Recommended Light Bulb Types for Recessed Lighting Recommendation: BR30 or BR40 lamps with a CRI greater than 90 and a Color Temperature of 3000K or less. Your general lighting layer will be providing the overall illumination for your room.

Does recessed lighting need special bulbs?

Some recessed lights work with screw-in bulbs, while others use pin-base bulbs. Different factors — color temperature, lumens and wattage — affect the quality of light in a room. Halogen and LED bulbs are the most common bulbs for recessed lights.

What size light bulb for can lights?





Most household recessed cans are 4″ or 6″ wide. For general lighting, choose BR30 bulbs for 4″ cans. And unless you want big gaps around the bulb, choose BR40 bulbs for 6″ cans. BR40 bulbs are a little wider than BR30s; they’re also a little longer.

Can I put LED bulbs in recessed lighting?

In fact, most remodeling recessed lighting uses LED bulbs because of the ease of installation, as well as the energy efficiency. LED bulbs last much longer than other kinds of light bulbs. You won’t have to change them as often once you make the switch. An LED bulb can stay lit for as long as 50,000 hours.

Are recessed and can lights the same?

Recessed lights, also known as downlights or can lights, are a type of lighting fixture installed into the ceiling or wall. They are designed to sit flush with the surface for a sleek and polished finish. The housing and electrical wiring components are hidden, and the bulb appears to glow from within the opening.

Can you use A19 bulb in recessed?

The A19 bulbs are not recommended for use in a recessed or fully enclosed fixture.

How do you make recessed lights brighter?





Add extra emphasis to the textures and materials of ceiling accent fixtures with recessed spot lights. Extra light can add sparkle to crystal and increase overall brightness. 3. Don’t attempt to light a whole room using only recessed lighting; the light quality will be too harsh.

What bulb goes in a 4 inch recessed light?

For general household lighting, most recessed lighting cans are 4″, 5″, or 6″. If your household has 4” cans, only BR30 bulbs will fit. For 5″ cans, BR30 bulbs will fit with a little space, while a BR40 will fit with no space on the sides.

What does R30 light bulb mean?

Reflector (R) bulbs put approximately double the amount of light (foot-candles) on the front central area as General Service (A) of same wattage. Like all light bulbs, the 30 value represents the diameter of the bulb in 18 of an inch. Therefore, a R30 is 3.75 inches in diameter.

How do you determine recessed light size?

If you need to determine what size a canless recessed light is, I recommend measuring the diameter of the ceiling cut-out and rounding to the nearest whole number which should be either 3″, 4″, 5″, or 6″.

How deep should the bulb be in a recessed light?



Most residential downlights top out at 7 ½” deep, meaning they will generally fit.

Are canned lights out of style?

Recessed lighting will never go out of style. However, the finishes and sizes will vary and change as time goes by. There are too many advantages of having the lighting recessed for them to eventually go out of style or phase out.

Are LED recessed lights worth it?

LEDs have several key benefits that make them an ideal light source, especially in recessed lights. Energy efficient – Most LEDs are even more efficient than CFLs, often using 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

How many LED recessed lights do I need?



Formula: total sq. footage x 1.5 = total wattage needed. Total wattage divided by 60 watts (or whichever wattage you select) = total amount of recessed can lights. Example: 240 square foot room x 1.5 = 360 divided by 60 (the bulb wattage I’d like to use) = 6 recessed lights needed.

How long do LED canned lights last?

Your typical LED light will last approximately eleven years based on twelve hours of use per day. After the lifespan of the downlight is over, there are other advantages as well.

Why do my LED recessed lights keep burning out?

The most common reasons for LED blowing out are high voltage, bad contacts, use of incompatible dimmer switch, or recessed lighting. Other causes include overheating due to not using the right fixtures, or simply a bad batch of lightbulbs!

How long do Canless recessed lights Last?

They can last anywhere between six and 11 years, making them a top choice among homeowners who want to save on their electric bill.