Residential lighting across south-east Melbourne
Halogen downlights that cook the ceiling, a kitchen lit from one point in the middle of the room, or a back garden you cannot use after six. Lighting is the change people notice most and the one most often done badly.
- 5.0 from 216 Google reviews
- Registered Electrical Contractor REC 20101
- 25 years trading
The lighting was designed for a different life than the one you live
Most homes have a light in the middle of each ceiling and nothing else. That is adequate and it is rarely good.
- Downlights that fail one after another, or that flicker and buzz.
- Old halogen downlights, which run hot enough to be a genuine fire risk under insulation.
- A kitchen lit from a single central fitting, so you work in your own shadow.
- Dimmers that hum, flicker, or will not dim the new LED lamps smoothly.
- No outdoor lighting, or a single floodlight that blinds rather than lights.
- A room that needs two or three lighting levels and has one switch.
- Light fittings that are dated, damaged or no longer available in the right lamp.
- You are renovating and the lighting plan needs doing before the ceilings close.
What a lighting installation actually covers
Layout and switching are where a lighting job is won or lost. The fittings are the last decision, not the first.
- A lighting plan for the room and how it is used, rather than a grid of downlights.
- Halogen to LED changeovers, including replacing the transformers that usually fail first.
- New downlights installed with correct clearance from insulation and building elements.
- Pendants, wall lights and feature fittings installed, including on high ceilings.
- Dimming that actually works, with dimmers matched to the specific LED driver.
- Separate switching and circuits so a room can be lit for cooking or for eating.
- Outdoor, garden and security lighting, weatherproofed and with sensor or timer control.
- Testing and a Certificate of Electrical Safety where required.
About Residential lighting
Lighting is layers, not a grid of downlights
The most common lighting mistake in Melbourne homes is a uniform grid of downlights across a ceiling. It lights the floor, flattens the room and leaves you working in your own shadow at the kitchen bench.
Rooms work better with layers: general light for the space, task light where work actually happens, and a softer layer for the evening. That usually means fewer fittings than people expect, placed deliberately, on more than one switch.
Halogen downlights are worth replacing
Old halogen downlights run hot enough to be a genuine fire risk, which is why clearance requirements from insulation and structure exist. Where somebody has laid ceiling insulation over non-rated fittings, that is a live risk rather than a theoretical one.
Modern IC-rated LED fittings can be covered with insulation, use a fraction of the power and last years rather than months. The transformers behind old halogens are usually what fails first, and replacing those one at a time is money spent on a system that should be changed over.
Why your LEDs flicker on the dimmer
Almost always because the dimmer was designed for incandescent lamps and is being asked to dim an LED driver. The result is flicker, buzz, or a lamp that will not dim below half and then drops out.
The fix is a dimmer matched to the specific driver, not a different lamp. It is the difference between lighting you use and lighting you stop touching.
What we install
Downlights and general lighting
Changeovers and new installations, with correct clearances and a layout planned around the room rather than the ceiling joists.
Pendants and feature fittings
Including on high and raked ceilings, with the mounting point rated for the fitting.
Outdoor and garden
Path, garden and entry lighting, weatherproofed correctly, with sensor or timer control so it is not on all night. Security floodlighting positioned to light the ground rather than blind the neighbours.
Switching and control
Separate circuits and switching so a room can be lit for cooking or for eating, including two way switching and smart control where it earns its place.
We quote the job in front of us
No rate card, because the honest number depends on things nobody can see from a website. Estimates are free.
03 9889 3341Not urgent? Send the details and we will come back to you within one business day.
Standards this work is held to
Recessed luminaires have required clearances from insulation and structural elements, and old halogen fittings are the reason those rules exist. Where insulation has been laid over non-rated downlights, that is a fire risk and we will tell you plainly. Modern IC-rated LED fittings can be covered, which is one of the real advantages of changing over.
Dimming is where most LED lighting disappoints. An LED lamp on a dimmer designed for incandescent load will flicker, buzz or refuse to dim to a usable level. Matching the dimmer to the driver is the difference between lighting you like and lighting you turn off. Everything is installed and tested to AS/NZS 3000.
How long it takes
- Quote
- On site for a whole-room or whole-house plan, over the phone for straight changeovers.
- Downlight changeover
- Half a day for a typical living area, depending on count and ceiling access.
- New fittings on existing points
- One to two hours each, less where several are together.
- New circuits and switching
- A day or more, and best done while ceilings are open.
Rated 5.0 across 216 Google reviews
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Symon did a brilliant job replacing my bathroom fan. He quoted me $700 when another company quoted me over $2k for the same job! Symon was easy to communicate with, performed the job quickly and tidied up after himself. Would…
Aretha Peethamparam, Google review -
We recommend Simon unreservedly. Tired of overpriced superficial service and competency? Don’t look any further than Simon @ STL Electrical. And to boot, he’s a good guy. Simon will now be our go-to sparky.
Nigel Bird, Google review -
Highly recommend Simon and STL Electrical. One of our mains tripped during a freak thunderstorm resulting in no power to part of our kitchen (incl fridge) and internet. Simon was a lifesaver and kind enough to respond to an after…
Nat Chen, Google review
Residential lighting questions we get asked
Are my old halogen downlights actually dangerous?
They run at temperatures that can ignite timber and insulation, and they are the reason clearance rules exist. If somebody has laid ceiling insulation over non-rated fittings, that is a live risk, not a theoretical one.
Why do my LED lights flicker on the dimmer?
Almost always because the dimmer was designed for incandescent lamps. The fix is a dimmer matched to the LED driver, not a different lamp.
How many downlights does a room need?
Fewer than most people install. A grid of downlights lights the floor and leaves the room flat. Usually a smaller number, placed where the work happens, plus a second layer of light, gives a far better result.
Can you put lights in without damaging the ceiling?
Downlights into an accessible ceiling, usually yes. New points on a two storey or a cathedral ceiling can mean some patching, and we will tell you before we start.
Is it worth changing to LED?
For running cost, yes, but the bigger gains are heat, lamp life and the fact you can insulate over IC-rated fittings. The halogen ones will keep failing and keep needing a ladder.
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Talk to an electrician now
Fastest way to get an answer is the phone. It is answered 24 hours a day, seven days.
03 9889 3341Not urgent? Send the details and we will come back to you within one business day.