What bulbs for recessed fixtures???

16 years ago

New construction. Three weeks away from move-in and just when I thought all decisions were made for the house, the electrian has asked what type of light bulbs I want in my recessed fixtures. Most of the cans are 6" Halo; some are 4" Halo. I'm using a wheat haze trim downstairs (9 foot ceilings) and plain white trim upstairs (8 foot ceilings).

I originally said CFLs, as I'd love to be more enviro-friendly (and save on electricity). But, electrician informed me that he does not know of any reliable CFLs that are dimmable. I've spent the last hour reading enough posts on GW to verify that there is no consensus on a reliable dimmable CFL for a recessed fixture not specifically made for CFL bulbs. I definitely want dimmable cans, so that crosses CFL bulbs off my list.

What bulbs do you recommend for recessed fixtures, bearing in mind that (1) they must be usefully dimmable; (2) I want good, warm, natural color; and (3) I have a ton of cans and don't want the bulbs to act like heat lamps.

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Comments (3)

Jon1270
16 years ago
There really isn't a cure-all type of bulb that does all of this well, so you're stuck seeking a compromise you can live with.

If you absolutely must have all these lights on dimmers and aren't willing to try some dimmable fluorescents then your options are very limited. Essentially you've just got to choose between a few types of incandescent bulbs. The fixtures and trims should have little stickers inside that list the bulb types and maximum wattages you can use. Most likely, you'll be choosing between basic incandescent "R" type reflector bulbs and halogen "PAR" bulbs.

Both are available in a range of physical sizes (R20, R30, PAR20, PAR30, etc) and wattages. Both are fully dimmable and provide warm light that renders colors well.

The "R" type bulbs will produce somewhat softer light and be more forgiving of poor can placement. Unfortunately they are also the least efficient bulbs you can easily get your hands on, meaning you'll have to use higher wattages to get enough light, therefore pumping more unwanted heat into the house. They'll also burn out quite frequently.

The "PAR" type bulbs, being halogen, are more efficient, producing less waste heat than R-types, and won't burn out nearly as freqently. They produce light that is more crisply focussed, with more tightly defined pools of light, brighter surfaces and deeper shadows. Because they were initially developed for outdoor use they have very thick, shatter-resistant glass around them that heats up and can feel like a little radiator - the "heat lamp" effect. In other words, the bulb type that actually puts less waste heat into the house feels like it's heating things up more.

I've heard good things about a hybrid type of bulb, made by Westinghouse, called "Halomax." These are halogen bulbs, so they are more efficient and last longer, but are not intended for outdoor use so their glass isn't so thick. Their light distribution is likely to be similar to the R-type lamps, and I'd bet they don't have so much of the radiant "heat lamp" effect either. You may have to order them online if a local company doesn't carry them.

You might want to buy several bulbs of different types and wattages and experiment.
dim4fun
16 years ago
Philips has a fairly new line of halogen Par lamps that are a step up in efficiency. You can get by with less wattage than standard Par lamps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Philips IRC
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I appreciate your replies. I have been rereading them to absorb as much as possible from your recommendations. A couple of comments: Shannonplus2, you have renewed my interest in 5". I thought I could only go up to a r20 in 5" but after your post I found I could use r30s, so there is no reason to go with 6"...still checking this. You are the second person who mentioned Alzar. I really want to see them to understand why everyone likes them. The "clear" got me. Are you saying the highly refective is good. I tested one and found it really shot out the light, but I was using a pretty strong bulb. Janwad, If I use a cfl, the watt (65) restriction doesn't really affect me because even a 100 watt CFL only uses 23 watts. The real issue is how much heat the ballast on the bottom of the bulb can take. In a can the heat , although a fraction of that produced by other bulbs (except LEDS) might become too high for the CFL. I tested the heat on 3 spiral CLF bulbs and compared them with the manufacture specs. None passed. The heat was not high, but it was too hot for the ballast. I spoke with bulb manufactures about this. One even told me to drill holds in the can at the top to get the heat out. Of course there should be no insulation contact. The bottom line is only CFLs that are authorized for recessed cans should be used. The can thermal switch might not trip because the heat is low but the ballast may stop working. I found 2 cfl bulbs that get the light I want that I will be trying, that are OK for recessed cans. One is $32 (and it is not dimmable; the other is a $23 dimmable. Both give 1100 lumens. Thanks for the info about the fixtures you have. Maria and coffeehaus, thanks for the info about the LEDS. Fern4, Sam's also now carries LEDs. Check the lumens and color. The Cree gives 650 lumens, can be purchased in standard 2700k and, my preference because of a white kitchen,the 3500k. The CRI is 92 which is amazing,it is supposed to go on instantly and is dimmable to 25% (but I don't know if it needs a special dimmer). But darn is it expensive, but it should last a very long time. Alot of manufactures are working on LEDs on. I may switch if the price goes down. Here is a question to you Cree owners. It appears that the trim and reflector is built-in. Is that correct? That could save money which would help justify the bulb. Thanks again for your posts. Bob
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texasredhead
16 years ago
We most often install floods in 6" cans as they fill up the opening and are especially easy to dim. The standard Halo cans and trims do not look good with the inside of the can showing.

What bulbs for recessed fixtures???

Comments (3)

Jon1270

dim4fun

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texasredhead

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