Which downlights to choose

To determine the amount of downlights you will need, simply take the area of the ceiling in square feet and multiply it by 1. Now that you have the total wattage that you will need to light the space, you can take this number and divide it by the wattage of the light you plan to use.

This number will give you the amount of fixtures that you will need. In terms of spacing, make sure you are evenly distributing the downlights to avoid shadows. When considering the ceiling height, you do not necessarily need to add more downlights when working with a taller ceiling.

Instead, increase the wattage of every light you will use. It is important to understand how downlights and spotlights differ from each other. Downlights can be used as spotlights or focus lighting , as they offer a wide range of illumination capabilities, and can be either. However, the main difference is that downlights have the ability to both generally cast light or draw focus, while spotlights can only be used to highlight objects or elements.

LED Downlights are not only sleek looking, but also functional by design. They are also more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, and thus better for the environment. Some LED downlights have a reduction in wattage energy consumption and a brighter light output measured in lumens , which gives them and improved efficacy measured in lumens per watt.

This is great, but if you're installing 9 downlights in a room in your home then saving just a few watts per downlight isn't going to make much of a saving and isn't going to save the planet. Many consumers still think that comparing the brightness of a downlight by its wattage means its brighter, when it isn't always the case. You may want to start by considering the Building Regulations which are in place for your safety.

Most NICEIC registered electrical contractors won't even install downlights if they don't comply and you may also run into difficulty selling your property at a later date. As long as you follow these 3 rules you'll be fine:.

If in doubt, buy fire rated downlights. The majority of integrated LED downlights are fire rated as standard. Buying non fire rated downlights is cheaper but may cost you more in the long run especially if you have to change them. Non fire rated downlights can be installed in commercial properties. For example; in false ceilings and in ceilings that haven't had their original fire integrity interfered with. Use IP rated downlights for bathrooms , anything from IP44 to IP65, the higher the second digit is, the more resistant it is to water are suitable for bathroom zones 1 and 2.

There are certain zones in a bathroom that don't need to be IP rated but steam could get into the fixture and damage the LEDs. It also looks much better if all of your downlights match within the same ceiling space. Gimble frames allow you to adjust the direction of the light, which is very useful for task lighting such as kitchen, bathroom and study areas. Otherwise, stick to fixed frame downlights as they are usually cheaper and well suited for general purpose lighting.

We recommend buying gimble downlights only when necessary, otherwise stick to fixed downlights for cost savings. Beam angle simply refers to the spread of light from the light source. Downlights with wide beam angle creates a wider, softer light which is suitable for general ambient lighting.

On the other hand, downlights with narrow beam angle produce a sharp, concentrated light which is ideal for spotlighting. We recommend choosing downlights with wide beam angle for general purpose lighting and narrow beam angle for spotlighting. Downlights can either be dimmable or non-dimmable. Dimmer switches can be added to dimmable downlights to control its level of light output. The dimming feature is very useful whenever the surrounding lighting has a strong effect on our entertainment or relaxation experience.

The dimmer gives us the flexibility to turn the downlight on maximum capacity when we need to see clearly and turn down whenever we need to relax.

Imagine your last experience at the cinema and the crucial effect of dimming the lights down when the movie starts.

We recommend getting dimmer switches for the flexibility of adjusting the lighting level for entertainment or relaxation reasons. Surface socket outlets offer a convenient way of providing power to your downlights. Many LED downlights now come equipped with flex and plug so surface socket outlets allow these downlights to be plugged-in just like any standard appliance. Without surface sockets, the electrician will have to hardwire the downlight to the power point in the ceiling, meaning that replacing downlights in the future becomes a difficult and costly practice.

IC rating is a measure used to determine if a downlight is suitable to come into contact with your building insulation or not. Most Australian homes these days are protected by a layer of insulation within the walls and ceilings.

When the time comes for your electrician to install the downlights in your ceiling, that is when the issue of installing downlights under insulation arises and IC rating comes into play. We recommend choosing a downlight with either IC or IC-F rating as that will allow the downlight to be abutted and directly covered with insulation.

You can read more about IC Rating here. The next step is to determine whether you need good IP rating for your downlights. Downlights with a minimum of IP44 rating is required for areas that are exposed to water or dust such as shower room, outdoor area or if you have a swimming pool.

You can read more about IP Rating here. Finally, do not neglect the warranty part! Whenever possible, choose downlights with the longest in-home warranty. It can potentially save you hundreds of dollars from having to hire electricians to replace the downlights in the unfortunate event of a failure.

A good practice is to purchase few extra downlights as spares. While LED downlights will last for many years, having that spare will be very handy when the time comes to replace them. Keeping few spares may also avoid the issue of not being able to get the same model if it is discontinued down the track. Pendant Lights View all. Downlights View all. Ceiling Lights View all.

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