Steph’s Corner | FAQs
Written by Lewis Morgan
There are several ways that you can determine this. The most accurate method is to multiple your room’s square footage by your room’s foot-candle requirement. A foot candle is how bright a light is one foot away from its source. For example, a 100 square foot dining room, which needs 10-20 foot-candles, will need 1,000-2,000 lumens.
This is a method to get a good estimate of what you’ll need, by unfortunately the best method is to test different bulbs/lamps until you find what’s best for you.
There is always a personal preference with colour temperature, but the below are the most common choices.
Extra warm white <2700K
- Mood lighting
- Candlelight
- Romantic setting
- Ideal for restaurants
Warm white 2700 – 3300K
- Cosy environment
- Lounge
- Dining room
- Hotel rooms
Neutral white 3300 – 5300K
- Offices
- Retail
- Supermarket
- Kitchen
- Garage
- Bathrooms
Daylight >5300K
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Laboratories
Male threads are on the outside and female threads are on the inside. Imagine a nut and bolt, the nut being the male and bolt being the female.
There are many options in sizes when it comes to aerators. The most accurate method of measuring is to remove the existing aerator (most taps have one by default, they’re just not as eco!) and measure that. Alternatively, you can measure the diameter of the end of your tap. If unsure, then give us a call and we can help.
In the kitchen, with quality taps, a flow rate of around 15 litres per minute (lpm) is good.
For bathroom taps, well-designed models for low-pressure settings can deliver flow rates between 4-7 lpm, while homes with high-pressure can choose models with around 5 lpm. More info here.
Recessed lights, also known as can lights, are metal light housings generally installed in ceilings, sometimes in walls, so they have a less intrusive appearance. In contrast, a surface mounted light is installed on top of the ceiling or wall, and these models are used where there is little space between the structural ceiling and the dropdown ceiling, or where it is exposed.
The GU10 has a twist and lock mechanism while MR16s have pins that push straight in. GU10s run on 240v, the same as your mains electricity, so you can plug in use with no fuss. MR16s run on 12v, so need a transformer to change the mains voltage 12v.
The Colour Rendering Index (CRI) is a scale of 0 to 100 that rates the ability of an artificial white light source to accurately display colour to the human eye, when compared with sunlight. Between 80 and 90 CRI is a good range that renders colours quite accurately.
While most LEDs are now dimmable, you may find that your traditional dimmers, designed for high voltage, may not work well or not function at all. It’s simply that some LED lamps are designed for use with standard dimmer switches, while others are not. You don’t want any issues, including a buzzing sound coming from the lights when they are dimmed, which means the dimmer is incompatible with the LED driver. Always check your compatibility.
A high-pressure tap will provide more water than a low-pressure tap. Water pressure requirements can differ from room to room. For example, a shower may require more water pressure than a bathroom tap. Before purchasing a new tap, shower – do some research to understand what your ideal water pressure would be.
A coupler may be needed if a product is manufactured in a country that uses different measurements.
Drivers aren’t limited by the number of lights; they are limited by the total wattage of power required. You should also aim to use 80% of a driver’s capability. For example, 10 4w LED lights will use 40w – so you would need a driver of at least 50w.
Technically you can use as many as you like but essentially there are 3 maximum options, beam angle/ shape, colour, louver. Each snap you put on; you lose approximately 5% output.
If you have a light capable of smart features, then it is likely that you can change the colour temperature.