How to Install Recessed Lighting

Installing recessed lighting is a fairly advanced project. It may be of value to you to consult with a London electrician featured in our Tradesmen´s Directory before starting a job of this nature and, if installing recessed lighting in either the kitchen, bathroom or garden you will need permission from your local Building Control before you start and a London electrician to check your work is compliant with Part P of the Building Regulations when the job is complete. Any new circuits you introduce to your property may also need to be passed, so please account for the cost of this procedure when costing your job and request some electrician quotes by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page.

Before installing recessed lighting, you should consider the final effect that you wish to achieve. There are a number of different recessed lighting designs you can use to maximise light and space or to highlight specific objects in your home.

The most common type of recessed light is the downlight. Normally these will illuminate an area equal to the height of the light. Therefore, if your ceiling is 8 feet high, the light will shine directly down and cover a circular area with an 8 foot diameter. If you are considering using downlights over a wide area, you will need to overlap the area lit by each light and it is recommended that you install your downlights at a distance of approximately 6 feet apart.

Eyeball lights are particularly good if you have a sloped ceiling or wish to highlight a particular decorative element of your home. When illuminating areas like fireplace mantelpieces, the distance from the light to the wall should be 60% (multiply by .6) of the distance from the ceiling to the object – For example, if your mantelpiece is 5 feet from the ceiling, the distance from the wall to where the light is installed is (5 feet x 60%) 3 feet.

The first light should be planned to be about 3 feet away from the wall. Placing the light closer to the wall will create more reflection into the room and make the space feel brighter. Placing the lights further away will make the corners seem dark, create a more ambient impression and give the effect of lowering the ceiling

Lighting in kitchens needs to be a little brighter. If installing your recessed lights into existing cabinets, they need to be spaced every 3 to 4 feet to illuminate the counter top. In general, for a kitchen, you should allow 3 watts of incandescent light per square foot. To calculate how much light you need, calculate the total square area of the kitchen and divide by three. If using CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) refer to the manufacturer´s equivalent measurement.

You can safely have as many lights in your new recessed installation as were in your existing fitting. If you are considering exceeding the existing wattage, consult a London electrician before proceeding.

Getting Started

Turn off the power – not just the lighting circuit, but the whole house if possible. This is case you accidently drill through a power cable in a wall or ceiling joist.

If your existing circuit supports the extra load you are installing, there is no need to remove the existing fitting. However, if you choose to do so it is easiest to plan your lighting set-up so that one of the lights you are installing makes use of the hole that will be left by the existing fittings´ removal.  Alternatively you could install a ceiling fan or a decorative cover plate that would disguise where the old fitting came from and prevent the need to redecorate the whole ceiling or wall.

Making the Holes

Once you have measured the location for each light, use the manufacturer´s template that comes with the light units to mark the ceiling for each hole you are going to make. Drill a ¼ inch hole in the ceiling at the centre of the proposed opening and then use a jigsaw to make the openings for each of the light mountings (“cans”).

Run a cable from the power source (this could be the light switch or an existing junction box) to the location of the first recessed light. Leave an additional 18 inches of wire hanging from the opening to enable easy wiring of the cans. Continue to feed cable through to each of the openings, drilling carefully through ceiling joists if necessary and feeding the cable through.

Wiring

Wire the first can to the cable leading from the power source and the cable leading to the next opening and continue connecting the fixtures until you reach the last one. Mount the cans into the openings in the ceiling and add the trim pieces according to the manufacturer´s instructions.

You are now ready to screw in the light bulbs, reconnect the power and view your new recessed lighting effect.

There are several images of how your finished project may look in our “Inspirations” feature and also in our blog – “Improve the Value and Appeal of Your Home”. We strongly recommend that you obtain advice and quotes from electricians in London in respect of Part P Approval and also for any assistance you need with the job itself. London handymen, kitchen fitters, decorators and general builders can also be contacted through our Tradesmen´s Directory, so if you feel that there may be elements of this project which may stretch your abilities, please do not hesitate to use this valuable resource.