5104D5 and lighting choices

I am upgrading the lighting at home and I'm after suggestions from the forum. I have been using those cheap and nasty chinese made 50W LV halogen downlights from Vogue Lighting, and the housings have all warped and the white powder coat has blistered off and gone red. The original lamps didn't last long, maybe a few hundred hours only and they've all been replaced with Philips. I have been using L5508D1A and 60W Compton electronic transformers (0.056uf input capacitance), however I've just gone and bought a 5104D5 which I will use instead of the L5508D1A to control the 4 main lighting areas. It's a bit of an overkill because the maximum load on each channel will be no more than 2A. Anyway.

I am open to ideas on what to do here, in terms of my dimmable lighting options, whether to stick with LV and my existing transformers, whether to change the transformers to ATCO Possums, whether to change to mains incandescent lighting. I just want something better than what I've got at the moment.

Any product links would be appreciated (if allowed by forum rules). Thanks in advance.

 

Firstly, most of the chinese LV halogen downlight fittings warp when they get too hot, I've found that the clipsal and the Lanson (L&H Home brand) fittings are great quality, and dont suffer from this.

Also, I'd make sure that the lights aren't over-heating, especially looking for insulation too close, crap in the roof, or inadequate ventilation if in an enclosed cavity like between two floors.

Transformer wise, just avoid anything made in China that doesn't have a well known brand name on it, the best ones being clipsal, lanson, atco, osram, phillips, etc.
Don't have any experience with the Compton (or is it crompton?) transformers, but if you bought them with the fittings, chances are they are crap quality as well, and if you want to do the job right this time, and not have to deal with any more issues, then it's probably a good idea to replace those at the same time.

It might also pay to switch to high-quality 35w globes, like those from osram, phillips, etc. This means a 30% saving on power, as well as less heat. Also, there is very little, if any, discernable loss in light output. Have a look at some of JohnC's posts on the topic, they explain in better detail the advantages, as he's a real expert on all things lighting.

Hope this helps,
Darpa

 

I use Atco Possum Transformers with Osram 35W IRC (equivalent to normal 50W). I've got over 50 in use and have had them for the past 3 years. Never had a problem, never replaced a globe yet. They are all on dimmers and the maximum level I use is 90%. Colour is excellent and the 60 degree spread is quite even. You can achieve some excellent results provide you install enough lights to get a good spread/coverage and then dim for energy efficiency and lamp longevity purposes.

Cheers, cc&c.

 

installed crompton globes they aren't as good as the osram or phillip ones, and used the possum transformers they are quite good, we've used the redback osram ones to with no problems, think they are a bit more expensive though