Im remodeling a room and would like to install can lights in the ceiling. I will be pulling the power off of an existing 20 amp circuit. I will have to do some detective work to assure the (outlets/lights) circuit will handle an addition load of 8 lights. Looking to use LED lights to make the load to an existing circuit “light”…pardon the pun. There is insulation in the attic so a IC installation will be required. HD sells a halo retrofit/remodel fixture and led lights. It appears a little cheap looking compared to some internet sites…I know you get what you pay for. Does anybody have advice for fixtures, price ranges, effectiveness of lighting and if the cost of led is worth it.
regards willy
Replies
Sounds like you are on the right path. See if they have something set up there at the home center to give you a demo of the LEDs. It is a different kind of light, and it might be something that you won't like. Other than that, just keep on chugging. You would be amazed at the cheap cans that go into some of these multimillion dollar condo builds.
thanks for the heads up, hd folks near my home look at me like "a dog looking at a fire hydrant" when asking a question re. this subject. will keep "learning"
thnx
You might could try those xenon bulbs. You know, the little halogens?
Just find a can light that has a transformer. They normally pull like a decimal of an amp. You can get like 30 of them on a circuit. As long as your circuit current total doesn't go over 16A, your golden.
Thanks, I'll look into them
As an apartment manager I'm always on the lookout for a deal! I look for closeouts at box stores. Most sell mini cans that look great (come in white, black, bronze, and stainless steel). They are about 10 bucks a pop and are dimmable. Some are even rated for damp areas. Plus they are small enough that you can use a hole saw for their installation.
LED's use the least energy, but are the most expensive, so you really have to look for a deal and they aren't easy to come by yet. They will gradually dim over their life and then burn out, but they last a long time. Most LED's are not dimmable (unless they have circuitry which is expensive). As far as the load is concerned, do a little math, you'll feel better about yourself once it checks out. I'm not gonna be a jerk here, you should be able to calculate your 20 amp circuit with a little help from THE GOOGLE. Good luck!