. Larger conductors are often stranded to make working with them easier. The larger wires also require larger wire nuts, and may not even fit under screw heads on switches. I use small electronic 'transformers' (actually small power supplies) to power low voltage under-cabinet lights and avoid using a single large physical transformer. A 30 W power supply is less than 3 inches long x 2 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick *(most are closer to 1 inch thick). They are available for plug or hard wire connection and can use conventional 120 V dimmers. The 120 V wire can be as small as #14 (15 amp circuit) and is not hard to work with. The small power supplies can be mounted under the cabinets near the back with the lights near the front. The only complaint I have about the power supplies is they need a small strap to hold them in place (the single screw and double face tape fails pretty quickly)....See Moredwpc
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