Recently, a fashionable design decision has been the use of recessed lamps in the interior of housing and the landscape. It is not only stylish and original, but also convenient to operate. We will talk about the types and sizes of built-in lamps in this article.
What are the lights
Designers created a wide variety of recessed lighting fixtures. They have all kinds of designs and vary in installation method and purpose.
Types of recessed luminaires are divided into such varieties:
- Suspended - mounted directly on the surface of the ceiling with a rigid mount (hook, plate or other). The level in relation to the false ceiling is regulated by the suspension.
- Linear - are installed in industrial premises and are equipped with fluorescent lamps.
- Cascading (spots) - designed to highlight and illuminate specific places in the room. Structurally, they are a frame with a rotary mechanism. Lamps with shades for a directed beam of light are placed on the frame. Such lamps are mounted on the ceiling or wall, furniture.
- Spot - are small lighting devices that are installed inside all kinds of designs and create a narrow beam of light. The advantage of such a luminaire is its design, which combines the casing, design elements and fastening in one piece. The most popular are the spotlights built-in LED lights.
- Recently, for office and industrial premises, special modular recessed ceiling lights are widely used, which replace panels with suspended ceilings.
Installation requirements
Like any electrical appliances, recessed fixtures have their own rules for installation, compliance with regulations.
Among the technical requirements, the following can be noted:
- The design of fasteners for recessed lighting devices must ensure their installation in ceilings of different thicknesses, for example, this parameter for reinforced concrete ceilings is from 80 to 200 mm. Also, it should be possible to adjust the direction and position of the lamp relative to the lower floor plane. Elements of the light sources served from below must be removed so as not to interfere with installation, to ensure reliable coupling with the supporting metal profiles of suspended ceilings.
- The height of the device should correspond to the minimum possible parameter (this is especially true for devices serviced from below), since it is this size that determines the dimensions of the technical distance above the suspended ceiling structure and the value of the usable height of the illuminated room. Typically, the height of the built-in lamp should not exceed 275 mm.
- The design of the recessed luminaires served from above must ensure the safety of personnel (electricians and fitters) so that no accidental fall occurs.
Design features
The use of suspended ceilings and suspended structures, fiberboard and PVC panels, gypsum boards and other modern materials in the interior has led to an increase in the use of recessed luminaires for lighting interiors and adjoining territories.
The design of light sources of this type contains three main elements:
- Body. The shape of the case is quite diverse - round, square, rectangular, in the form of stars, ribbons and other things. The housing determines the dimensions of the device and the purpose of its use. The manufacturing material is of three types - glass, metal, plastic. Cases have various degrees of protection against dust and moisture, which is reflected in the technical specifications for each device (IP20 / IP44 / IP54 ...). This leads to their use in wet or dry rooms. A cartridge is installed in the housing of the device, into which the lamp is mounted, and on the outside there is a diffuser (not for all).
- Mount. Elements for mounting fixtures determine how they will be installed and fixed in the mounting structure. A fastener can be a cross, a hook or a bar, on which a light source is suspended from the ceiling, latches with springs (for spotlights), parts of the suspended ceiling frame or other structures.
- Light source.
Sources of light
A variety of models of recessed luminaires involves the installation of various light sources:
- incandescent bulbs with various types of cap;
- fluorescent lamps with different specifications;
- halogen lamps with various contact connections;
- LEDs or led lamps with a different type of cap.
The operational voltage of the lamps - 12/36/220 V - determines whether the converter will be in the design.
The power of the fixtures directly depends on the type of light sources installed in them and their number, provided for by the design of the product:
- If this includes the installation of incandescent lamps, the light source with one cartridge will have a power of 15 to 60 watts.
- In the case of equipping the luminaire with fluorescent lamps, the characteristics of its power will be from 18 W (with one lamp) to 160 W (with four lamps).
- The power of spotlights depends on the type of lamp installed (halogen or led) and equals from 2 to 30 watts with one lamp.
Lamps with incandescent lamps
Lighting devices with incandescent lamps are intended for installation in light suspended ceilings and for maintenance of the lighted room (bottom). They use not only ordinary incandescent lamps, but also headlights, lamps, lamps and mirror. The design and size of the built-in lamp provides for the possibility of mounting both flush and above the surface. The size of such devices is from eight centimeters in diameter.
In order to reduce the brightness and effect on the eyes or to hide the devices completely in the interior, grid screens and rings are widely used in the design. The latter can have a dark color or mirror-reflective protective elements, as well as diaphragmed black tubes (hoods).
In addition to simple devices with incandescent lamps, more complex ones have been created:
- with mirror-prismatic and mirror asymmetric light distribution;
- having regulation of the direction of light flow;
- with different-shaped outlet openings (round, square, oval);
- with built-in step-down transformer (for the use of low-voltage incandescent lamps with increased light output and brightness).
Luminaires with fluorescent lamps
One of the most complex types of lighting devices is recessed luminaires with fluorescent lamps, this is due to a number of specific requirements for them.
Devices of this type should have the smallest number of modifications in length and width, corresponding to the construction parameters of the floors. The requirement is explained by the use of unified load-bearing floor slabs having the same openings and false ceilings. Compliance with this norm has led to the fact that most recessed luminaires for the ceiling are the same in size, but have a different number of fluorescent lamps.
In the design of absolutely all lighting devices of this type, there is an external frame that closes the side of the room, the gap formed during installation between the lamp and the ceiling plane.
In public buildings, as a rule, cases with a length multiple of 300 mm (for one or two lamps) and 600 mm (for three to four) are installed. The most commonly used recessed fixtures are 600x600 mm.
International standard
Fluorescent lamps and combination lamps with them are very popular and widely used in industrial construction. Due to the fact that many companies around the world are engaged in the production of these products, the need arose to create a single standard. After all, it is faster in time, more convenient and cheaper financially, when the finished modules are inserted into standard openings during construction.
Currently, world practice has introduced the international "decimeter" module 100 mm, with the symbol 1M. That is, the subsequent sizes of the built-in lamps - 3M, 6M, 12M will be decrypted as 300 mm, 600 mm and 1200 mm. The last parameter is adopted as a basic option when calculating the interaxal distances of structural parts in suspended ceilings of multi-story public buildings, in which moving partitions having a thickness of 1M are used.
Heavy lights
Lighting devices having many lamps and heavy weight (up to forty-five kilograms) belong to the group of large-sized lamps. These are, as a rule, devices with halogen lamps - their size is from eleven centimeters in diameter.
This category has a number of special requirements:
- must have increased mechanical strength and rigidity, ensuring safe installation, transportation and operation;
- Devices with more than four fluorescent lamps with a power of 58 W or more must be transported separately from the ballast;
- the design of recessed luminaires of large sizes should provide ease and ease of maintenance, free access to internal parts, have inspection windows;
- the output wires of each device must be equipped with a connector to enable individual disconnection from the network during repair;
- electrical elements of the luminaire must be covered by non-combustible material.
In addition, the inside of the light device must be sealed around the perimeter.
LED lights
The ceiling mounted LED luminaires, which have recently filled the world market, are the latest generation and evolutionary continuation of the first two types of luminaires described.
LEDs, which are a more energy-efficient light source, actively displace fluorescent and incandescent lamps. Structurally, they are built directly into the lighting device when there is no possibility of replacing a dimming LED. The second option - they are installed in a standard base, reminding them of replaceable lamps.
The requirements for the size of recessed LED downlights are the same as for devices with fluorescent and incandescent lamps. This explains the fact that the appearance of the housing of such a lamp practically does not differ from the classical form. The size of the light device on the LEDs is from five to seven centimeters in diameter, and on led lamps - from five to fifteen.
In order to save money in cheaper instrument designs, when installing LEDs, they do not even change the optical system.
Lamps in the floor
If we consider the design of this type of devices, then they are no different from panel or spotlights. They differ in quality, which determines the place of operation - outside or inside the house.
The most popular LED models are used for decorative illumination of a house territory, stairs or paths where installation of other lamps is not possible, or for the organization of multi-level lighting.
Devices allow you to create a unique atmosphere and unique design, focus on certain areas. Luminaires built into the floor are of minimal size, recessed into the surface and do not interfere with anyone.
Distinguish these types of devices of this type:
- point devices with LED or halogen lamps;
- LED lamps of diffused light flux;
- searchlights.
When choosing, the following characteristics of these lamps should be taken into account:
- load level (passability);
- power of used lamps;
- electrical safety;
- tightness of the case;
- appearance (compliance with the environment).
Pros and cons of floor lamps
Floor-mounted luminaires have these advantages:
- variety of models;
- high dust and moisture resistance (can be used near ponds and roads);
- mechanical resistance to loads and impacts;
- variety of colors;
- durable, easy to install;
- possibility of application together with diffusers, amplifiers, dimmers.
Disadvantages of devices:
- high price;
- the presence of additional electrical elements;
- there is a chance of damage upon impact.
Advantages of recessed downlights
Like every technical device, light sources have their own advantages and disadvantages, which determine the scope of a particular lamp and the convenience of its maintenance. This fully applies to recessed luminaires and other lighting fixtures.
One of the most used devices in this group of devices is the Alpha recessed LED luminaire (overall dimensions 60 x 80).
The main advantages of this group are:
- simple design compared to other mounting options;
- a wide range of model ranges provides the opportunity to choose exactly the device that meets the requirements;
- convenient maintenance and operation;
- advanced use for design.
Round built-in fixtures can be installed both on the wall surface and on the ceiling or furniture (wardrobes), and devices of any shape perfectly decorate building structures (stairs, floor beams, balconies and others).
The disadvantages of such devices
Among the main disadvantages are the following:
- the installation place is stationary - the device cannot be moved to another place without special installation work;
- in case of removal of the luminaire, closing of holes and surface leveling are required;
- in the place of transfer you need to make new mounting holes;
- the installation of light sources with large incandescent lamps requires an increase in the gap between the ceiling and the ceiling, which reduces the useful volume of the room;
- the use of point light sources requires a large number of them to provide illumination.
In addition, you should always take into account the possibility of damage to the base during the repair of luminaires installed in it and broken.