Halogen retrofit lighting is versatile and can complement various interior designs. The process of retrofitting lighting in a building involves a systematic approach that starts with a comprehensive assessment of current lighting. A lighting retrofit is when you upgrade existing energy-wasting light fixtures and bulbs with hyper-efficient LED technology. There are three options for upgrading a fluorescent luminaire to LED: replace lamps with TLED lamps, adapt the fixtures, or use LED retrofit kits.
LED retrofitting is the process of replacing traditional lighting with LED technology to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance lighting quality. Benefits of LED retrofitting include longer-lasting and more efficient bulbs compared to older lighting sources. The Good Homes Alliance overheating tool for retrofits is a risk-based tool developed by GHA, Oxford Brookes University, and partners.
Renovating existing homes to reduce energy consumption and meet climate change goals can be achieved through practical guidance, case studies, and specifications for different housing types. Interior LED retrofits cover various areas within a building, such as offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, retail stores, and even homes.
A light kit is a small pane of glass installed into a commercial interior door, which can be used interchangeably with conventional cans. Retrofit LED and conventional cans cost about $85 apiece, while dedicated LED cans are around $175.
Upgrading your space with LED retrofit kits offers energy-efficient lighting, saving costs, enhancing quality, and embracing sustainability. Upgrading your lights will give you more control over your home and increase your energy savings since LED lamp tech reduces light energy consumption.
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What does retrofit mean in building construction?
The process of retrofitting a building entails modifying its systems or structure subsequent to the completion of construction in order to enhance the quality of life for occupants and improve the building’s performance. As technology progresses, retrofits have the potential to markedly reduce energy and water consumption. It is important to note, however, that not all retrofit technologies are suitable for every building. Therefore, it is crucial to consult a qualified professional before undertaking any work.
What does a lighting retrofit specialist do?
A lighting retrofit is a process of replacing parts and components in an existing lighting system with more efficient or better quality alternatives. It is a quick and convenient way to upgrade your current setup without the larger expense of a complete overhaul. The main reason people choose to retrofit their lighting is the potential money savings it offers. Most retrofits consume 25-60% less energy than older systems, and even a slight increase in efficiency can have major positive effects on your bottom line.
Retrofits also comply with new energy standards, offer superior quality light, boost worker productivity and quality control, lower maintenance, earn tax savings and rebates, are environmentally friendly, safer and easier to operate, and have a longer product life.
What does retrofit mean for doors?
Retrofit windows and doors are new products installed within existing home frames, removing the old window sash while keeping the frame in place. The new window is then placed perfectly within the existing frame, creating a seamless appearance. These windows are ideal for San Diego homeowners looking to upgrade their old windows and doors at an affordable price point. They are more durable and energy efficient, making them an excellent choice for homes with good-looking window and door frames.
Retrofit windows are generally less expensive than new construction windows due to their less labor-intensive installation process. In summary, retrofit windows and doors are an excellent upgrade option for San Diego homeowners looking to upgrade their existing windows and doors at an affordable price.
What is the difference between retrofit and recessed lighting?
LED retrofit modules are a convenient and easy-to-install solution for recessed lights, offering a quick, easy-to-replace solution without tampering with the housing or making significant changes to the ceiling. They come in a single piece, making it easy to replace or upgrade if new technology is introduced. LED retrofit modules are designed to last in your ceiling, with better heat management systems than LED light bulbs. They come in various low-profile and decorative styles, making them more aesthetically pleasing than exposed LED light bulbs in recessed cans.
However, there are some disadvantages to LED retrofits, such as compatibility with incandescent housings and possible dimming issues. To dim lights using LED retrofits, opt for fixtures labeled “dimmable” and install a new dimmer compatible with the module. Additionally, replacing conventional housing/trim with a new recessed lighting system can be a more cost-effective option, as LED canless options eliminate the need for a separate housing, trim, and light source, making installation a breeze compared to traditional recessed lighting.
In conclusion, LED retrofit modules offer several advantages over traditional recessed lighting systems, including convenience, ease of installation, and better heat management.
How much does it cost to retrofit a light?
The average cost of installing a light fixture varies based on the type of fixture, such asrecessed, track, wall-mounted, and fluorescent. Recessed fixtures cost between $130 and $300, while track fixtures range from $100 to $300. Wall-mounted fixtures cost between $100 and $250, and fluorescent fixtures range from $80 to $220. The type of light fixture chosen greatly affects the cost, with ceiling-mounted lights being the most common and typically costing between $70 and $250. These fixtures are typically used in small to medium-sized rooms to provide adequate illumination.
What is the difference between existing building retrofit and replacement?
The article emphasizes the importance of prioritizing retrofits in existing buildings to reduce carbon emissions. The embodied carbon associated with a new building is twice that of a deep retrofit, so it should be prioritized where possible. Retrofits involve installing new elements or technology into existing buildings, such as thermal insulation or heating system technology, to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The question for custodians of existing buildings should be not whether to retrofit, but how deep and how soon to retrofit.
What is interior retrofit?
Retrofitting is a low-carbon, low-cost interior solution that contributes to a sustainable narrative by upgrading existing buildings rather than constructing new ones. This approach aligns with client efforts to achieve Net Zero Carbon and promotes sustainable development practices. Retrofitting often results in faster construction programs and lower construction costs compared to building new structures from scratch, saving time and money while minimizing disruptions to users, communities, and existing infrastructure.
It also offers the potential to avoid lengthy planning applications, as the existing building framework can be internally modified to meet current needs. Retrofitting also enables the reuse of underutilised property or estate portfolios, maximising the value of existing assets and minimizing waste. By leveraging pre-existing transport links and community infrastructure, retrofit projects can enhance connectivity and accessibility, benefiting both occupants and surrounding communities.
Retrofitted interior spaces can rejuvenate communities, enhance cultural heritage, and ensure buildings have an increased life expectancy. Through strategic planning and working with HLM’s Conservation team, retrofitting can transform outdated or underperforming buildings into vibrant, functional spaces that meet contemporary users’ needs.
What is the purpose of retrofit?
Retrofit is a crucial trend in achieving net-zero targets by improving energy efficiency in existing buildings. This includes enhancing heat retention, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, and generating energy from the homes themselves. However, retrofitting is a significant challenge in the UK, with many homes not built for purpose and some of the oldest and worst housing stock in Europe.
Heat leaks through windows, doors, and uninsulated walls, causing heating systems to work harder for more money and less warmth. Older homes often face more problems, such as dampness, condensation, draughts, and lack of insulation, making them harder to heat.
What is the difference between retrofit and new construction lighting?
A retrofit is a cost-effective way to upgrade your current lighting system without replacing it entirely. It involves replacing current light bulbs and fixtures with energy-efficient ones. New construction is a more expensive option but offers a state-of-the-art system. Understanding the different parts of recessed home lighting systems can help make the best installation or replacement decisions.
What does retrofit lighting mean?
A Lighting Retrofit is an upgrade to light fixtures or lamps, typically enhancing energy efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. These upgrades improve light levels and reduce maintenance costs, and utility companies often offer rebates for these projects nationwide. When considering a Lighting Upgrade, consider factors such as cost of ownership, energy usage reduction, building value enhancement, and potential incentives from local utility providers.
Energy-saving projects may also qualify for incentives from local utility providers. Additionally, upgrading lighting can help reduce operating costs while maintaining or increasing light quality, and may align with pollution reduction and “going green” priorities for businesses.
What is a retrofit fee?
The text outlines the costs associated with a retrofit project, including design, engineering, equipment procurement, construction, permitting, biocatalyst development, facility improvements, and facility payments. Soft costs include professional work, interim costs, financing fees, syndication costs, and developer’s fees, as per the applicant’s UniApp. Routine patient costs include healthcare services covered under the Group Contract for cancer or other life-threatening conditions, typically for patients not enrolled in an approved clinical trial.
Maintenance costs include parts and materials, sublet, and labor costs of a licensed mechanic for the maintenance of Revenue Service Vehicles, but exclude costs associated with transit advertising signs and non-mechanical servicing.
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If you have a difficult wall or ceiling texture to repair match, You could also take down the crown and make access holes that the crown would cover when reinstalled. … or if your room doesn’t have crown, it’s a nice opportunity to add it in lieu of a possible bad patch. Also consider rope light in a dropped crown as part of the lighting scheme.
Looks great! Just a tip, if you want it brighter dont think in more spots persee. Now you are spreading the light 180degrees and basically loosing a lot on the housing and diffuser. Try to use a led spot with a lens of 60 degrees by example. Or use 30 degrees and place them closer to your walls. Than you make an indirect light from your walls and you eliminate shadows. The flat leds are very popular but they have a very low cri. So while they are blinding you, you think they light up the place but they don’t.
I had the same situation in my previous house with joists and not trusses. I did mine a little different though. I only used one light to avoid having to use a flex auger and get myself in trouble drilling blind. I connected my light to constant power off a nearby light switch. Only had to make two small holes right next to the top plate to bring the wire up, one in the wall and one in the ceiling and went around the top plate, then hid the wire using the crown moulding I had to take down to get there. Next added a wireless light switch kit I found online. It had a relay that used 120V and a rocker switch that replaced any light switch but didn’t need power. It was kinetic and got power whenever the switch was flipped.
Well done Brad. I was going to suggest perusal Jeff install them on last week’s live but out of respect for your website. Didn’t feel was right place to suggest it. Between you and him I’ve learned alot over the last year. And will be replacing my can lights with these. As part of my basement restore after flood last summer
Fluke is also a dependable hot stick. As an electrician, I really recommend not getting the hot sticks or tics that have lights on the end! I went through a couple of those, and they get to where they are not dependable very quickly. just a FYI. and those dust bowl are great. I bought one that comes with an adjustable blade; two arms that adjust by an allen wrench and the arm has measurements on it so you know what size you are extending to; not sure if I got it at Locke supply or where I got it now lol but it’s pretty handy but not sure I would use it on anything but sheetrock, but it is great for cutting holes in sheetrock and you can do any hole with one hole saw instead of spending a lot of money on multiple hole saws. I think it grabs less too! It has blades on it and not teeth.
Planning to do this soon and I’m jealous of your situation! I’ve got 18″ of loose insulation above in my attic which I think is going to make it impossible to do this from below. I’m going to have to get up above and move insulation out of the way so it doesn’t all end up in the house and I don’t think I can fish wires from below through all the insulation so I might have to guide them from above. Not looking forward to it! I at least have good access but it’s so hot up there and not many places to step and little headroom towards the edge of the house.
In your scenario losing constant power to your outlet was completely avoidable without running any wires down the walls. You simply needed to run a 14/3 wire between the two recessed lights parallel to the existing wire. Rather than 14/2. And connect both sides of the existing wire rather than one side. Doing so allows constant power to continue through on the black wire. If your wafer Jbox is to small you may have to add a second Jbox on one side easily accessible through the same hole.
Great article, and well explained. My only criticism would be that you really didn’t need to run a brand new wire to the outlet formerly controlled by the switch. The bottom of the outlet is fed by a different wire – not the one from the switch, therefore, all you needed to do was cap the red wire and tuck it in the back of the box, replace the duplex outlet with a new one with an unbroken bridge, and the wire that supplied the constant electricity would have powered both top and bottom.
There is a scientific approach to follow for layout, but I’m an engineer and not a lighting designer. This prevents shadows between light beams, which looks terrible and feels like a tunnel. What you need to know is: 1. Beam angle (the beam creates a Conical Frustum shape for each light) – narrower beam angle means more lights needed 2. Ceiling height – lower ceiling means beams intersect closer to the ground – more lights needed Lay out the lights so that the beams intersect above the average person’s height. 6′ is a good place to be. Trigonometry is required. Also, make sure the beam intersection is 6′ or above around the edge of the room, as well.
Awesome article. Only thing i would do different is avoid make additional holes to fish the line. There are some nice tricks available to fish a line up and over a corner onto the ceiling. A simple wooden broom stick with a weighed object attached to it via a string is great help. You can even get fancy and use the magnetic fishing tool as well.
Removed the builder grade ceiling light with 2 60w incandescent lamps and installed 4 6″ Dimmable LED’s in my kitchen last year. I cut so many holes in the ceiling running 14/2 my wife thought I had lost my mind! But now – NOW – different opinion on my mind 😁 And the kitchen is on the first floor. Bedroom above.
Excellent article, especially for a non-electrician! As a helpful tip, always check the LED units to make sure they are dimmable if you plan to use a light dimmer and make sure the dimmer is compatible to use. You are lucky that the ceiling cable was NM (Non Metallic, aka Romex) and not BX, metal spiral clad electrical cable as you would not be able to accurately use you non-voltage contact tester. Keep up the great work/videos!
depending on how your code is where you live, you might be able to use a Jbox for the 14-3. have a piece of 14-2 running from the red to the lights, and have another piece tied on to the black wire back to the receptacle. and since the wafer lights are easily removable, it would be considered accessible
I recommend put the drill in high speed. There’s less torque, less kick back. Never use an insulated screwdriver. Just drill the centre hole, then poke up a coat hanger that’s cut, bend a right angle in it that’s the radius of the light fitting and spin it. This will mean you’ll have clearance from the roof timber. DIY electrical scares me, as seen some seriously unsafe stuff.
Nice! My wife wanted a light in the Main entrance, Dono why the builder didn’t put one in but because it’s Vaulted ceiling. I waited till the roof needed replacing. Cut the shingles and OSB along the roof joists and ran a line from the light fixture to the nearest switch. (Added a switch). Put back the OSB I cut out (With added Cross members from the two joists) the roofer went to work. Now we have a Beautiful Chandelier in out Vaulted entrance So if you need to replace your roof….think about adding light fixtures in your Vaulted ceilings
Great mockup of the wall. Note that if you’re working on an older home – the walls might have horizontal blocking at 48″~52″ from the floor preventing you from passing the wire to the new electrical box, as many electrical boxes are set at 45″~48″ on center. This would require you to cut another access hole above the block and drill a hole for the wire to pass through. Last summer (covid project) I remodeled our bathroom and used the wafer lights above the toilet and shower areas. They’re fantastic as they give plenty of light and are so easy to install. The best quality of light for a bathroom is from the 4000K fixtures. I also used clear silicone to seal the light. Oh yeah, I left my wire strippers up in the attic too! One more thing, if you’re going to put a ceiling fan up you have to be careful not to place too many or too close to the fan because you’ll get a strobe effect (been there, done that)!. And you may find that the light from the ceiling fan is disappointing compared to the wafer lights.
Instead of running new power to that outlet couldn’t you have just connected the 2nd hot wire from the 14/3 to the main power coming into the switch so you still had power to the outlet? In that scenario you would just need to replace the outlet with a new that still has the tab intact right? I’m no electrical expert by any means so I’m really just throwing a hypothetical out there because I’m actually about to the same exact project but will be installing a fan/light combo instead of the wafers. If anyone else has any insight on my theory please weigh in by all means! Thanks for the article! – Disregard this question. I just realized you completely cut that wire in the ceiling. I though you just spliced into it for the red hot and left the black hot running to the outlet.
Really good article!!! An alternate technique for the Half Hot Switch Receptacle: Replace the single gang switch with with a double gang or triple gang retrofit. Now you can still have a switched outlet, switch for the ceiling lights, and with a triple you can have switch for ceiling fan. You would bond the new electrical runs to the existing neutrals and hots. Just take your time when backing out the existing the electrical wires from the single gang to ensure not to damage/tear their outer installation. I’ve put the pancake ceiling lights in 7 rooms (4 in each room). They were between $20-$30 at the time for each light. The builder wanted $150 per “can” during construction. So we did the immediate retrofit for about $100 per room verses $600. It only took 2 days to complete all.
Many ways to do this, but as an experienced electrician in your situation i would have turn off the power to the wire reached into the ceiling light hole closest to the outlet cut the wire with enough access to make a splice (outside the ceiling) in an approved box, pull the rest of the wire out of the first hole (near the switch) to make another splice in a sec box. And replace the wire between the two ceiling light holes.
A quick fix to re-power the receptacle is to pull the slack end of the 14/3 to the pot light closest where the plug is. Run an additional wire between that pot and the first light brought the 14/3 to. You then can continue the constant power to the plug. Would be even better if you use 14/3 between those two lights. Much easier for box fill.
Licensed electrician here with 31-years of experience… homes are still wired without ceiling lights because they’re not required by the code. The only rooms in a house that requires a ceiling light (or wall sconce) are the bathroom(s) and kitchen. Brad offers a GREAT EXPLANATION of the 3-wire and the switched side vs the constant side of the receptacle. The split receptacle is required by the code because receptacles are required within 6′ of any opening (such as a doorway) and no more than 12′ apart along the wall line. If you are unsure even a little bit, dont hesitate to hire a licensed electrician. These lights with install are anywhere from $150-$225 each LED light.
Awesome article, Brad! I appreciate you mixing it up with some of these home improvement DIY articles. And great tip on “never drill blind” because did just that last Fall and nearly drill right into a live 20amp cable feeding an outlet on another wall. My advice when feeding down to a existing box (switch or outlet): just pull out the new work box nailed to the stud & replace it with an old work box. They’re easy to cut out with an oscillating multi tool & saves you one drywall patch job!
This is very good and gave me some good ideas and confidence to move forward on a couple of projects in our new house. I have looked for the same lights you used but cannot find the ones with the quick connectors in the box. Can you share the link or model number? I tried the model number from the article but cannot find the same lights. Thanks.
Figures i saw this article 2 DAYS AFTER HIRING AN ELECTRICIAN TO DO EXACTLY THIS. We just wanted a can light over the kitchen sink where there was already 6 can lights in the kitchen already. I watched him and he did pretty much what you did. Great article and thank you. Little things you added were more valuable than you probably recognize like using the non-contact voltage tester as well as why you were using gloves. Just remember that many of us perusal these articles have ways lower DYI skills and its probably hard to even recognize how far down the learning curve we actually hard. Again, great job on this article and thanks for taking all the extra time while you just wanted to get some lighting in your house to article record, edit, and post articles for us all.
My tips would be 1. Wear a tool belt so you always put your tools back into the belt and not the ceiling, lol 2. Connect all the lights and test them before you mount them, as some can be a pain to unmount. I’m usually installing speakers so I have to adjust the 70/100v tapa 3. Glo-rods or fish rods work easier than a fish tape as they like to stay straight and a small 20′ fiberglass fish tape is easier than steel. My dream of training a rat to pull wires has come through yet so I’m stuck with rods and tape. Thanks for the dust bowl. Which make did you get? I need one. I tried one a few years ago and it wasn’t worth it.
These wafer lights are SO easy! Since they are IC rated and rated for damp locations, I installed four of them in my front soffits as wash lights and put one in my bathroom above the shower! As an added bonus, I used one in my closets to satisfy the electrical inspector; they don’t protrude into the space so there is no concern with the lights getting broken and starting a fire. Also, the LED uses so little power, I actually see the difference in my bill!
Great article editing pace and I had to take a double take on your split screen showing your ‘twin’ helping! One thing to keep in mind is that the code requires 1/16″ steel backing plates (I think that is the term) to protect wires running closer than 1 1/4″ to the surface of the 2×4 so it might be better to move the cable before drilling rather than drill near one side or the other of the 2×4 framing. Those plates would be nearly impossible to install as old work.
If you wanted to keep constant power on the other half of that plug, joint that 3 wire in the box and run the switch leg to your pot lights and tie the blacks together so they run through to the plug, then replace your plug with one that isn’t split. Then you have your plug with constant power and your switched pot lights. This will only work however if you have enough slack
Same brand I bought and installed about 8 months ago, Brad. I used them for my exterior soffits and porches though, not indoors … 5 – 6 inch lights and 6 – 4 inchers to replace existing can lights. They are awesome! Many reasons for the swap but a big motivator for me was to eliminate places for wasps and mud daubers to take up residence which were a constant battle – the solid flush mount works great for that. In addition, not only do they look great and provide great lighting, they save you money too! They’ve all had a lot of use but the 4 inch lights have been run over 8+ hours every night since install and not a hint of trouble. Great choice!
For wiring the light, another (gutsy) thing you could have tried is to disconnect the wire at the light then attach a pull cord to it and reach up in the ceiling for the wire an pull. Once you had the cord and the wire, you could attach your LED wiring to it and them use the cord hanging our of the switch plate to pull everything back. Now you have can put the original wiring back and you now have your LED power wire too.
You could have added an extra ceiling box and used it as a junction box to tap into that 14-3 line. This would allow you to keep using the constant power black at the outlet and divert the red power to your lights. Afterward, just cover the new ceiling box with a blank plate and paint to match the ceiling. Alternatively, you could use the junction box of the light to accomplish the same thing if there is enough slack in the original line. Bring the original line into the first box. Use a 14-3 to get the red across the room to another of your lights. Then use the junction box of that second light to tie back into the original line that feeds the receptacle biox.
Dude, wafer lights are absolutely amazing. I installed a drop ceiling in our laundry room and wanted recessed lighting over cheesy looking fluorescent. Because of how high I needed to make the ceiling, it was super close to the joists and was impossible to install true cans. Picked up some 3/8″ thick 6″ wafers and love them. They even have an in-line switch to change the light color (K) to change from cooler or warmer.
I’m curious why you didn’t go 134″ from the opposing walls (across from the slanted wall) to get your 4th can measurement. That’s what I would have done… although I probably would have messed it up at some point. Also, why didn’t you put a junction box in the attic and use the existing red wire for the lights and then use the black for the outlet. Perhaps you don’t have access to the attic, I don’t know.
Thanks for sharing this Brad. This is a something that I’ve been wanting to do for a few of the rooms in my house that just have lamps that are on switch run outlets. I have done a far amount of electrical work in the past so I’m competent enough to do that but I just haven’t been sure about how to deal with the outlets and also how to run the lines for the lights where there isn’t any existing ones there that I’m aware of. Lots of great information, thanks again Brad.
I just put 16 of these throughout my basement, they are great! I bought ones that have 5 different white temperatures (set with a switch on each box) since I plan on painting after and haven’t picked the colour yet. Another tip, mine needed a 4 1/8″ hole saw but I only had a 4″ one. I used the 4″ one, then shaved the hole a little bigger all around using a drywall saw, rather than spending $30 on a hole saw I probably wouldn’t use again.
I would’ve kept the switch you had originally. You had a switched red and a constant black. Cut the wire where did in the ceiling (after turning off the breaker, of course). Use the red hot wire from the switch and white neutral wire for your first wafer light. Connect the cut black wire (from the switch) back to the cut black wire (to the outlet). Cap the unused red wire to the outlet. Remove the red (now-dead) wire from the outlet and jumper the outlet hots (lines) together. Now your lights and your outlet works. No need to run an additional wire later to fix the outlet.
I’m confused why you couldn’t maintain the constant hot wire to the outlet? Just would have required a junction box in the ceiling right? Where you snipped the wire you could have spliced the always hot from the switch box with the wire going to the outlet. I’m a DIYer so maybe I’m misunderstanding something.
So I guess required securing of Romex lines within twelve inches of every device and no more than eighteen inches everywhere else isn’t a thing where you live? It also seems weird that there are unsecured Romex lines in the scuttle. I do have those same type (probably same mfr also) but in the 8″-inch size. They are fantastic for my shop. Secured wiring, of course.
How are you fishing wires to the can lights in different directions without cutting the ceiling open to get through the ceiling joists? This is not normal, misleading, and just very strange in my opinion. I have always had to cur the 2nd floor open and drill through ceiling joists that run in a direction that blocks wiring from going through them. Can you please explain this? You would be my hero.
Great article, well explained. And for my comment which probably wont be read, because its a year old. But who, for heavens sake builds a room without a light in the first place. Complete amateurism. Gross stupidity. A tip as well, use a stud-finder before you drill, come to think of it, its not a good article.
That switched outlet feed in the ceiling seemed reachable from the hole. It would have been less work to cut the feed with enough room for the first light, connect the switched outlet side to the closest light to it, and use 14-3 to give the outlet constant power. the rest of the lights could be wired with 14-2, and there would be no addressing the outlet later.
I would’ve just cut that 3 wire and pulled one end of it to the light near the switch and the other end to the light near the receptacle. Then just pull a 3 wire between them and wire the receptacle to be constant hot. Then just use the red wire as the switch leg going to the lights instead of the receptacle. No more holes needed.
I have these all over my home! We have trusses rather than 2×12 rafters so the best part is that when you want to add any type of wiring I just pop out the LED pots and can run the new wire without tearing out ceiling! Just toss the new wire from hole to hole! BTW, I have a lot of 8″ wafers in my garage but used 6 inch in my kitchen and notice that the 8″ will blink when the Lutron switch is turned on but the 6-inch does not… we used these in our church and the 8-inch do the same thing…
Whoa. Not to be critical of your article cause I think it is great, however you skipted a bunch of important stuff. You went from finding a hot wire off your switch to plugging in all the lights. How the did you do that and why didn’t you explain. Wiring didn’t magically connect to the other 3 lights. Unless you ran wiring across to them.
This article should have a major caveat. This framing construction is not standard. The likelihood of someone having these perfect conditions is low. You will likely have to get into an attic space if possible. If not YOU MAY REQUIRE MANY HOLES, the ones he shows later in the article @ 12:00 but also at each joist bay to cross joists to interconnect the lights. I am a master electrician and feel bad for all the people that expect these perfect conditions and then bound to their decision to take on this task after cutting massive holes in the ceiling only to find out that there aren’t trusses but joists that can’t fished across. Other than that it is a well explained article. If you cut in a junction box with the dead end wire that runs to the outlet, and a jumper from the light to that jbox you can power the outlet again with your choice of constant power or half hot to turn on with the lights as it originally was.
Here is some helpful advice. If the switch that controlled your outlet was on the opposite wall, and you had two lights cut into the ceiling between the switch and outlet, you could have run a piece of 14-3 between those two lights to connect your outlet again. the black would have stayed constant hot, and the red could be used as the switch-leg for the lights. this way you can have the outlet working again without cutting more holes in the drywall to run a new wire. Fiberglass fish sticks work a lot better at fishing through this type of ceiling too. Great job on the explanation though.
Why not just find the top plate in the attic and drill it out? Make sure the power is off and use a fish tape going into the box into attic and pull back into room box and tie into dimmer switch. This is my plan to work all the 14/2 wiring in the attic and tie into the junction boxes and installing push in romex connectors. I then can connect the wafer lights in the room and be done. I know a attic is hot and you have to be careful but I don’t have to fight the new wire after drilling my holes to tie into each other. Great article though btw!
Hilarious how you mention not forgetting anything in the ceiling! Once I was installing lights just like these and when I was finished I went to take a picture for the client and remembered I was using my phones flashlight while pig tailing some wiring in the ceiling and left it up there! Thank goodness these are super simple and even easy to disassemble!
I’ve been scouring the bowels of YouTube for while now, looking for this exact thing! Thanks for putting it together! I am wanting to do the same thing in my kitchen but haven’t found a “proof of concept” of installing can lights without some kind of access or dotting my ceiling with holes and repairs. Hopefully I can get as lucky with joists. Wanna come up to Clarksville and help out! Haha….only partly kidding! Lol. Great job brother.
Great article! I am on my way to do this same project. I learned a long time ago to “follow success”, dont reinvent the wheel. I would like to buy the tools you used. I would like to support your website. Unfortunately, I can’t get the links in the describtion to take me there and get you credit. Please direct me so I can . Thanks. Keep up the good work.
Great job on the step by step! Pro-tip- I would have installed a J-box or two to extend the three wire, on the wire in the ceiling you tapped for lighting switch leg. Adding one two wire whip for the lights and a second two wire whip as your feed for your future ceiling fan. I would have installed the power while the light holes were cut in for access. The J-box also would have provided the power for your outlet that still has to be re-fed… With so little time left for add ons, we try to land the plane, one time and then off to the next job. Thanks for the great work ethic!
As an electrician I would have removed the switch box & used a long flexible drill bit to drill through top plate then a fiberglass rod through the hole & hooked it with another fiberglass rod then pulled a new wire to that first light leaving the existing 14/3 wire alone & just making it constantly hot .
Yeah it would be nice if they also told you if those bugs can be replaced because I know certain LED bulbs cannot be replaced they just got the ones for the set and it’s hard to find replacement bulbs for when they blow or go out I would like to see you you know like replace some you know bulbs when they go out
I’m not an electrician by any stretch of the imagination, just have construction experience. But just a heads up: If you plan to do this in the US and it has to pass inspection, I’m fairly certain NEC Code requires the junction box has to be secured. He did mention it can be secured in the article, but I would secure it to be safe guys!
The hardest part I’ve run into when doing mine is that my attic has blown in insulation. When I put my lights up I constantly got insulation in my eyes and it made it annoying as heck trying to fish the wires around because insulation was in the way blocking my vision. Still worth it though. I just got some new ones that have a dual function; they have the normal light that’s adjustable down to a perfect warm 2700K AND a night light type trim ring that shoots a dim light out to the side. they look great
I installed them in my kitchen a couple days ago. I had to break the previous jboxes with a hammer and I kind of just stuffed the new j boxes up in the ceiling. There’s like a foot of insulation up there so I hope its not a huge fire hazard. Also read the junction box and light are IC rated but im not sure if I should get a second opinion. Its been 24 hours. No fires yet lol.
When the bulb goes out do you have to replace the whole clip on part or just change the bulb? Are those dimmable? It looks like those would be really good to use over a shower since it’s sealed? Thanks for this article! I figured it would be harder than that… but if it was the original can lights it would be a pain unless you had attick access which I unfortunately don’t.
That was great thx so much. But please forgive my ignorance for asking the following. Why couldn’t I just fish the wire from the light sucker that has the switch attached? Why not fish it up through the wall and into the ceiling and then to the nearest desired ceiling light? Sorry if it’s a really stupid question. 😂😅
Code requires that a junction box be mounted to a stud, not laying loosely on top of drywall. So stud location does matter because the pigtail they give you isn’t very long. If an inspector sees that they can force you to comply with this. I hope you have enough wire to allow you to screw them to the stud without having to install more junction boxes.
Going the other way…I’ve enjoyed your articles and it helped me a ton doing my own kitchen cabs and sink! Now I feel if I can do that I can do anything. However…that said I am approaching a dilemma and I cannot find any info on my next task so I thought I would reach out and see if I can get some feedback. I have and am sound proofing my middle bedroom to be my new home recording studio. The walls are secure with triple insulation including 1-1/2 rigid foam insulation sealed with insulation spray foam. This room is not only dead silent now it is completely air tight…except for my ceiling. The only thing left is the ceiling. My plan is to also apply the 1-1/2 rigid insulation sheets to the ceiling. Once done the entire room will be completely covered in 2-inch acoustic foam panels. Here’s my issue. I need to drop my ceiling light fixtures down about four inches. Wiring is not a concern, but I’m not sure how to securely drop & mount the box to remount my lights to clear the double foam. Help me Obi-Wan…you’re my only hope!
I don’t understand why you didn’t have access to the roof space to drill down if need be, With all the holes you would have needed to put in the wall and roof to see where you were drilling it would be easier to put an access hatch or “manhole” or simply just a single hole large enough to get in and out then patch it instead of patching several little holes.
There’s literally no reason to run new wiring. 1. Use the first light as a junction box. Leave the constant hot running to the outlet, replace it with an outlet that doesn’t have the links broken. If you don’t have enough excess wiring to reach, use 12-3 wire to run to the next closest light and tap the old wire back in. 2 .Tap into the switched side for the lights. 3. Profit.
You never showed tapping into the line up in the ceiling. Usually those lines are tight with no play and you have to make two boxes with new extra wire. It would have been interesting see how you got all that done with only that 6″ opening. Also, you never showed your other access holes and the finished drywall patches, which can be REALLY tough to make disappear into the old work.
Thanks for the article. What if i already have 2 existing recessed lights and i want to add 4 more….but there are BEAMS in the middle and i dont want to drill wholes in the beams. Ceiling has 2 layers od drywall….any tips on how to run the wires UNDERNEATH the beams touching the ceiling dry wall. I’m trying to AVOID: 1. Drilling wholes in beams 2. Cutting extra wholes to fish wires……. I’m hoping theres a way to shave off dry wall? Internally and push the wires through the bottom of the beam touching the ceiling dry wall….. What do u think? 0:39
Maybe someone has already mentioned this, but with 390 comments, I’m not going to read each and every one to find out 🙂 They do make wafer lights that allow you to select the color temperature. The ones I saw had 5 settings: 2700K, 3000K, 4000K, 5000K, and 6000K, and cost about $24/ea. There are also some where the color temperature and dimming can be controlled via an app, but I haven’t done any research on those.
Lol @ wire strippers in the ceiling. 🤣 I work on bowling machinery, and I when I was new to the job I mistakenly left a 1/2″ box wrench on top of a machine. I looked all around & couldn’t find the damned thing until a half hour later when someone started bowling on lane 9…clang, clang, clang. The wrench had fallen into the pit and was bouncing around in the pin elevator. 🤭
Recessed lighting is awful without a lot of forethought and hopefully working with a lighting designer. These “HOME DEPOT” non repairable fixtures are going to be a problem – a MAJOR problem when they fail and they will. Usually the driver is what fails resulting in the fixture needing to be replaced and IF you can find a matching replacement. Why call in an electrician to replace a whole fixture when the average homeowner can just replace the lamp (bulb)? The quality of these integrated lights is lousy, LED technology is rapidly evolving to produce better quality light etc. Change a lamp and not the fixture. I am sick and tired of looking at homes well above the million dollar mark with this crap lighting tech with zero thought as to how and where the lighting is going.
Lmao Your tester issue is because you are using 1 that is a NO CONTACT Tester and 1 that is a Full contact The larger 1 is just to keep near an outlet while you go check power real quick or if you in next room by panel box. You can leave the round 1 by the outlet and you can hear ot stop going off when your by the panel box hitting breakers The other tester tiu have is a contact tester Thats why it has a THIN LIP at the end. To Stick into the outlet to test it – or lay it on the wire behind outlet or switch Both your testers work great In fact General Electric makes decent testers Also. This is why we have INSPECTION CAMERAS lol. TO stick in ceilings or walls – Never attach a line to a wire you dont know what its for. Just get the $100inspection camera and stick it upc in the ceiling and youll find the real line coming off the switch Or JUST RUN A NEW LINE in the ceiling hole right down the Bay and down the wall and to the switch
I used similar wafer lights but I cut off the pigtails and used bell wire to connect the boxes to the lights. This way I could have the boxes all in one place and not have to run heavy Nomex all over. You can get away with this as the electricity running in the pigtails is low voltage, low current. You can hold onto the live wires and not get a shock. You can even short them together and the wire doesn’t even get warm. To be safe I would check the output of the pigtails with a voltmeter. It should also have a sticker on the box telling the output voltage and current. Mine was 19 volts and 300 milliamperes. Way to low to be dangerous. Just remember the output is most likely Direct Current so polarity matters.
Hey Mikes, I’m glad to see your reels! I really like it. We are a CN lighting manufacturer with spot goods in our Thailand and US warehouses. If you wanna selling panel nights or any lighting products you maybe interest to put on your shelves, welcome to contact me! I think we could have a nice collaboration 😉
Very little information on the most important thing. How did you connect the other 3 lights? You have one cable/wire going from the switch to the junction box that’s perfect one light DONE. How about other 3? Did you run 3 separate cables/wires to each light? Or did you split somehow the main wire that you cut? Not great article, missing massive steps.
Your friendly neighborhood electrician here… if I understood correctly, the 14/3 wire is wiring both outlet sockets with one hot going to each outlet socket? If so, all you had to do was take the red hot from the outlet off and use that for your light. (The red is already wired in the switch so you wouldn’t even have to touch that wiring
Good article. You could skip the exploratory hole in the ceiling as your hole for your light should have been close enough. One less patch to make. Another tip. Use your phone and your apple watch to view up inside the ceiling! I just did one of these in a living room that did not have a ceiling light. Open trusses thankfully. Cut our main hole in the center of the room. Office adjacent we cut the exploratory/access hole. Replaced outlet same as this article and ran the switch to the ceiling. Being that the wire entering the ceiling to the middle of the room was about 8ft, it did take some time to get the wire across that span. Our trusses ran perpendicular to the run so the wire kept hanging up. Currently we just replaced the sheetrock access hole with the sheetrock and through up a “return grate” to hide the ugliness. Quick fix that will get cleaned up at a later date.
Need help: I got a quick question. We have pre wiring for fan. Its the 14-3 wire. White, black, red and ground. The black wire has constant power, which i am using it to run the ceiling fan. I have to use remote to turn the fan/light on and off. I capped the red wire. The red wire is what control by the switch. My question is, can i use the red, white and ground to add some recessed light? Is it ok to do that? I am just worried because i am using the black to run the fan. Not sure if i can use the same neutral and ground for recessed lights which is already being used for the fan.
Quick question for the DIYers, once you complete a project (say upgrading recepticals or hooking up new lights fixtures) do you have them inspected by electrican or an inspector, what is down in the line god forbid there is an incidence how does insurance claim works in that situation, will they deny it as the work was done as DIY and wasnt inspected?
Interesting, I noticed that you are doing electrical connections in the ceiling without using an accessible electric box. This would be a big code no-no for AC wiring. Is all the LED wiring low voltage DC wiring? That would explain how what you are doing would meet code. If that is the case, you might also be able to make the wiring runs with smaller braided wire rather then ROMEX and that would make the install even easier.
Licensed electrician here. You showed how you planned to get a wire from the switch through the top plate to your hand hole that you cut, but what was your plan to get the wire between all of the lights through joists? You were lucky to have the trussed ceiling there. Most 2 story houses aren’t constructed like this, and installing lights like this on a first floor ceiling with a room directly above it isn’t anywhere near this clean and simple. You would have had a lot of patchwork in the ceiling, and you didn’t show people that. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to tell customers that there will have to be multiple holes cut into the ceiling in order to get the wire through each joist in order to interconnect the first light to another light in at least one direction (perpendicular to the joists) and they look at me like I’m crazy. I even had one lady tell me, condescendingly, that I didn’t know what I was talking about, because on a TV home renovation show, “Chico didn’t have to do that.” They didn’t show that part either, apparently. I told her, “Well, maybe you should call Chico then” and left. I wonder how many people watched your article thinking that it would be as simple as you showed, only to find out otherwise.
Great article. Your article mentions no attic access. It not clear if this project was done a one or two story house. Looking to install these on 1st floor of a 2 story house. After doing the holes, will I be able to pass cable around or there will be studs blocking in between, which will need additional holes?
I just bought these lights for my basement remodel. I may have missed you saying it in the article but I’m not sure, but do you have to have a power source to each light or do you just need to power one and then run 14-3 wire in between each light? I have existing fluorescent lights and the light boxes are starting to hang out the ceiling so I’m switching them to this and wanted to use the power supply from those lights to power these lights
Another tip from an electrician, don’t know how it is where you live but you should also get your work inspected. No one should be doing electrical work if you’re not sure what you are doing. Yes you spend money on an inspection but it’s always better to spend a little and have less risk from a house fire that your insurance might not cover if you don’t have proof of an inspection. Now I’m not saying you have to get an electrician to do the work. I’m a big fan of people trying to save money and learn new things but at least in ONT a homeowner can do their own work and call for an inspection. But also don’t think it’s a good idea for someone who’s not an electrician teaching or showing people how to do things when you yourself don’t know 100%. I noticed when you did a close up of the wires connected in the first light coming from the switch, you connected the black wire from the 14/3 to the same connector as the red which you didn’t need to do
Sometimes people interrupt the common ….with the switch…. It’s actually an incorrectly to do it. …. What that means it’s just the light will turn on but there’s still power in the light ….. So if you turn the switch off and he thought there was no electricity, and you’re leaning up against a water pipe or something you would know it …. Anyways, that’s one explanation. Why, if you turn the switch off and this week you’re still told you there was voltage if the interrupter the common that would act that way. …
being at a construction job for sometime, we have this sop to put wire looms to housed the wires going to each terminals (sockets / switch / junction box etc) that way, when we are to add another set to wire (lighting / additional socket etc) we can just feed the wire on the loom and it will definitely land to were we want it to be….