Mr16s vs. 5' Cans, Placement, etc. -- EEEK, I'd love your advice

12 years ago

We're working on our whole-house remodel...and I have a meeting re: electrical tomorrow morning. Kitchen lighting is important to me. I'm way behind, and overwhelmed, so am hoping for sound advice from you experts :-)

Goals in order of importance for the kitchen:

1) Functional -- very good task lighting

2) Aesthetically pleasing -- minimize trim, holes in ceiling/swiss cheese effect (we are putting in a tongue & groove wood ceiling) and size of holes

3) This is our forever home, so want to get this right

We have 8' ceilings.

Our architect has spec'd 5" cans. They are placed in the aisles. A rep at a local reputable lighting store recommend MR16s due to ceiling height. I do like the MR16s better due to the smaller hole.

Pros/Cons of MR16s vs. a 4-5" can for kitchen lighting?

In terms of placement, the rep also mentioned about 1 light every 3.5' (but could go every 3' in the kitchen). That sounds good based on what I've read on this board. Is this right despite the size of the lamp (MR16 vs. 5" can)?

Also, is there a primer re: recessed lighting placement in kitchens (over counters vs. aisles, etc.)?

Thanks!

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Comments (3)

David
12 years ago
You might want to consider using the new EcoSmart
4 in. 9.5-Watt (65W) LED Downlight (E).

MR16 lights are typically used for spotlighting (not general illumination) and could be pricey depending on whether they require low voltage cans or not.

I used a 35 lumens per sq ft rule as a rough guide to figure out the number of cans I needed. I used LR6 and deliberately discounted the max output to 600 lumens per can since they are all on dimmers. Max output (for modern dimmers) is limited to 95%.

The location of joists, ducting, wiring, ... in the ceiling will ultimately dictate where the cans will be located.
jmcgowan
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks, David, I will look at those. I was thinking of waiting on LEDs since the technology is changing so much.

Have you seen MR16 lights used in kitchens for general lighting? Do they work well? Or not? Is it true that one can use a smaller light like an MR16 if the ceilings are lower?

How can I find out how many lumens per light? e.g., how many lumens for one MR16? Then I can discount for dimmers.

Our ceiling is open now and HVAC and electrical will go in at the same time, so we have some flexibility.

David, you are always great in your responses on the Lighting Forum. Thank you very much!
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David
12 years ago
Those EcoSmart units are really what I would have used if they had been available > 2 years ago. I think the form factor and output will not change significantly (if at all) since it is good enough.

There are LED solutions in the same market segment from CSL too, but they're really expensive.

LED MR16s on the other hand will continue improving since the output currently cannot match halogen MR16s > 20W.

No, I've not seen MR16 used alone in kitchens for general lighting. Mainly for accent/ decorative lighting.

In the situations where I've seen MR16s used, either they were too under powered or too few.

Halogen MR16 (50W) should be able to produce up to 800 lumens (max).

IMO, I won't lower the ceiling.