How do you change the bulbs on these ceiling lights

[BobAJob]

Can anyone tell me how to replace the bulbs in these ceiling lights?

 

Each bulb contains 3 small bulbs/leds inside. There doesn't appear to be a twist off on the silver surround or anything holding the bulb in place. 

 

Thanks in advance

[SteamyTea]

https://profound-answers.com/how-many-psychologists-are-needed-to-change-a-light-bulb/

 

 

[Russdl]

Looks like you need to pull the fitting out of the ceiling, spring clips will be holding it in. I suspect you won’t be able to change any of the individual lighting elements, you’ll probably have to bin it and get a new one and good luck finding one that matches…

[BobAJob]

7 minutes ago, Russdl said:

Looks like you need to pull the fitting out of the ceiling, spring clips will be holding it in. I suspect you won’t be able to change any of the individual lighting elements, you’ll probably have to bin it and get a new one and good luck finding one that matches…

Ok, this has started flickering quite badly. They were fitted at least 5 years ago before we bought the house and I've never had to change a bulb in them before. 

 

Thanks

[ProDave]

Try twisting the silver bit and see it it unclips leaving the white bit still in the ceiling

[Roundtuit]

As above; you need to establish whether there is a bulb to change, or if its a sealed integrated unit.  If it's the latter, there's no option other than change the whole fitting.

[BobAJob]

50 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Try twisting the silver bit and see it it unclips leaving the white bit still in the ceiling

It doesn't untwist but the whole silver bit does pull out of the ceiling. It's a 4000K CW 38 degree beam dimmable light. It looks like it's an integrated unit so you can't replace the bulbs and you have to replace the entire lamp instead.  Nice

[ProDave]

1 minute ago, BobAJob said:

It doesn't untwist but the whole silver bit does pull out of the ceiling. It's a 4000K CW 38 degree beam dimmable light. It looks like it's an integrated unit so you can't replace the bulbs and you have to replace the entire lamp instead.  Nice

Sadly a lot of light fittings recently are throw away items.  Care to post a picture?

[BobAJob]

12 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Sadly a lot of light fittings recently are throw away items.  Care to post a picture?

I haven't taken it out of the ceiling yet. Sadly there are 5 more of these in our kitchen and having a non-matching one won't be acceptable with the mrs. 

[BobAJob]

Looks like it's probably one of these. IP65 rated but it's in a kitchen.  I might have to get an electrician to change it to a standard GU10 so we can change the bulb in the future. 

[BobAJob]

What's a fair price for replacing one of these with a GU10 LED 7W unit including supply and fitting?

 

Thanks

[ProDave]

On 03/10/2022 at 22:02, BobAJob said:

Looks like it's probably one of these. IP65 rated but it's in a kitchen.  I might have to get an electrician to change it to a standard GU10 so we can change the bulb in the future. 

That one does look like a GU10, are you SURE the front does not unscrew, note some unscrew clockwise which seems "wrong"

[TonyT]

It’s a sealed JCC led fitting, throw the whole thing away and get a new one 

[BobAJob]

2 hours ago, ProDave said:

That one does look like a GU10, are you SURE the front does not unscrew, note some unscrew clockwise which seems "wrong"

The light has a bulb which 3 individual halagon bulbs in. I'd prefer cool white LEDs that are more energy efficient and which we can change the bulbs in ourselves. 

[ProDave]

55 minutes ago, BobAJob said:

The light has a bulb which 3 individual halagon bulbs in. I'd prefer cool white LEDs that are more energy efficient and which we can change the bulbs in ourselves. 

If they are typical G9 halogen lamps, you can get LED replacements, but a lot of the LED ones are largerthan the halogen lamps.

[TonyT]

Google the numbers on the fitting, it’s the model number for a  JCC fitting.

[BobAJob]

They are JC94302 with integrated LEDs. Electrician has quoted me £352 to change the 6 lights to Starlite TD-M551 GU10s.  This works out at £50 per light including fitting plus £24 for bulbs plus VAT. 

 

I had a quick look on the CEF website and they cost £41.70 for 6 lights inc VAT. If I allow for a 100% markup on the lights that would take it to £83.40 for the lights then £24 for bulbs, so £107.40 for parts.  I think about 1 hr to change them over. 

 

That means he's charging £244.60 for 1 hr's work. 

 

Does this sound right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BobAJob]

I think electricians are supposed to charge around £45 an hour. 

 

This one was from checkatrade. Yep, one of those again. 

 

I think someone should raise an issue with trading standards about checkatrade and get it closed down. 

[TonyT]

So he visited to quote, went home via the merchants for prices, let you know price and you dissect the price with the help of Google.

 

 

[BobAJob]

3 hours ago, TonyT said:

So he visited to quote, went home via the merchants for prices, let you know price and you dissect the price with the help of Google.

 

 

Isn't that what everyone does when they are buying anything these days?

 

I'm more than happy paying a fair price for the job and accept a markup on the parts and some profit, but don't go trying to overcharge to this extent, otherwise the result is you get a bad reputation and less work in the long run.  Obviously the trader then just changes their name and the cycle continues.

 

It's just fundamentally wrong in my book.  

 

What happened to the days when traders treated their customers fairly and understood the benefit of getting a good reputation which in turn led to them getting more work and growing their business?

 

Now it's an attempt to get rich quick and they get all offended when you point out you know what they are doing. 

Edited December 3, 2022 by BobAJob

[Mr Punter]

This person will have visited your house twice, researched and ordered materials, isolated the electrics, changed the fittings (which will involve disconnecting / reconnecting the wires), test, leave the site clean and tidy. If a fitting fails he would replace it at no cost to you.  Good luck with doing that in an hour.

[SteamyTea]

How many philosophers does it take to change a lightbulb?

 

"The bulb wants to be changed"

[ProDave]

 

22 minutes ago, BobAJob said:

 

What happened to the days when traders treated their customers fairly and understood the benefit of getting a good reputation which in turn led to them getting more work and growing their business?

That will be me then.  I don't advertise and I don't even have the courtesy any more to tell the likes of checkatrade to clear off and stop pestering me, I am not interested in their service.  All my work comes from personal recommendations.

[BobAJob]

26 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

This person will have visited your house twice, researched and ordered materials, isolated the electrics, changed the fittings (which will involve disconnecting / reconnecting the wires), test, leave the site clean and tidy. If a fitting fails he would replace it at no cost to you.  Good luck with doing that in an hour.

This person will have visited your house twice - he lives within 1 mile of me and he could pop in on way home to quote and yes, obviously he would need to drive for 5 minutes to do the job. 

 

researched and ordered materials - they are standard GU10 brushed steel lights available from any electrical wholesaler. Starlite TD-M551s which were to slot straight into existing holes in ceiling, which are the correct size. He's an electrician. He knows what products exist already. 

 

isolated the electrics - flicked clearly marked lighting switch on modern consumer unit

 

changed the fittings (which will involve disconnecting / reconnecting the wires) - yes, that's the only way to change the lights. 

 

test - flicked light switch on and off

 

leave the site clean and tidy - there wasn't much mess and I hoovered up after him. 

 

If a fitting fails he would replace it at no cost to you - I actually wouldn't expect that unless they failed within a short time e.g. first 12 months

 

Ok, even it takes 1.5 hrs it still isn't good to be charging £352 for the job. 

 

Around £150 to £200 sounds more reasonable. 

 

Don't you think?

Edited December 3, 2022 by BobAJob

[ProDave]

Don't forget on a small job like this, it will take the electrician much longer to look at the job, see what's needed, and then go and get the parts, than it will to actually do the job.

 

If he just charges you 1 hour labour, he will be losing out big time and might as well not bothered doing the job.