My Recessed Flood Not Providing Enough Light

17 years ago

My living room has a 9' ceiling, and one 6" recessed light near the sofa, for providing light for that area. I also have a table lamp by the sofa for task lighting, and sconces on the opposite wall which are mostly decorative. The problem is that the ceiling's recessed light is near the sofa, but not over it, and I find that its light beam isn't quite wide enought to reach the sofa. It lights the floor under it very well though! I am not going to open up the ceiling to install another recessed light, so I am looking for suggestions here on how to get a broader beam angle for that one recessed light I have.

Currently the 6" recessed fixture has a GE 65W incandescent flood, BR40, 730 lumens. I tried replacing that bulb with a GE 90W flood, BR40, 1000 lumens, but all that did was make the area directly under it too ultra-bright, but no wider, so still not lighting the sofa enough. Then, I took out the trim, and checked the label on the housing which is Halo's H7T. The label specified bulbs as follows: 65W BR30, 75W R30 and 75W PAR30. I guess I shouldn't have been using the BR40 size, but it fit, so doesn't seem to have done any harm. Can anyone advise me on brands, styles of bulbs, given the 3 sizes the label says? Would changing the white baffle to something else help widen the light beam? Would halogen be an improvement? I do use the dimmer occasionally. Thanks.

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Comments (3)

alwaysfixin
Original Author
17 years ago
Correction on my OP - my white baffle trim does allow BR40 bulb (I was reading the wrong box on the label). So, it specifies a "maximum" of 150W BR40 or 150W PAR38. I am certain I do not have to go up so much in wattage--65W or 75W is fine. It's the beam angle that is the problem. Thanks for your advice.
Jon1270
17 years ago
How far from the couch is it? This is sounding like a tough situation to fix without moving the fixture, because the brightest spot will always be on the floor directly under the fixture, no matter what bulb you use, and the couch will inevitably seem dim by comparison. You could use a gimbal or eyeball trim to direct the light at the couch; it would make the couch look good, but be uncomfortable for anyone sitting on it. The widest beam-angle halogen I'm aware of would be a 50-degree wide flood, but I don't think that will accomplish what you're wanting. You could try a fluorescent bulb - they tend to be much more diffuse, so at least that might lessen the hot spot on the floor. Really, though: these are half-measures. I'd seriously consider biting the new-fixture bullet. It's not necessarily a big deal.
keli_or
17 years ago
You might try adjusting the socket inside the can housing so that the bulb is flush with the ceiling, rather than recessed into the can. You could even have the bulb extend slightly into the living space, thus maximizing the available angle of flood. This is best done with an open trim rather than one with a baffle.
But as the above poster said, you are probably looking at putting in a new fixture.
Or moving the sofa.

-Keli