How many recessed lights do I need? That is a good
question you have to answer when you begin thinking about lighting a room or
area with recessed lights. When you determine the number of can lights you
need, you can settle on the suitable recessed lighting layout, then you can
calculate recessed lighting spacing and locate recessed lighting placement
locations. Here we will explain how to calculate the number of recessed lights
a room will need in case of using traditional lights or LED lights.
Calculate How Many Recessed Lights per Room?
- First, you have to measure the area of the room or space you plan to light per (ft²) by multiplying the room width by the room length, if you plan to light a large area or an open floor plan, you can divide it to zones and light each zone as a separate room.
- Calculate the total required watt to light this area by multiplying the area by the average watt/ ft², which is 1.5 watt/ ft² for general lighting and may reach to 3 watt/ ft² for some areas such as kitchens and task lighting applications.
- Determine how many recessed lights do you need by dividing the total required watt by the watt of the can light bulb, which is planned to be used.
For the higher ceiling rooms (16 feet and above), you need to use brighter lights with a narrower beam angle to direct most of the light beam down to the
working surfaces.
How Many Recessed Lights for Kitchen Room
Kitchens
like bathrooms and also home offices need brighter lights to allow tasks done well.
For kitchen lighting layout you can do that by rising the average watt/ ft² to 2 for general
lighting and to 3 for task lighting and follow the calculation method mentioned
above to get how many recessed lights you need.
How Many LED Recessed Lights?
LED bulbs became a more popular light source at the
last few years. Many people plan to install LED recessed lights and others plan
to upgrade to LED lights. So, how many LED recessed lights do they need? When planning the LED recessed lighting layout. The below table will show you the equivalent LED
to both incandescent, halogen and CFL bulbs.
You
should consider the table as guidance only. LED bulbs and lights manufactured
by many manufactures and specifications may differ from one to another. You
should check the specifications of the LED product you will use to get the
exact data.
| Traditional Bulbs | CFL Bulbs | LED Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 40 - 60 | 12 - 15 | 5 - 8 |
| 60 - 75 | 15 - 18 | 8 - 10 |
| 75 - 100 | 18 - 23 | 10 - 15 |
| 100 - 150 | 23 - 35 | 15 - 20 |
| 150 - 200 | 35 - 45 | 20 - 25 |
*all
values are represented in Watt
