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Great Ideas For LED Ceiling Downlights

Downlights are a type of light fixture that shines lights straight down from the ceiling. They are commonly used for ambient lighting in both domestic and commercial applications alike.

Both home and Hotel LED downlights are especially popular due to the benefits that come with using an LED bulb. Read on to learn about some of these benefits and get some answers to common questions about LED downlight fixtures.

How To Use LED Downlighters in the Home

Below are a few tips for using downlighters in various rooms in the house:

In the Living Room

  • You can use LED downlights for task lighting such as reading on the sofa or writing at a desk.
  • Positioning the downlights along the walls can shine a light on certain photographs and artwork. They can also illuminate books on a shelf.
  • Positioning spotlights to reflect off mirrors and bounce off of walls can make the room feel brighter.

In the Bathroom

  • Use mirrors to their full potential by installing downlights directly overhead and slightly off to the side above the vanity area.
  • Prevent shadowy corners by installing downlights above shelving areas.
  • Install a dimmer light to create a calmer atmosphere for relaxing baths.

In the Kitchen

  • Place LED downlighters over where you prepare food as this activity requires plenty of visibility.
  • Breakfast bars and nooks don’t require as much light, so you can position them off to the side or use a dimmer bulb.
  • Group downlights above a table to enhance visibility and add dramatic flair.

Best Way To Use LED Spotlights in a Hotel

Hotel LED downlights can make your hotel seem brighter, more modern and more welcoming. First, you want to think about the atmosphere of the hotel.

To achieve a comfortable, calm ambiance, use indirect lighting such as small downlights in the ceiling that can offer an overall glow. Using backlighting on bookcases or shelves will also provide soft light and extra decor. For inviting, warm light, use directional lights in certain areas. This light can draw focus to chairs, tables or certain objects using the directional lighting of LED bulbs.

Different areas of the hotel and rooms require different kinds of lighting. Downlights can be used in hotel lobbies and at the reception desk to provide plenty of ambient light. It is best to use bright light in these locations so that guests can easily communicate with those behind the desk and see clearly as they check into their rooms.

Downlighters are also well suited for entryways and hallways, as they make them feel safer and easier to navigate. Using warm white light is recommended; this is a relaxing colour temperature that will feel comfortable on the tired eyes of road-weary guests.

In guest rooms, ambient lighting can be created with recessed ceiling downlights. Making them dimmable will be even better so that guests can choose their level of light. Recessed downlights can also add modern flair to the bathrooms.

How Bright Are LED Ceiling Downlights?

The brightness of LED downlights is indicated in lumens instead of wattage. Lumens are simply measurements of the amount of illumination that a light puts out. For example, a traditional 100 watt bulb shines around 1600 lumens of light. This lumen output in an LED bulb only needs 16 to 20 watts of power, which is five times less than a standard bulb.

Beyond that, LED lights create much higher brightness levels than their halogen counterparts at a fraction of the wattage. For instance:

  • A 3 watt LED bulb shines the same amount of light as a 25-30 watt traditional bulb.
  • A 5 watt LED bulb shines the same amount of light as a 45-50 watt traditional bulb.
  • A 9 watt LED bulb shines the same amount of light as a 60 watt traditional bulb.
  • A 12 watt LED bulb shines the same amount of light as a 90 watt traditional bulb.

To get an idea of just how bright an LED light is capable of getting, consider that a standard 100 watt LED bulb in a flashlight is capable of producing 7500 lumens. This is exceptionally bright compared to what 100 watts in a traditional bulb can output.

What LED Light Colour Is Best for Downlights?

Colour temperature refers to the kind of light that comes from a bulb. It is measured in Kelvin, often represented simply by a “K.” Generally, the warmer the light looks, the lower the Kelvin rating is. The cooler the light, the higher the Kelvin rating will be. Some of the most common colour temperatures include:

  • Extra warm white light at 2700K
  • Warm white light at 3000K
  • White light at 3500K
  • Cool white light at 4000K
  • Daylight at 6000K

If you are lighting a home or hotel especially, 3000K warm white light is recommended. This type of light is easy on the eyes and is good for relaxing. On the other hand, if you need to illuminate a commercial space or retail shop, cool white light is better. Cool white light helps show off the details of what it shines on, helping customers see what they’re buying.

In the end, it all comes down to preference. Whatever you choose, you should stick to one or the other; having cool and warm lights overlapping each other can create an odd appearance.

LED downlighters or downlights are, in essence, spotlights that are recessed into the ceiling. Such recessed LED ceiling lights offer directional, bright lighting across the room. Homeowners like to use this kind of light to illuminate entire rooms. This is accomplished by placing lights spaced along the ceiling. They are also used to draw attention to a focal point in the space.

Since the fitting is flush against the ceiling, it offers a minimalistic appearance that is preferred by those who love modern lighting and decor. After installing a recessed LED spotlight, the only part that is visible is the bulb and the bezel of the light. The finishes often are available in various options to give you choices on how they appear.

The benefits of using LED spotlight downlight fixtures as opposed to traditional halogen lights are numerous. Some of the most attractive benefits of LED downlights include:

  • LONG LIFE. LED lights are rated to last for as long as 20,000 hours, whereas halogen bulbs only promise one hour. This can save you money on constantly replacing the bulbs, even if you run them for as long as eight hours a day.
  • ENERGY EFFICIENT. Even though the lights are long lasting, they don’t consume a lot of power. In fact, they use 85 percent less energy when compared to traditional bulbs. Where halogen bulbs output up to 70 percent of their energy in heat, LED bulbs convert 90 percent of their energy into light.
  • ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. By putting out less energy, they also reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the environment. Since you don’t have to replace them often, this will also reduce the amount of waste you are contributing to landfills.
  • COOL TO THE TOUCH. Because of the lack of heat being output, they also don’t get hot. Their lower temperature facilitates a cooler environment.
  • ENHANCED BRIGHTNESS. Adjustable LED downlights are one of the perks of choosing LED over traditional bulbs. Not only do they offer a brighter glow than traditional lights but many are dimmable as well. This allows you to set the mood in any room at any time.
  • GENERAL SAVINGS. Not only can you save money on constantly replacing the light bulbs, but you can also protect your cash in other ways. You can save on maintenance costs of your lights since the only thing you need to do is give them an occasional dry wipe to remove dust. It can also save you money on your electricity bill, as you won’t have to use as much energy to light your home.

Deciding where to place your Indoor downlights can seem tricky. There are a few things you can as yourself before going through with installing the lights into your space:

  • How big is the room?
  • How do you plan on using the room?
  • How high is your ceiling?
  • Do you want to give any area of the room special focus?
  • Is it a single room or is it an open plan?

How many downlights you need will depend on how large your space is. Many people choose to install one downlight per square meter, which provides more than enough light in many cases.

When using this formula, people also tend to leave half a meter between the light and the wall. You can determine how many downlights you need not only in terms of space but in terms of brightness. The brighter the light, the fewer downlights you may need.

After considering these factors, you can begin to plan the arrangement of your LED ceiling spotlights:

Ceiling Height

The illumination shines from ceiling downlights in a cone shape. You want to have these cones of light intersecting with one another above the floor, ideally around 74 centimeters from it. If you have a higher ceiling, you won’t need extra downlights to create the light. To decide the distance between the downlights, many people calculate the space between the lights. They do so by dividing the ceiling height by two and then using that result as the distance of separation.

Focal Points

Decide which areas need more light in a space and focus on them first. For example, if you are installing kitchen downlights, your main areas of concern will be where you complete tasks: the counters, sinks and table.

Ceiling Edges

If you place your ceiling downlights too close to the wall, this will cast a shadow on the ceiling’s edge. This can cause the room to appear smaller than it is. Avoid this by keeping a gap of around 75 centimeters between the edge of the ceiling and the downlight.

IP ratings, which stands for “Ingress Protection” ratings, is a rating that indicates different levels of protection for your lights. The first number stands for the protection against dry debris, and the second stands for protection against wetness and moisture. If you don’t have the right IP rated lights in certain areas, they can be damaged.

Generally speaking, most areas in the home are fine with an IP20 rating that protects them against dust and fine particles. In wet locations like a bathroom, steam room or pool, the light needs to be IP65 rated. This protects against moisture.

Liquid Ingress Ratings:

Level 1 – offers protection against dripping water

Level 2 – offers protection against dripping water when it is tilted at 15 degrees

Level 3 – offers protection against water that is sprayed

Level 4 – offers protection against water that is splashed

Level 5 – offers protection against jet water

Level 6 – offers protection against forceful jet water

Level 7 – offers protection against immersed lights as deep as one meter

Level 8 – offers protection against immersed lights deeper than one meter

When lighting the bathroom, you must consider the bathroom zones:

  • ZONE 0. This zone refers to the area of the shower or inside the bath where water is directly found. Lights must have an IP67 rating, which offers protection against water immersion.
  • ZONE 1. This area is above the shower or bath and requires a minimum of IP45 rated lights. It is recommended that, when you can, you install lights with an IP65 rating just to be safe.
  • ZONE 2. This area spans around 0.6 meters outside the perimeter of the shower or bath. A minimum IP rating of IP44 is required here.

Lighting zones for a bathroom

The outside zones refer to any zone outside of the aforementioned where no jet water can reach. There isn’t a special light requirement for this area, though a minimum rating of IP20 is recommended.

While LED downlights are something that can be added to your home, you should never be the one to do it. The electrical components of lighting run the risk of shock or electrocution if you mishandle things. For this reason, it is necessary that you hire a qualified electrician to safely install the lights for you.

LED downlights shine light straight down from the ceiling across the room, making them an obvious choice for ambient lighting. When you install LED downlighters, not only are you getting the benefit of a wide wash of light, you’re also benefiting from the properties of LED bulbs.

Above, we outlined these benefits as well as how to incorporate LED downlights into your home or hotel. We also explored IP ratings to ensure the long life of your bulbs and touched on brightness levels in the form of lumens to help you understand how LED lights work. Using this information, you can begin to shop and plan for the addition of LED downlights.

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