QA

Recessed Lighting How To

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 I set up recessed lighting?

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.

Can you put recessed lights in an existing ceiling?

Thinking about adding recessed lights or pot lights but don’t want to tear out your whole ceiling to do it? Luckily you don’t have to. With a little ingenuity and special remodeling housings, you can install a roomful of recessed lights or canister lights with minimal drywall tear-out and patching.

Is it hard to install recessed lighting?

It is more difficult to install recessed lights than traditional types. The process involves a lot of cutting out holes that are of the same size. Putting them in the ceiling can be even more challenging than working along a wall.

Is recessed lighting outdated?

The one reason why recessed lighting is timeless because they offer the flexibility to change the finishes later. You have a can in your ceiling that stays forever. However, the finish may become outdated and can be purchased in different colors and styles to suit your needs. You can change them as often as you like.

Do you need an electrician to install recessed lighting?

Yes, you need (sic) to hire a licensed electrican to install recessed lights in a ceiling. Yes, a person with good knowledge and experience in electrical work is able to preform the work.

How many can lights for a 12×12 room?

The typical rule-of-thumb is 24″ from each wall, and then 3-5 feet between cans. So in a 12′ room you’d probably want two rows of lights. Considering it is a bedroom and you don’t need it as bright as a kitchen, you can probably get away with 2 rows of 4 lights for a total of 8.

How many can lights in a 20×20 room?

If you have a center light fixture, you should be able to use 4 inch line voltage cans or low voltage for supplemental lighting. I would go with at least 8 three inch cans for a 20 foot room.

How far should Can lights be from wall?

If you plan to illuminate an entire wall or accent particular architectural features or pieces of art, the rule of thumb is to place your recessed light fixtures between 1.5 feet and 3 feet from the wall. If your fixtures are fixed, they should be placed a bit closer to the wall.

What is the difference between can lights and recessed lights?

Recessed lights, also known as can lights, are described as metal light housings installed in the ceiling for a sleek look that gives you back your ceiling.

How many can lights can be on one light switch?

There is no limit to the number of lights on a circuit. The load of the fixtures is what determines how many lights a circuit can accommodate. A conventional 15A circuit can have up to 1400W of lighting loads connected to it. A 1400 Watts lighting load can accommodate one 1400W fixture or fourteen 100W fixtures.

How much does it cost to install 6 recessed lights?

$700 – $1,650 total to install 6 can lights. The average cost to install recessed lighting is $125 to $300 per downlight in an existing ceiling. LED recessed lighting costs $10 more per pot light to install.

Where should recessed lights be placed in living room?

Living Room To achieve the best effect, place the lights two to three feet away from the walls. Cons: Spacing is important to make any room look its best with recessed lighting. If the ceiling in your room is too small to allow the correct spacing, consider using a chandelier or table and accent lamps instead.

How many recessed lights can be on a circuit?

The main limitation to the number of recessed fixtures you can run at the same time is the rating of the circuit breaker that controls the circuit. Each fixture with a 60-watt incandescent or halogen bulb draws about 1/2 amp, so a 15-amp breaker for a standard lighting circuit would be able to handle 30 of them.

Should recessed lights be wired in series or parallel?

Parallel. White to white, black to black throughout. If you wire them in series, you will only get a dim glow based on the number of units you wire in.

Why is recessed lighting bad?

Used properly, recessed lights are sleek, unobtrusive fixtures that can be good problem-solvers. Used improperly, they can waste electricity, provide poor lighting and cause your heating and cooling bills to go up. Kitchens are common places where recessed lighting fixtures are used.

Can you have too many recessed lights?

It often seems that installing recessed lights is a cure all, but they cannot properly wash light upon walls and all dark corners, which would bounce reflective light into the room. In fact, using too many recessed light may leave areas of your room dark and may even cost you more on your electric bill.

How much does it cost to add recessed lighting?

Recessed Lighting Cost Expect to pay between $100 to $480 per fixture, or $360 on average, when having recessed lighting installed by a pro. At the average price, the project runs about $2,160 for six fixtures. The total varies depending on the type of housing, trim, and bulbs you select.

Does adding recessed lighting add value to a house?

Does recessed lighting add home value? Recessed lighting can absolutely add home value of you take the time to place them correctly and use the right light temperature for the room. There are also ways to make recessed lighting more energy efficient which is not a bad additional benefit.