LED and garden lighting

LED and garden lighting in Epsom

Good lighting changes how an Epsom house works after dark, inside and out. We install LED downlights, pendants and feature lighting, and run the circuits for path, garden and outdoor lighting across Epsom's leafy sections.

A white kitchen with two black pendant lights over an island bench, three timber-topped stools and a timber floor

Switching to LED, the right way

Swapping a bulb is a job anyone can do. Swapping the fitting is where an electrician comes in. EECA's guidance on LED lighting says LED bulbs use around 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last longer, and that with recessed downlights it is best to replace the whole fitting rather than just the bulb, because the biggest saving comes from stopping heat escaping into the ceiling. Most LED fittings can also sit hard against the ceiling insulation, which hotter downlights could not.

Older Epsom ceilings deserve some thought before anyone cuts a hole in them. A plaster ceiling that has been patched over the decades, or one with a ceiling rose and cornice worth keeping, can suit pendants or surface fittings better than a grid of downlights. Where the wiring above the ceiling is old, new lighting is a good reason to rewire the lighting circuits at the same time rather than hang new fittings on tired cable.

In the rooms people live in, warm light and good switching make the difference: dimmers in the lounge, two-way switches at the top and bottom of the stairs, and task lighting over the kitchen bench and island.

Garden and outdoor lighting for Epsom sections

Epsom's big, well-planted gardens are part of its history. Some of today's sections were carved out of nineteenth-century country estates laid out with specimen trees, and the rich volcanic soil that made Epsom farming and market-garden country in the 1800s still grows a serious garden.

Outdoor lighting makes those gardens usable after dark: lights along the path from the gate to the front door, steps you can see, a specimen tree lit from below, a deck you can sit out on. We use fittings rated for the weather outside, protect underground cable and lay it at a safe depth, and put outdoor circuits on RCD protection. EECA also warns against putting LEDs in fully enclosed fittings, such as some porch lights, where they run too hot.

Lighting is also one of the simplest security measures there is, and it works well alongside security cameras and alarms.

A two-storey white weatherboard villa with a green roof, a bay window and a fretwork verandah, behind a garden of roses, lavender and delphiniums

Lighting work we do

LED downlight upgrades

Old downlights replaced with complete LED fittings that suit the ceiling and the insulation above it.

Pendants and feature lights

Pendants over an island or dining table, wall lights, and fittings chosen to suit the age of the house.

Dimmers and switching

Dimmers matched to the lamps, and two-way switching for stairs and long hallways.

Paths and steps

Low lighting that shows the way from the street to the door without lighting up the whole street.

Gardens and trees

Uplights for trees and garden beds, on their own switch or timer.

Decks, porches and sensor lights

Weather-rated lighting for outdoor living areas, and sensor lights for the drive and the back door.

Lighting questions

Can I just put LED bulbs in my old downlights?

You can, but you miss most of the benefit. EECA's advice is to replace the whole recessed fitting, because much of the saving comes from stopping heat escaping into the ceiling through the old fitting.

Will my existing dimmer work with LEDs?

Not always. LEDs come in dimmable and non-dimmable versions, and a dimmer made for old incandescent bulbs can make LEDs flicker or hum. The dimmer and the lamps need to be chosen to work together.

Warm white or cool white?

Warm white is more comfortable in living areas and bedrooms. Cool white suits places where you need contrast, like a garage or workshop.

Is new garden lighting certified?

Mains-powered garden lighting is new fixed wiring, so the electrician issues a Certificate of Compliance for it. Simply replacing an existing light fitting counts as maintenance and does not need one.

Do outdoor lights help with security?

Yes. The Privacy Commissioner even suggests considering lights and alarms before cameras. A sensor light over the drive or back door is often the first step, and cameras can follow.