If you are thinking of changing the single ceiling light in your room and installing down lights instead , but you are not sure how many you need - this blog by Carlyia Ltd, your friendly local electrician in Fordingbridge, will help.
Planning a downlight installation
Firstly, lets look at the brightness of the different bulb types you may find at your Fordingbridge home.
- A standard incandescent 60W light bulb is approximately 800 lumens
- A standard incandescent 100W light bulb is approximately 1600 lumens
Lumens is the measurement of brightness and is the best measurement to use when comparing lighting
A single standard LED downlight is approximately 500 lumens each. I personally believe they should be spaced approximately 1.5 to 2 meters apart but this depends on the function of room. If it’s a kitchen or bathroom, then I want good even light and to reduce shadows as much as possible when washing up or preparing food. If it’s a bathroom, again I would like even lighting and especially over the sink/ mirror areas and the showering area. But I would be mindful of putting down lighting directly over a bath as you don’t want to be dazzled when relaxing in the bath.
Other areas such as the lounge would need enough for task lighting, but be able to reduce this in the evening when watching TV or listening to music. Another area to be considerate is the bedroom I think fewer downlights and not over the bed and definitely being able to turn down the light to low. Bedrooms are tricky because you want them bright enough to be able to do your makeup or housework, but not too bright when you are trying to relax with a book or listen to music. Try and plan where you definitely want good lighting and then think about how to control the brightness.
Downlight Electrician
If you would like to add downlights to your home, Carlyia Ltd are on hand to help. Our experienced team are fully qualified and NICEIC registered and are always happy to help.
If you want more help with your project - please call your local expert electrician 01722 440 366.