Lighting
LED lighting for Mount Eden homes
LED lighting in Mount Eden covers everything from swapping a ceiling full of old halogen downlights for proper LED fittings, to hanging pendants over a kitchen island, to lighting the path from a stone front wall to the door. Our registered electricians plan it, install it and certify the wiring.
LED, and why the whole fitting matters
According to EECA's guide to LED lighting, an LED uses up to 85% less electricity than an incandescent or halogen bulb and lasts around 30,000 hours, against about 2,000 for an incandescent. Changing bulbs is the easy part. The bigger gain is in the ceiling.
Many older downlights were fitted with a gap in the insulation around each one, because the lamps ran hot. Every gap lets heat escape into the roof space, and EECA's advice is to replace the whole recessed fitting rather than just the bulb, because that is where most of the saving comes from: most LED fittings can sit with insulation right up against them. In a Mount Eden villa that has had downlights added at some point, a lighting upgrade is a good moment to put the insulation back the way it should be. If the circuits feeding those lights are old, it is also worth asking about rewiring the lighting circuits at the same time.
A word on porch lights: EECA warns that LED bulbs do not suit fully enclosed fittings, because they need ventilation to last. An LED fitting designed for the job is the better answer than an LED bulb inside an old sealed globe.
Downlights, pendants and dimmers
Good lighting is layered: general light from downlights or ceiling fittings, task light over benches and desks, and softer light from pendants and wall lights in the evening. In the spacious rooms of a villa, a single central fitting rarely does all three, and a few well-placed pendants or wall lights on their own switches can change how a room feels.
Colour matters as much as brightness. EECA suggests warm white for living areas and cool white where contrast matters, such as a workshop or garage. Dimmers need matching too: some LEDs are dimmable and some are not, and an LED on the wrong dimmer can flicker or hum, so we match the fitting to the switch. For shops and offices, see our commercial electrical work in Mount Eden, where lighting is often part of a fit-out.
Outdoor and garden lighting
Lighting questions
Can I just put LED bulbs in my old halogen downlights?
Sometimes, but check the type first: low-voltage MR16 lamps have two sharp pins and run off a transformer, while mains GU10 lamps have two studs. Either way, EECA recommends replacing the whole recessed fitting for the best result.
How bright should an LED be?
Go by lumens on the packet, not watts. LEDs usually look brighter than the incandescent bulb they replace, so it is easy to over-light a room.
Why do my new LEDs flicker?
Most often an LED on a dimmer that was not made for it, or a non-dimmable lamp on a dimmer circuit. A loose connection can also cause it, which is worth having checked.
Will I get a certificate?
New wiring, new circuits and new light positions are fixed wiring work, which comes with a Certificate of Compliance. Swapping like-for-like fittings is maintenance, which does not need a Certificate of Compliance, but you still receive an Electrical Safety Certificate when the work is finished.
Can garden lights go on a timer?
Yes. Timers, sensors and separate switches are all options, and outdoor fittings are chosen for outdoor use.
Power off, breaker tripping, or planning ahead?
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour for a call-out, or send the details of the job and we will get back to you.
Other services in Mount Eden
Rewiring
Planned rewiring for villas, bungalows and interwar flats, done room by room and tested and certified when it is finished.Switchboard replacement
Old fuse boards replaced with circuit breakers and RCD protection, with the licensed inspection arranged for you when the work needs one.Emergency call-outs and fault finding
Electricians on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for lost power, tripping circuits, hot sockets and faults that keep coming back.Heat pumps
Heat pump installation planned around big villa rooms, the wall the indoor unit needs and where the outdoor unit can sit.TV aerials and wall-mounting
TV aerials, wall-mounted screens and the power and cabling behind them, run tidily through older walls.Commercial electrical
Electrical work for shops, cafes, offices and kitchens along Mt Eden Road and Dominion Road.Mount Eden enquiries
Contact us
Ring 021 156 4005 for anything urgent, day or night. For everything else, leave your details and a short description of the job below.
021 156 4005- Auckland
- Call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week