LED lights in vaulted ceiling

11824 Views 15 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Philly Master, Jan 20, 2014

Skm972

Discussion Starter · Jan 26, 2013

I am looking to change my incandescent light bulbs to LED as my ceiling is vaulted and about 25' high. Tired of getting the pole out every few months to change a bulb. Thought by changing to LED not only would the bulbs last a lot longer, but could capitalized on the energy savings. The owner of the lighting company that installed all of our fixtures told me that LED bulbs are not intended for ceilings over 12' high. Does anyone else have this opinion? She said the light will not travel down that far.
Thanks

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Skm972

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jan 26, 2013

I am considering changing my recessed bulbs to LED bulbs. I have a 25' vaulted ceiling and every few months I have to get ladder, pole, etc.. out to change a bulb. Thought I could get a lot longer life and enjoy some energy savings with LED. When I inquired about installation, the owner of the company that installed all the lighting in our house said she does not recommend LED bulbs for ceilings higher that 12'. Has anyone else heard this? She said light will not filter down that far.
Thanks

Oso954

· #3 · Jan 26, 2013

I would agree with her. Not all light bulbs are created equal.

Most of the PAR30 LED screw-in replacement bulbs are designed to give performance similar to the incandescent they are replacing, from an 8-10ft ceiling height. That doesn't mean the LED will give equal performance from 20 or 25 feet.

You might also find that your current ladder plus pole method of bulb replacement might not work with the LED bulbs. LED replacement bulbs are much heavier, and their outer profile is not exactly the same. Either or both of those may cause problems with the “grip” on the bulb.

Skm972

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 26, 2013

Thanks 0so954. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the pole and ladder might not work for the LED bulbs. My husband had already figured that out. We had an appt set up for a lighting company to come out with their scaffolding to replace the bulbs. Don't want to do that if I'm not going to be happy with the bulbs. We will reconsider.

Oso954

· #5 · Jan 26, 2013

One thing you can do to compare bulbs is get a cheap clamp on light. With lower ceilings you can clamp it on a 2x4 and hold it up to the ceiling. Try it with both bulbs (at night) and compare the size and brightness of the light spot.

With your ceilings a 2x4 would get pretty heavy. But you could measure off 15, 20, or 25 feet from a large, tall, wall and do a similar comparison horizontally.

Have you considered CFL bulbs or discussed them with your designer ?

Skm972

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 27, 2013

We just don't like the look of the curly q. It might be something to look into though.

Oso954

· #7 · Jan 27, 2013

You don't want the curly-q. About half the light would be lost in the can.
You would want a R30 or PAR 30 CFL replacement. (I'm assuming you are using one of those bulbs)

They look very similar to the bulb they replace.

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fdmillion

· #8 · Jan 27, 2013

I love LED bulbs myself.

You really want to go to a place where you can see the bulb when it's turned on, to see what kind of light it puts out, the directional output, and the brightness.

Brightness can be estimated by the lumens value on the packaging, and you'll find most LEDs are quite a bit lower than traditional CFL or incandescent bulbs - either that, or the LEDs are horrendously expensive. ;-)

A bigger issue is that some LED bulbs are directional - more like floodlights (even if it isn't shaped like one). This is why I said you really want to see the bulb when it's on to see exactly how it puts out light. A lot of home centers (Lowes etc) will have the bulbs on display and let you see them, or if you ask they might even open one up for you and let you see it in action.

If the brightness or cost is an issue you could always just stick with CFLs. They're available in so many form factors, from the basic "twisty" shape to floodlight replacements to frosted bulb-shaped designs and so on. CFLs obviously won't last as long as LEDs but do last a lot longer typically than incandescents.

F

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Skm972

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 27, 2013

Thank you. I think those bulbs might be our best bet.

Skm972

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 27, 2013

Great information. I will do some more homework, but I think the LED's are out.

beenthere

· #11 · Jan 27, 2013

Merged your 2 threads on this. please don't make duplicate threads, thank you.

Daniel Holzman

· #12 · Jan 27, 2013

This thread is very puzzling. All lights are measured in lumens, which is a standard unit measuring light output. Unless I am missing something, a 50 lumen light bulb produces the same amount of light whether it is incandescent, CFL, or LED. The differences between the bulbs has to do with the color spectrum of the light produced, and the amount of electricity consumed, not the number of lumens.

The directionality of a fixture has to do with the shape of the housing, and only slightly with the physical properties of the bulb, unless you purchase a special bulb with a built in directional housing. So my ceiling cans use a PAR 30 light, which contains a specific housing shape, that directs the light downward in a specific pattern. The lights also require a 50 watt equivalent bulb, which simply means a bulb that puts out the light equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent fixture. If I put in CFL lights, I need about 15 watts to produce 50 watt incandescent equivalent. If I use an LED, I need perhaps 8 watts. Same amount of light, same pattern.

So I am confused about why your lighting consultant would say that the light from an LED would not reach the floor. The only way this would make sense is if you need a special bulb with a built in housing, and that style of bulb is not available in LED format.

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Reactions: 1

k_buz

· #13 · Jan 27, 2013

Daniel Holzman said:
This thread is very puzzling. All lights are measured in lumens, which is a standard unit measuring light output. Unless I am missing something, a 50 lumen light bulb produces the same amount of light whether it is incandescent, CFL, or LED. The differences between the bulbs has to do with the color spectrum of the light produced, and the amount of electricity consumed, not the number of lumens.

The directionality of a fixture has to do with the shape of the housing, and only slightly with the physical properties of the bulb, unless you purchase a special bulb with a built in directional housing. So my ceiling cans use a PAR 30 light, which contains a specific housing shape, that directs the light downward in a specific pattern. The lights also require a 50 watt equivalent bulb, which simply means a bulb that puts out the light equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent fixture. If I put in CFL lights, I need about 15 watts to produce 50 watt incandescent equivalent. If I use an LED, I need perhaps 8 watts. Same amount of light, same pattern.

So I am confused about why your lighting consultant would say that the light from an LED would not reach the floor. The only way this would make sense is if you need a special bulb with a built in housing, and that style of bulb is not available in LED format.

Maybe they were talking about the LED trims which would have a different spread than an A19 LED replacement lamp.

islander818

· #14 · Jan 19, 2014

I replaced the lights in my vaulted ceiling with LED's. I had 5 recessed lights and always had a problem with enough light in my great room. Put 120 equivalent LED's in and now I have more than enough light. Had to put a dimmer on it.

dmxtothemax

· #15 · Jan 19, 2014

Skm972 said:
I am looking to change my incandescent light bulbs to LED as my ceiling is vaulted and about 25' high. Tired of getting the pole out every few months to change a bulb. Thought by changing to LED not only would the bulbs last a lot longer, but could capitalized on the energy savings. The owner of the lighting company that installed all of our fixtures told me that LED bulbs are not intended for ceilings over 12' high. Does anyone else have this opinion? She said the light will not travel down that far.
Thanks

True ! the further away, the more output needed,
so use bigger lamps.
Use reflector type lamps, to maxamise output.

You can get led lamps similair shape as traditional lamps,
so try before you buy.

Get the best quality you can, so changes are less froquent.

You could always hang the lamps closer to the floor,
with a hanging kit.
You could use or make a decretive type.

Philly Master

· #16 · Jan 20, 2014

Par 38 bulb ... check the trim that it can support it ...

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