. LED lights can be misleading in some ways . . . . As far as light output; they consume ( those presently widely available on the market ) about the same amount of energy to produce a given amount of light; as a high efficiency fluroescent. So, while you can hold one in your hand and feel "no" heat; they do indeed produce heat at about the same level as fluorescents do. We do not PERCEIVE the heat; simply because LED's tend to be very good at producing high intensity in a shaped beam . . . not light in all directions. This makes them very useful for small task lighting, or uses where the light is really only needed in a narrow beam. Large area illumination is NOT their forte; and while it can be done it DOES get expensive . . . and the energy consumed to do so will be on par with fluroescents doing the same task. As a perfect example of what I'm saying; consider traffic lights, or now the tail lights on vehicles . . . . tradtionally done with incandescents. The LED equivalents that can be had do NOT produce the same amount of light . . . . but they DO produce a high level in the specific direction / plane that it is needed in. Traffic lights need to be very visible directly head on . . . their illumination to the sides drops off rapidly . . . LED's can serve this function and other similar ones very well . . . One more note . . .. "Luxeons" . . . are a particular LED that have VERY high light output . . . and they come manufactured ON a heat sink; which in turn must be mounted to a real heatsink to keep temps down where they should be. The particular circumstances of the application will determine how much of a heatsink is needed. Also know that LED's are for the most part quite tolerant of running them at higher currents / temps than they are spec'd at . . . while not a good long-term idea; it can produce amazing amounts of light . .. at the expense of LED lifetime. Heat is one of the major killers of LED's; over time their output will drop . . . and running them hot will accelerate WHEN that will happen. It may matter in your application; or it may not. Their lifetime is VERY long; so using one in a way that drops it's useable lifetime to half it's normal one; simply will not matter in some circumstances. If the LED in your flashlight lasts only 10 years instead of 20; it just may not really matter . . . . Bob

Search these threads because there have been several similar questions that have been answered already. Short answer - builders almost always charge rip-off prices for upgrades; if it's something that can be done later by someone else (as opposed to something like a higher ceiling in the basement that can't be changed later), have a 3rd party do it.Do have the builder prepare it if possible by adding an extra electrical circuit and run a wire up to a closed elecrical box in the attic where you want the lights installed. As for type, for new construction use LED. The overwhelming favourite here deservedly is the Ecosmart ECO-575L sold at Home Depot stores for $35 each, or $30 online if you buy 2 or more at a time. These are really a rebranded version of the very well-reputed Cree CR6 downlights; Ecosmart is a HD house brand, not a manufacturer. They fit into nearly any 6" can, and have built-in white trim rings that would normal cost $10 per recessed light, so the effective price of the LED bulbs is only $20. This for a flood lamp bulb that lasts for 15 years and draws only 9 watts, yet is bright and gives off high-quality light nearly indistinguishable from incandescent bulbs. And can be dimmed to 5% with most standard dimmers. There are 5000k daylight balanced versions available too that give off a cool, bluish light similar to sunlight, but most prefer the familiar warmer, more yellowish 2700K light from the warm white version, and a small 4" version too. But the warm-white 6" is the modern staple of recessed lighting. There are some restrictions to how many lights can be dimmed with one switch that varies by the dimmer switch you use: not an issue if you use a non-dimming switch. There's also a brighter 800 lumen 6" LED available from Cree (home depot doesn't sell those) but they're about $20 more than the common 625 lumen model, as well as alternative color temperatures. Insist on the "TrueWhite" versions, not the "full definition" bulbs that Cree recently started selling; the latter dulls colors noticeably and is suitable only for hallways and such.

Davidtay and Andrew, Still trying to get my head around these lighting controls. I think the Lutron RadioRA2 is what we prefer. Please help me understand what we would need to buy for each main room (let us assume there is at least a 3 way switch in each room and some have 4 way). In other words, our open concept house will have at least 2 spots in each room where lights can be turned on and off. Presently, the plan was to have multiple switches in each location (which I hate do to confusion of which switch operates which circuit). So, with the above preamble, what do I need to buy for say one room with a 3 way switch (two locations at different entries where lights can be controlled)? In that room let us assume there are 3 circuits needing to be controlled (say dining room chandy, mood lights and say pot lights all on a different circuit and all we desire the control to dim as needed). If you could help me understand what I need to buy for one room with the Lutron RadioRA2 scene control, I could then figure out what I would need to buy to have similar scene controls in all the main rooms (kitchen, great room, dining room and media room). Any general guidance on pricing of necessary products for the above scenarios? If these scene controls are controlled wirelessly, what if any in wall wiring do we need to ensure is in place before closing the walls? Do we need to hire a contractor to commission these scene controls or can they be DIY installed (DH is handy/knowledgeable enough to do some of our wiring). Do the scene controls in a room eliminate the need to have the multiple groups of light switches (or are they in addition to the multiple switches)? In other words, if we have 3 circuits needing to be controlled in a room, do we have one Lutron scene control beside a 3 gang regular light switch (room for 4 light boxes)? Sorry for all the questions -- even if you can answer some of them I would be very grateful. Also, if you can point me in the direction of where we can learn the nitty gritty of what needs to be bought and how to install these scene controls that would be very helpful. We do not have the budget to hire out the whole install and design so have to find a way to learn what needs to be done and how to do it. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Lutron scene control we prefer

The Lutron website has a list of lights that work well with their dimmers. You can also call Lutron up for help (as the final end user) Lights compatible with RadioRA2 The Cree CR and LR lights have the trim piece attached, so the parts are The housing The CR4 or CR6 The cost of a typical CR6 + housing is under $50. The CR4 + housing is about the same price range. There are other options - Feit, Halo, Sylvania, ... that could have a lower price point. The dimming performance, light spread, CRI, glare, ... for led lights will vary from vendor to vendor ( & between product ranges from the same vendor) unlike incandescent lights. Any line voltage wiring you put in will work for LED lighting since the total power draw is significantly less than that for either an incandescent or CFL. Most lighting circuits will use 14 gauge wire which will be more than sufficient. While it would be nice to have smaller aperture lights, physical constraints - height of the ceiling, serviceability and actual output (too bright/ glaring) could make a better case for a larger aperture. Having said that, taking a historical perspective ... Compared with costs ~ 5 - 6 years back, a good CFL down light could cost anywhere between $70 (non dimmable) - $150 (dimmable) while a LR6 down light would be about $120 (purchased with discounts). Once put in, the led lights will not be touched for at least 5 - 10 years unlike incandescents or CFLs. You could do the simple calculation I described in my earlier post to get a sense of things and perhaps speak with your designer to gain some comfort that the design you currently have would work.