I need suggestion / advice on LED-based lighting solution for my basement.

I am about to start work on our basement, which has been totally demo’ed.   Everything has been removed, except for pipes and BX’es.  All you saee is foundation and beams, so full access is not a problem.  The full area is about 40 feet x 14 feet, including a bathroom, closets, machine room, etc. Since it’s a pretty dark basement, I will need to have the light on when I am there.   Having heard how much LEDs technology and prices have improved over the past couple of years, I would like to use this technology.  I am also aware that using LED technology helps to save on eletrical bills. I am interested in using 4 inch rims and do not want to have any transformers in the housing (don’t want anything buzzing down the road).    There is so much stuff that is being sold at Home Depot & Lowes, but I have no idea what I should be looking for.   Which brands are better, which have bad reputation, replaement costs, etc…    I am of course open to other places to shop for this.  My main concern is to do it once, and to do it right! Any and all help / suggestions ares appreciated!

mystiky

in Lighting 12 years and 2 months ago

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mystiky | 12 years and 1 month ago

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After your help and some research, I have decided to go with Cooper Lighting RL560 “Halo”. They are sold in both Home Depot and Lowes: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-6-in-White-LED-Recessed-Lighting-Trim-RL560WH-R-ONLINE/203561301#specifications After taking 3 samples and temporary hooking them up, I like the 3000K light (83 CRI) that I am getting in my basement. It’s also rated for damp or wet usage. Before I go and buy about 25 of these, does anyone know or are aware of anything negative about this model? Last, but not least: My future basement’s open area is going to be 14 feet x 19 feet. The ceiling hight is just under 7 feet. With this in mind, I figured I will need to have 3 rows of 5 RL560’s (spaced 4 feet apart) / divided into 2 zones. I will not be using dimmers. Does it make sense?

riis10 | 12 years and 1 month ago

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I agree with Sandyman – for our basement we found it much cheaper and it works well to just use LED bulbs in regular high hats.  HD has warm light CREE 800 lumens for $10-12 bucks (and the bulbs will just get cheaper, I agree.)  The LED high hats are nice, probably add more lumens?  and probably offer more focused light for if you’re setting up a studio or something.

energyefficiencygrantsguru | 12 years and 1 month ago

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You can never go wrong with Energy Star labeled bulbs. Id also check with your utility to see what incentives you qualify for. Also check with the NYSERDA website. The Pratt Center website also has tons of resources that would be useful to you.

mousta | 12 years and 2 months ago

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We used a bunch of the full kit LED pot lights available at home depot. They are bright and work great.

sandyman | 12 years and 2 months ago

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There is nothing special to do. Just buy medium base LED bulbs (screw ends that are like regular incandecent bulbs). One thing to be aware of is if you want dimmable fixtures, you need to get dimmable bulbs and LED compatible dimmer switches. It gets only slightly complicated in that dimmers have a list of compatible bulds that you can check online. Philips bulbs are likely to work with most dimmers. As far as doing it once, it’s an evolving technology and you can count on two things: the bulbs will get cheaper and they will get better at things like dimming.