In am in the process of remodeling a kitchen and re-doing some lighting. A friend who works in the lighting industry came over and laid-out a lighting plan using 4″ cans with MR16 bulbs. The electrican who will be doing the work was somewhat surprised with the choice — he typically uses 4″ cans with line voltage and PAR20 bulbs. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? My ceilings are 8′ high.
Thanks.
Replies
aside from the cost difference between the housings,
the trims available for each type may vary considerably, and ususally are not interchangable
the lamps are both halogen, so the color temp should be close,
line voltage would allow you more choices with lamps , than the MR16 .
Do you have the trims ?
you might also look into accessories, like filters or diffraction gratings for the MR16 fixtures to change the color or reduce glare
If it's not too late: Consider using 6" cans. There are more choices and they will be less expensive. Plus they give more light. An 8 foot cieling can readily absorb the larger can size.
Jeff