Recently, my house LED downlights fail one after one. The specification of the LED downlights are

- Wattage: 12W
- Diameter: front 7 inches , back 6 inches
- Shape: Round
- Color temperature: 4000K
- Brand: Moon
- Model: HS-DF0112R LED PANEL LIGH

These downlights have been used for 9 months only since I moved in into my newly renovated condo in January 2021.

The problem is I cannot find the same specification of downlights in Penang Island. Three light shops told me that no manufacturers produces 6 inches 12W any more, 6 inches have only 18W.

I try 18W 6 inches 4000K, and find them are really too bright for my house and produce a lot of distracting ceiling fan shadows.
My ceiling holes are already cut 6 inches diameter wide, so I have to use 6 inches downlights.

The shops told me that even I can find 12W 6 inches, it should be old stock without warranty.

Should I keep searching 12W 6 inches or adopt 18W 6 inches downlights?

Shopee.

You can easily find it on Shopee.

Here's one https://shopee.com.my/12W-18W-6-Inch-LED-Re...5731.1062096214

I know it can be found on Shopee. However, many shops told me that I will not be able to find this 12W6'' specs anymore as most of the manufacturers agree to make 6'' to have 18W only, while the 12W will be in 5'' only.

What's the problem of using 18W?

18W is too bright. I think my interior designer take old stock, 12W6''. My interior designer should choose 12W5''. Now my 35 plastered ceiling downlight holes are 6.3'' wide, cannot hold 5'' downlight.

I am wondering if the hole can be resized.

Just swap the 5" downlight led strip inside over to your 6" downlight and use the driver of of 5".

Swapping 5'' LED strip to the 6'' housing involves soldering skill which I don't have. The shop technician and I already tried using a 12W driver to connect with the 18W, but it cannot downgrade the LED wattage from 18W to 12W.

Buy those with dimmer support. Dimmer is usually added after the switch or at the driver side.

just make the hole smaller. There is 2 way.

easy and purely visual: you can make the hole smaller by screwing strong wire mesh or paste a thick sticker board as the foundation and applied plaster over it.

pro and correct way: use plywood as the foundation, screw the cutout to the plasterboard and apply wet plaster over it. Just buy plywood with screwable thickness and with enough rigid. Cut a square that is bigger than the current hole but once cut half can slip over the current hole (between 8 inch to 11inch for your case). Cut any hole size that you want in the middle of the square board, cut the board in half so you can slip it to the top of the ceiling board. screw it and plaster and sand.

it is the same way how workers seal plaster ceiling holes.


Edit
Mybad, there is 3rd way. Just seal the current hole and switch to external light as these so you wont have similar problem in future.

https://shopee.com.my/24W-LED-Light-Surface...KRoCZTEQAvD_BwE


I recommend the 3rd way. LED light (the driver) kaput more often compare to fluorescent. Worst is the maker very often suka-suka change sizing and spec compare to fluorescent and older light spec.

This post has been edited by chamelion: Oct 7 2021, 11:56 AM

Then learn it.

found out that ur reply is what i am seeking, can further explain ur method 1 and 2? I have a 6 inch hole for downlight and wanted to resize it smaller to 3 inch for spotlight.

Method 1:
https://shopee.com.my/HighPower-Wall-Patch-...1723?position=5
do you mean this? will this hold up when i remove the spotlight? Its spring is quite strong so i worry it will break the wire mesh.

Method 2:
something like this?

That is why I mention #1 is easier, will do the job in terms of visual purposes although not that serviceable. Just buy hard mesh from the hardware shop. You don't need to do woodwork. Just cut mesh/paperboard, screw secured and plaster.

This is more accurate since you are fixing a ceiling instead of a wall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDLyrSqicoQ

6 inches to 3 inches is easier than 6 inches to 5 inches as you have a bigger surface for hold for cut and screw, just do similar as above youtube with a 6 inches board with 3 inches holes in the middle. If too difficult to cut near round 6 inches board to fill the hole, just trim the existing ceiling hole to square-ish so you end up like the above youtube example.

The plasterboard is very forgiving, just cut with a saw or strong blade and fill the gap with wet plaster. It won't visible upon dry that is why ppl use this material in 1st place...

Do note the hard part is to align the new hole in a line because this is about workmanship, but if you don't 100% particular 1-2cm off, it should be ok. if each new hole is 6-8ft apart, it is very hard to tell...

You don't need to cut those 1-2" inch support wood. Just buy precut from the hardware shop. Usually, it comes in either 6ft or 8ft at about rm2-5 a pcs.

Although sourcing a 6" 12W branded downlight was challenging in 2021, Opple's latest model now offers this specification
See:-
https://shopee.com.my/Opple-LED-Downlight-U...5600.7191723497
https://shopee.com.my/Opple-LED-Downlight-U...1276.5867213349

You know that the TS also was last online in the forum in November 2021?