QA

Question: How To Install Led Recessed Lighting

Can I install recessed lighting myself?

If you have a nearby power source, you can easily install recessed lights by yourself. Bringing in a power source adds some time to the project, but this can be accomplished by wiring your own circuit or hiring an electrician.

How do you wire LED recessed lights in parallel?

Insert one end of another cable through the clamp connector in the second fixture in the run. Insert the opposite end of the cable into the next fixture in the run. Repeat the “daisy-chain” of cables between each recessed fixture until you reach the final fixture in the run.

Do recessed LED lights need a housing?

Where to Place Recessed Lighting. In new construction, recessed lighting is usually installed between ceiling joists, but you can retrofit recessed lighting almost anywhere in your home. If your ceiling is insulated, the recessed light fixtures must be IC housing rated, meaning they are approved for use near insulation.

Do LED lights need a transformer?

All mains powered LED bulbs require a transformer. Depending on the bulb type, the transformer/driver may be built in to the bulb casing or may be located externally. The purpose of the transformer is to reduce mains voltage (240V) to the desired level relative to the bulb being powered (e.g. 12V or 24V).

How far apart should LED recessed lights be placed?

A good general rule for placement is to divide the height of the ceiling by two. The result is the amount of space to leave between each light. For example, recessed lighting spacing for an 8-foot-high ceiling would be 4 feet between each light. This will provide good spacing for general room lighting.

What gauge wire for LED can lights?

Most people would likely recommend using a solid core 18-gauge wire for your LED lights. The cost difference between this wire size and a much smaller cable is negligible, and 18-gauge is about as big as you can go if you would like your wires to fit into most holders or terminals.

Can I daisy chain LED recessed lights?

Remember that you must run one ultra-thin extension cable (or run of low voltage wire) for each light. You can not daisy chain multiple lights together.

How many can lights on one switch?

The main limitation on the number of recessed lights that a single switch can control is the rating of the circuit breaker controlling the circuit. Each incandescent or halogen 60-watt bulb draws around 1/2 amp, and therefore, standard lighting with a 15amp breaker can manage 30 lights.

Can vs Canless LED?

The shape of a can protects the light bulb, and they often have an electrical box in the top of the housing. On the other hand, canless lights are not contained in a can. Instead, they are a single unit with a thin housing connected directly to your electrical wires.

How many LED lights can be on a 15 amp circuit?

Each CFL or LED bulb typically gives the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb while drawing 10 watts or less, which is equivalent to a current draw of 1/12 amp. Thus a 15-amp circuit can safely control 180 or more fixtures that use CFL or LED bulbs.

Should LED be connected in series or parallel?

Unlike LEDs that are wired in series, LEDs wired in parallel use one wire to connect all the positive electrodes of the LEDs your using to the positive wire of the power supply and use another wire to connect all the negative electrodes of the LEDs your using to the negative wire of the power supply.

Should I wire recessed lights in series or parallel?

You can wire them in any sequence. Do it in whatever way is the most convenient. The electricity doesn’t care, and doesn’t know the physical location of the fixtures. Household wiring is parallel, so there isn’t really a sequence.

Should LED ceiling lights be wired in series or parallel?

A parallel connection is required with LED lighting on 12V, 24V, and 230V. In this case you use a voltage power feed. With a parallel connection the starting points (+) and end points (-) of the different spots are connected to each other.

How do you install LED lights in a kitchen ceiling?

Lay out the new light locations. Mark all the joists involved in the installation using strips of tape. Cut new holes. Cut all the holes for the new lights. Drill through the next joist. Fasten cable to the drill bit. Pull in the new cable. Hang the transformer. Connect the lights.

How do you wire a light fixture with 3 sets of wires?

Connect all the bare ground wires together and nut them off. Connect the incoming and outgoing white wires together with the white wire from your fixture and nut them off (very important the white wire to your switch is not in here) Connect the incoming and outgoing black wires AND the white wire from your switch.

What is daisy chain wiring?

In electrical and electronic engineering, a daisy chain is a wiring scheme in which multiple devices are wired together in sequence or in a ring, similar to a garland of daisy flowers. Daisy chains may be used for power, analog signals, digital data, or a combination of them.