Previous in Forum: Regarding Fire Pump & Lift Capacity   Next in Forum: CR4 Stands For Chicago Rival 4 Super Bowl
Close
Close
Close
8 comments
Rate Comments: Nested
Participant

Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2

Pot Light Placement

01/23/2011 9:37 AM

I'm building a new house and want to light the family room and rec room with pot lights. Does any one have guide in regards to the distance from light to light.

Register to Reply
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

"Almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, vote them!
Guru

Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 42355
Good Answers: 1693
#1

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/23/2011 9:47 AM

4-6 feet. 2 feet away from the walls. With standard ceilings.

Now, if you want a better answer, give more detail, or consult with your lighting contractor or the salesman at the lighting store.

Remember, 10 years from now, when one needs to be replaced, it means a trip into the attic to work on them.

Register to Reply Score 1 for Good Answer
Guru
Hobbies - Musician - New Member Australia - Member - Torn and breading Engineering Fields - Nanoengineering - New Member APIX Pilot Plant Design Project - Member - New Member

Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia
Posts: 3721
Good Answers: 74
#3
In reply to #1

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/23/2011 8:27 PM

Wouldn't he be better off speaking to a hydroponics specialist?

__________________
The Twain Has Met
Register to Reply
Guru
Hobbies - Fishing - New Member

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Raleigh, NC USA
Posts: 13529
Good Answers: 468
#2

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/23/2011 9:56 AM

There isn't really a standard distance, however you do want the distance and placement to be uniform. You have to think about the layout of the rooms, how things are going to placed, different switches controlling different areas, dimmers or not, etc.

Once you come up with what you want, incorporate that into your plan. lyn's idea about the lighting store is good. They may even have a software program, where you can place your lighting in a virtual room and see how it looks before making a decision.

__________________
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Ben Franklin
Register to Reply Score 1 for Good Answer
Commentator

Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 99
#4

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/23/2011 10:44 PM

Morning, what kind of pot lights are you going for? 120V, low voltage (12vdc)? wattage? etc.... dimmiable or not? lots of consideration my friend :)

Spacing is based on room size, beams, etc.... a nice little software to use is Lite Pro 2.0 which i use at work....

things to consider ceiling, wall, floor reflective levels.......

i usually keep mine bout 6-8ft apart and rows around 6 ft apart but every place is different.....

figure out your coloums , run string ....... and then each row will be straight on center,

if the spacing between potilights is off due to beams , noone will notice 3" more/less between 2 potlights over 6 ft if all the rows are the same.... i know souns confusing....

happy sunday,

Register to Reply
Power-User

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Melbourne Florida
Posts: 122
Good Answers: 2
#5

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/23/2011 10:56 PM

The Best advise I could give would to contact a local lighting vendor. They are the experts. They can visit the location and suggest the best solution.

__________________
repeat problems can not be solved by the same way of thinking ( A. Einstein)
Register to Reply
Guru

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: West Coxsackie, NY
Posts: 533
Good Answers: 10
#6

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/24/2011 12:37 AM

What size rooms? What exact lighting are you looking for? What voltage? Dimmable?

You really need to think about how high the ceiling is, room size, voltage and what type of pot light you want. LED, CF or other. You really need to talk to a lighting expert to give you the options of Candle Power, type of light, color temp, CRI you need or want and do you want to control it variably? Lighting a space is somewhat rocket science with many variables. It all depends on what you really want from lighting. I know what I want from a liht and each type of light. LED's are on the forefront, color temp and CRI are not quite there for me though, yet. Getting better daily though.

__________________
"Real Bass Players" do not use picks
Register to Reply
Member

Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 5
#7

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/24/2011 7:53 AM

Dude -- how much pot are you planning to grow?

Register to Reply
Active Contributor

Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 17
Good Answers: 1
#8

Re: Pot Light Placement

01/24/2011 5:49 PM

I installed the recessed lights (call 'em cans, pots, whatever) in the lower section of my home when I raised it and converted to a two-story structure. We chose to build the new lower section with nine-foot ceilings. I had approximately 21 inches of clearance to work with, and insulated around and on top of the fixtures for sound-proofing. This meant I had to carefully select each fixture to be in direct contact with insulation. The fixtures I purchased also have a built-in thermal resistor which is designed to cut power if the light fixture becomes exceedingly HOT. Since all I can find is canister/recessed light fixtures made in China, I made darn sure I did not string too many lights on one circuit. I do not want to burn down the "new" house. Where the new ceiling trusses did not conveniently line up with the desired opening, I used an adjustable fixture mount that nails between the trusses and slides the canister left or right to center it in your desired opening. I left enough slack in the 12-2 wire to allow removal/replacement of a failed fixture.

Since these come in varying sizes, I chose smaller units (three-inch HALO brand) for over the living room sofa on a dimmer. Same thing surrounding the edge of our dining room ceiling. In the 13 X 18ft family room I installed an array of eight large-diameter fixtures to provide a bright, even lighting which is real nice for my three boys during the dark Alaskan winter months. These did not need a dimmer, and I only have to remind the boys to "kill the lights" when they leave that room.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6631401_recessed-lighting-installation-guide.html

In truth, my missus is the genius in my family when it comes to a well-designed layout - and I am good at choosing and installing electrical and electronic equipment. Best of luck with your project!

Register to Reply
Register to Reply 8 comments

"Almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, vote them!
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Alaskan Dad (1); dthomas16 (1); Jimh77 (1); kramarat (1); kwoznia1 (1); ky (1); lyn (1); Steampunk (1)

Previous in Forum: Regarding Fire Pump & Lift Capacity   Next in Forum: CR4 Stands For Chicago Rival 4 Super Bowl

Advertisement