LED lamps offer many benefits, perhaps the biggest advantage being the cost efficiency and environmentally friendly design. As the use of LED lamps is on a rise, the use of recessed LED lighting fixtures follows. Recessed lighting isn’t a new design but is becoming increasingly popular as it allows for the easy and practical use of LED bulbs. 

What is Recessed Lighting and How Does it Work?

Recessed lighting, also known as downlight or can light, is a lighting fixture that is installed into a deep opening in the ceiling. After being installed properly, the light will appear to be coming from a hollow hole in a ceiling, focusing the light in a specific area. 

There are three main parts to a recessed lighting fixture: housing, trim and the bulb:

1. Housing – This is the main part of the lighting fixture’s structure. Here, the electrical components are stored all while being hidden in the ceiling. 

2. Trim – This is the mold that goes around the lighting fixture on the outside.

3. Bulb – Many bulbs can be used in this form of lighting, however, LED bulbs are the most popular and most widely recommended type of bulb because of their lifespan. The typical lifespan of an LED recessed lighting lamp is 50,000-100,000 hours. 

Choosing Recessed Lighting

LED lighting, unlike other lighting, is expressed in Kelvin (K) because of the various warm and cool colors it is able to emit. For example, when looking for a clean and bright light that will appear slightly blue, the customer will want to look for the LED lamp that says 4000-5000K. When looking for a bulb that produces a warmer, more traditional yellow light, the customer will want to look for an LED lamp with lower numbers such as 2700-3000K.

The most popular bulbs are in the 4000K-5000K range. 4000K will produce an HD light with a slightly yellow tint while 5000K will produce the whitest light available. 

Do You Need a Can For Recessed Lighting?

If being installed into an insulated ceiling, cans will make the installation process easier. If cans are not already installed, you will need to build or buy a cover for the bulb in order to get the full benefits of recessed LED lighting. If you are installing LED lighting into an uninsulated ceiling such as an attic or unfinished basement, a can is not necessary. 

Where to Use Recessed Lighting

LED recessed lighting is great for businesses and homes alike. 

For the home: 

From the bathroom to the kitchen all the way to the basement, recessed lighting can work in any room of the house. Recessed lighting fixtures, because of the way their light can be manipulated to a specific area, are great for creating a mood of relaxation perfect for a bedroom or even the bathroom above the shower stall/ tub. 

Likewise, recessed lighting is functional in the kitchen because of its ability to illuminate a specific area of visual interest such as open shelves, particular cabinets or even the dinner table.

 An important precaution to take when installing recessed lighting in the kitchen is to spread out the lighting fixtures. If installed too close together, recessed LED lighting can cause hotspots on kitchen countertops and/or cabinets thus causing discoloration or fading. The typical rule of thumb when installing recessed lighting is to install them 4-6 feet apart.

Recessed LED lighting is equally as functional in other rooms of the home because of the safety benefits. Recessed LED lighting is extremely unlikely to cause a fire because of the lack of heat that it produces. In addition, recessed LED lighting can be left on for long periods of time. Though not recommended in order to increase the longevity of the bulb, recessed LED lighting is able to be left on all night.

For the business:

As an upcoming trend in interior design, recessed lighting adds both function and style to a workspace. Great for offices, meeting rooms and even retail spaces, recessed LED lighting can be installed into any new or existing lighting fixture as long as the bulb uses less wattage than the fixture itself.
Besides recessed LED lighting being an affordable choice for the workspace, it also is one of the most common light fixtures for office spaces because it can closely resemble natural daylight, making the office a comfortable work environment for the employees.