Uplight Floods
Discussion
Have 10x 250w SON floods currently lining the drive uplighting bushes/trees which are on a dawn to dusk sensor.
I turned then off soon after we moved in as some were failed, the light was terrible and it seemed a waste of money to have them on, especially during the darker months when they seemed to be on all the time.
Have an electrician here next week and part of the job is to replace there. I bought some a few years ago, 10w LED replacements which were wifi controlled but having tested them they were pretty poor and given the distance between them and distance from the house, the control element was wasted.
I need to buy some more, they need to be very waterproof because of where they are and how they are installed. It would be nice to be able to change the colour (Christmas etc) but it's not that important - if they were colour changing then I guess bluetooth while I'm close to them could work. Other issue I predict is if they are turned on and off by a sensor they may lose their settings when they come back on again so again colour changing may be pointless.
Any recommendations for something decent?
Cheers.
I turned then off soon after we moved in as some were failed, the light was terrible and it seemed a waste of money to have them on, especially during the darker months when they seemed to be on all the time.
Have an electrician here next week and part of the job is to replace there. I bought some a few years ago, 10w LED replacements which were wifi controlled but having tested them they were pretty poor and given the distance between them and distance from the house, the control element was wasted.
I need to buy some more, they need to be very waterproof because of where they are and how they are installed. It would be nice to be able to change the colour (Christmas etc) but it's not that important - if they were colour changing then I guess bluetooth while I'm close to them could work. Other issue I predict is if they are turned on and off by a sensor they may lose their settings when they come back on again so again colour changing may be pointless.
Any recommendations for something decent?
Cheers.
I've had various outdoor lights over the years and they all eventually fail. LeD lights are especially prone as it's normally the driver that goes. Also they will get condensation in as British weather is damp most of the year. A sparky i know recommends Sentinel flood lights. I wouldn't bother with RGB as it will be some Chinese light that will rust or fail or get condensation.
Ellumiere (brand) from Wickes. Mine have been up for a year now and no issues. They have waterproof connections and I think you can safely run up to 12 lights off one plug. I found out about them via Proper DIY on YouTube and haven't been disappointed. Have attached a night photo but I am using my lights as downlights rather than uplights, as you can see. Those are 2W LED light, they do have 3W as well. No colour changing unless you want to fiddle about with a film disc and change them seasonally but the light sensor can be set to turn off 4/6/8 hours or when the sun comes up. There's no need for an electrician with these, pretty easy to setup on your own.
Edited by beambeam1 on Sunday 22 June 00:35
You can repair son fittings easily and also convert them to a whiter light by using metal halide lamps if the fittings just required a clean up.
Decent led fittings are very expensive, we had our works premeses fully changed over to led fittings a few years back as part of an energy saving programme and they used phillips stuff.
Decent led fittings are very expensive, we had our works premeses fully changed over to led fittings a few years back as part of an energy saving programme and they used phillips stuff.
I have these RGB spikes lights. Had them for over 15 years. No issues whatsoever.
https://www.mr-resistor.co.uk/products?Exterior=Ye...
https://www.mr-resistor.co.uk/products?Exterior=Ye...
Having them on dusk to dawn seems like a good way of setting fire to money; unless you like the Alcatraz ambience or live in a dystopian hellscape with marauding heliophobic zombies switching them off at bedtime seems like a better idea.
Belle427 said:
You can repair son fittings easily and also convert them to a whiter light by using metal halide lamps if the fittings just required a clean up.
Decent led fittings are very expensive, we had our works premeses fully changed over to led fittings a few years back as part of an energy saving programme and they used phillips stuff.
Most SON fittings are pretty chunky, so definitely worth looking at repairing what's there rather than fitting new stuff.Decent led fittings are very expensive, we had our works premeses fully changed over to led fittings a few years back as part of an energy saving programme and they used phillips stuff.
Edited by hidetheelephants on Sunday 22 June 13:35
beambeam1 said:
Ellumiere (brand) from Wickes. Mine have been up for a year now and no issues. They have waterproof connections and I think you can safely run up to 12 lights off one plug. I found out about them via Proper DIY on YouTube and haven't been disappointed. Have attached a night photo but I am using my lights as downlights rather than uplights, as you can see. Those are 2W LED light, they do have 3W as well. No colour changing unless you want to fiddle about with a film disc and change them seasonally but the light sensor can be set to turn off 4/6/8 hours or when the sun comes up. There's no need for an electrician with these, pretty easy to setup on your own.
No one's breaking into that wendy house unseen!Edited by beambeam1 on Sunday 22 June 00:35
I have quite a few of these uplighting various bushes and trees:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLGL01B.html
They are quite ugly but can be hidden, cheap at £10 each and non have got condensation in. They take a gu10 so easy to replace but they seem to last much longer in these than indoors and I can’t remember actually having to replace a bulb (led of course).
The weak point seems to be the connectors I chose as the lamps just come with a meter or so flex. Since I changed to gel filled wago junction boxes it has been fine.
I use Fibaro home automation that switches then on 10 min before sunset each day and off at 10pm. They also come on if motion detected in various places, well they should but Fibaro is a bit useless.
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLGL01B.html
They are quite ugly but can be hidden, cheap at £10 each and non have got condensation in. They take a gu10 so easy to replace but they seem to last much longer in these than indoors and I can’t remember actually having to replace a bulb (led of course).
The weak point seems to be the connectors I chose as the lamps just come with a meter or so flex. Since I changed to gel filled wago junction boxes it has been fine.
I use Fibaro home automation that switches then on 10 min before sunset each day and off at 10pm. They also come on if motion detected in various places, well they should but Fibaro is a bit useless.
I have quite a few of these uplighting various bushes and trees:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLGL01B.html
They are quite ugly but can be hidden, cheap at £10 each and non have got condensation in. They take a gu10 so easy to replace but they seem to last much longer in these than indoors and I can’t remember actually having to replace a bulb (led of course).
The weak point seems to be the connectors I chose as the lamps just come with a meter or so flex. Since I changed to gel filled wago junction boxes it has been fine.
I use Fibaro home automation that switches then on 10 min before sunset each day and off at 10pm. They also come on if motion detected in various places, well they should but Fibaro is a bit useless.
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLGL01B.html
They are quite ugly but can be hidden, cheap at £10 each and non have got condensation in. They take a gu10 so easy to replace but they seem to last much longer in these than indoors and I can’t remember actually having to replace a bulb (led of course).
The weak point seems to be the connectors I chose as the lamps just come with a meter or so flex. Since I changed to gel filled wago junction boxes it has been fine.
I use Fibaro home automation that switches then on 10 min before sunset each day and off at 10pm. They also come on if motion detected in various places, well they should but Fibaro is a bit useless.
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