What Are Downlights?

Switching To Downlights

If you're looking to spice up the lighting in your home or office and wonder, "what are downlights?" you've come to the right place! Downlights are the most common and all-purpose lighting fixtures that you'll find in most modern homes today. They are primarily used in providing good lighting conditions in homes and even in different lighting projects.

Downlights are also used to provide enough lighting in critical areas. They have become so popular because they also offer an unobtrusive warm general lighting. As the name suggests, downlights direct light downwards, focusing on illuminating the area below.

Downlighting can be used to light specific areas or even an entire area. This could be a building entrance or an office desk. It can be for aesthetics in some cases, especially when there's a need to create an attractive pattern. Downlights are also called can lights, canister lights, or recessed lights, and they are primarily installed in the ceiling such that the light is recessed in the ceiling's plane.

One of the main reasons why the use of downlights has become so popular is the flexibility that it offers and the myriad of available downlighting luminaires. Applying downlighting to different environments also makes it possible for people to use downlights easily. It can be used for general lighting, accent lighting, task lighting, or other similar cases.

Downlighting Illumination System Design

Before we go to the design of different types of downlights, let's look at the design of downlighting illumination systems. The illumination systems are mainly designed around an illumination source, which could be compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), halogen lamps, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, incandescent lamps, or other light-emitting diodes (LED).

Most of the downlighting illumination systems that you'll find today use the compact fluorescent lamp technology due to its improved lumen per watt features, unlike other bulbs, especially incandescent bulbs.

Compact fluorescent lamps

However, it's worth mentioning that CFLs are a mostly omnidirectional light source, and they can produce light in multiple directions. The only direction they can't produce light is in the direction where the electrical connector attaches to the light source.

Light emitting diodes

There are several advantages of LED technology, which is why it continues to draw the interest of both residential and commercial users. The benefits include a longer lifespan, less environmental waste, and lower power requirements. It also provides other aesthetics, which is another reason why people choose LED lighting.

Another thing to note is that LED downlights usually contain a diffuser and a reflector, and this is to direct the light that the LEDs emit. You can install the reflector housing around the light source to enhance the reflection, refraction, transmission, and diffusion of light. It's worth mentioning that the reflector is produced with reflective materials like silvered plastic or aluminium.

Downlight-based LEDs

Downlight-based LEDs are mostly directional light sources, and they also include the Light Output Ratio (LOR), which gives them an advantage over CFL systems. This is because the light from LEDs is usually from an angle range which is between 10 degrees to 140 degrees.

The light fixture generally includes a housing containing the LED module, which can be one or more LEDs attached to the same substrate. In most cases, it's usually a cylindrical housing with a thermally conductive body made from die-cast aluminium. The housing additionally serves as a heat sink, allowing it to distribute the light source's heat.

DIY Downlight Installation

In general, ceiling lights are primarily designed with a frame, and this is a way to provide structural support when installed on the ceiling.

Here are a few notes on the ideal way to install downlights:

• For the bedroom, install at every 1.5m
• For the living room, install at every 1m
• For offices, install at every 0.8m

When positioning and designing these luminaires in your room, you'll also need to consider the location of your furniture and the areas you plan to use in the room. This is so that you can provide appropriate brightness in crucial areas of the room for health and physical needs.

Types Of Downlights

There are so many exciting things about downlights. They offer flexibility that you won't find in other lighting categories, mainly because you can use different types of fixtures for downlight purposes. This allows it to easily light different situations, including wall-washing, accent, ambient, etc. With that said, let us go through the different types of downlights.

Recessed downlights

These are the most common types of downlights that you'll find, and they are primarily used in hotels, residential buildings, and even office buildings. The downlights usually have a concealed installation with remarkable lighting.

For this type of downlight, you will mainly see the front of the fitting, which is parallel to the ceiling. Also, it's usually designed such that it blends easily with the design of the ceiling, and it can be used with decorative bezels.

Surface downlights

Surface downlights are primarily used in commercial buildings and in homes in some cases. They are primarily used in cases where the recessed downlight installation may not be possible.

An example is buildings with concrete ceilings. In this case, the fitters are clearly visible, even after installation. Surface downlights come in handy when used as the main lighting for specific areas. Because they are visible, they also come in different designs and architecture.

Pendant lights

People usually opt for this type of downlights because they are aesthetically appealing and can suit almost any surrounding design. Pendant lights come in different styles, from contemporary to traditional and modern styles. The body of this downlight is also visible, and it hangs from the ceiling. The body also has different light distributions, and you can use this for different decorative effects and still provide enough illumination for your home.

Semi-recessed downlights

The last type of downlight that you are likely to come across is the semi-recessed downlight, and this has a protruding bezel, unlike the other types mentioned earlier. This is also a nice design for homes with a feature ceiling, and it supplies enough illumination wherever it is installed.

Things You Should Know About Downlights

LED vs. halogen wattage

When it comes to wattage, we all want energy-saving downlights with the ability to produce a high beam, and this is the main reason it is recommended to go for LED downlights. An average 10W LED downlight is twice as bright as a 55W halogen bulb. You can go for as low as 4.5 to 14 watts of LED downlights when it comes to energy saving.

Colour temperature

Colour temperature is an important consideration to make when choosing LED downlights, and you need to pay attention to the room you are placing them in. For example, if you choose to place it in a room that gets hot quickly, like the laundry room or kitchen, you'll want to choose a cool white LED downlight. However, if you're looking for intimacy and warmth in your space, like a bedroom or living room, then you'll want to go for warmer downlights.

In some cases, you may be unsure about what to choose and where to place the downlights. For this case, you can go for the natural white 4000K downlight because it's an all-rounder. This option is clean, cool, and feels warm, and you can be sure that it won't overpower your eyes. It's basically like looking up to the sky through your ceiling.

What are lumens?

To determine how bright the light will be, you only need to check the watts on the packaging. That's still the case with fluorescent bulbs and halogen bulbs. However, with LED lights, watts are mostly low because they are designed to be energy-saving. In this case, the best way to determine the visibility of the LED light is by checking the lumens. A brighter LED light will have a higher lumen.

Energy efficiency (lumens per watts)

When choosing a downlight for your home, always remember that the LED option generally offers a balance between brightness and efficiency. If you previously used a 60-watt incandescent bulb, you can expect the watt to be less with a LED downlight, usually around 12 watts.

However, the lumen, in this case, will have a rating of 800, and this is equivalent to the amount of illumination the bulb will provide. This implies that the LED downlights generally have lower wattage for energy efficiency and higher lumens for better illumination.

Downlight beam angle

When buying downlights, the beam angle is also an important thing to consider. This determines the amount of light that the light distributes, and it's primarily measured in degrees. Most of the beam angles that you'll find today are 45 degrees, and this is simply because they are recessed.

It's worth noting that most regular light bulbs have a beam angle of 360 degrees. However, since they are recessed, it's advisable to go for downlights that have a wider beam angle. A beam angle of 60 degrees is the best to go for if you prefer soft diffuse lighting, and this will come in handy in the living room or even bedroom.

However, a narrower beam will be the best option to go if you are placing the downlight in your kitchen, and for this, we recommend a beam angle of 25 degrees. At this level, it will give you a concentrated light, which is perfect for providing illumination on surfaces. If you're unsure about the type of beam light to choose, you can go for a beam light between 60 and 120 degrees because they work perfectly in most cases.

Downlight spacing for beam angles

As much as the beam angle is essential when installing downlights, another vital thing that you'll need to consider is the spacing in between the beam angles. This will depend on the width of the beam itself.

Basically, if you're using wider beams, you'll want the spacing between 1.2 and 1.5 metres. For concentrated beam lights, it's best to keep the spacing at 1 metre.

It's always good to calculate the space between the downlights, especially when installing recessed downlights in your room. Another important thing is to keep the spacing between them equal.

Colour Rendering Index (CRI)

This is the term used in describing the ability of the light source to display the colour of objects in a similar way to natural sunlight. The colour rendering index is usually measured from 0 to 100, and at 100, it means that it appears the same when it is under the downlight or under natural light. The ideal range for accurate colour rendering is around 80 to 90, and this is something you should have in mind when getting a downlight.

Suppose you want your downlights to render vibrant and beautiful tones with a complete spectrum. In this instance, you may want to rather go for a downlight with a CRI of 90+, and this should be in combination with a colour temperature around the middle range.

Downlight lifespan

Before investing in anything, one of the most important things that you might want to check is the lifespan. This is also the case with downlights. Halogen downlights are generally designed to last for up to 2,000 hours. Most people replace their halogen bulbs within 18 months after purchasing the bulb.

With LED downlights, you can expect it to last for as much as 50,000 hours, which is around 27 years. If you switch on the light for up to five hours every day, this is the case. LED downlights are generally more cost-effective.

Despite that, people still ask how they can change an LED downlight. It depends on whether the light is built-in or not. Most recent downlight lights are built-in, meaning that you can only replace the complete fixture, including its driver.

Changing downlights

Not every downlight comes with a globe in it. However, if yours has a globe in it, you only need to change it. Simply pull the centre ring and twist it to take the globe out and replace it.

Insulation Contact Rating (ICR)

The insulation contact rating is the factor that determines if a recessed downlight can come in contact with the insulation of your building or not. If your light has an insulation contact rating, it means it can come in contact with the insulation of your building. It can also come in contact with the ceiling timbers and not trigger any fire hazard.

Therefore, when you are choosing a downlight, you might need to ensure that it has an insulation contact rating. In addition, you also need to be sure that the warranty is for at least three years. If you buy a downlight without this rating, you should avoid placing it close to timber or insulation to prevent fire hazards.

Final Tips To Help You Choose Your Downlights

• Darker light-absorbing surfaces don't appear as bright as lightly coloured walls. Always remember this when considering brightness, beam angle, and light spacing.
• For dimmers, it's best to go for one that has a push button.
• When buying LED downlights, it's advisable to go for a 90mm size. These are the most common options you'll find in the market, and it's because they are generally cheaper and produced in large quantities.
• Consider maintaining the colour temperature when changing from halogen bulbs to LED. You can do this by getting warm white LED downlights.
• Do not be in a hurry to remove LED downlights. You only need to slowly pull it down from the roof to avoid damaging the gyprock. This is also important so that you don't injure your fingers.

Professional Downlight Installation

Hopefully, you can now comfortably decide the type of downlight to buy and install in the different rooms of your home or offices. Of course, when it comes to electrical lighting, it is best to let professional electricians handle it to avoid hurting or electrocuting yourself.