[Ebierley]

We are remodeling our kitchen and want to install recessed lighting. We have 92 inch ceilings and the area inside the upper cabinets is approx 9x10. We are leaning towards five 4 inch cans with the LED upgrade trims from Home Depot. I worry that the five and six inch cans are too big for our low ceilings. We do plan on dimmers and under cabinet lighting. Any thoughts on that would also be appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[ddawg16]

I would avoid HD for lighting....not a whole lot of options.....

I bought 12 4" cans that use the GU10 bulb...they came with Halogen bulbs but I'm replacing them with LED's. They would fit into your space nicely....

 

[silversport]

The Ecosmart LEDs at HD are one of best options out there.

I think 4" lights would be fine in your case.

 

[funfool]

I agree that home depot sucks for lighting, but for cans, they work.
If you are going to go to a upgrade of led, I would also suggest a lighting store for better quality and selection.

Adding cans in a kitchen, it seems you can never add enough. I would choose 6" myself, 92" is not that low.
I would want one on it's own switch above the sink, also under cab lighting on own switch and in 9x10 space, 5 cans sound reasonable, assuming one in each corner and one in the middle. I would not be scared to add 6 cans to that space, two rows of 3 in a symmetrical pattern.
Be sure to move them out far enough from the cabinets, so when you open the doors the light shines in and can see inside the cabinets.
Is just a common mistake I see when others lay out the lighting, something to be aware of.

 

[ktkelly]

With 96" ceilings I have seven 6" recessed cans and two 4" recessed cans.

Kitchen size is roughly 10x12. It's not a closed kitchen though, as it is open to the breakfats area (with chandelier and two 6" recessed cans), and that opens into the family room (with eight 6" recessed cans and two 4" recessed cans).

If you're installing into a ceiling with attic overhead, I'd use the Cree LR6C-DR1000, or equivalent, so you can seal the cans.

If you're going into a ceiling with rooms overhead, then I'd just use the Utilitech LBR40DM/LED bulbs, or equivalent

 

[tev9999]

I'm jumping in with a similar question. I've been thinking of replacing my 12 volt halogen track lighting with recessed cans. The track lighting helped my decision along by dying last week - I'm guessing a bad transformer but have not had a chance to troubleshoot yet. I've got seven 20 watt spotlights with two 50 watt pendants on the track IIRC.

Kitchen is about 9x13. There are cabinets or counters most of the way around, so the open floorspace is about 5x9. One 9' wall has a 5' counter open to the living room with its own pendant lighting. The attic above is insulated and I can get access, although I prefer not having to crawl up there if I can avoid it.

I'm thinking I would like LED lighting, but I don't think I want to outlay that much cash right now. Would 6" remodel, IC cans be the best bet for cost plus future flexibility in new technology? I figure I can just use incandescent bulbs for now and upgrade to LED as the prices continue to drop.

Would I limit future changes if I went with 4" or 5" cans?

Would four cans be sufficient to light such a small space?

 

[fltdek]

@ Ebierly & Tev9999

Something to consider when choosing the type of recessed lighting for your project:

Lighting is much a personal preferrence - there really is no right or wrong, its about achieving the look you want, as well as the lighting offering you what you need.

Everyone here most likely has their own opinions on the recessed can sizes.

What we can agree on is that by deciding the look you want (style of the trim) and the effects of the lighting in a given room or task, that may narrow down your options for you.

Installation plays a big roll. What is in the ceiling space (insulation, hvac ductwork, plumbing pipes, electrical wiring)?

Layout of the recessed light cans?

Most manufactures will give you the specifications regarding the room coverage, as well as recommended spacing for the fixture. Does it mean you can use more or less, sure!

My suggestion, while not answering your question directly, is to visit your local lighting stores and see whats on display. Figure out the style you like, as recessed lighting prices vary dramatically, figure out what fits in your budget.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ebierley]

Thanks for everyone's responses. I think I will go with 6 cans with 2 pendants over the penninsula, one fixture over the sink and under cab lights. I got a quote from my electrical supply house for Juno cans,trims, and satco s9002 bulbs. Does this sound good? My only concern over the trim and bulbs versus the retro kits from HD is that the bulbs are 3000K versus the ecosmart at 2700K. Does this make a big difference ?

Thanks,
Eric