Options for LED retrofit can lighting

4 years ago

Our home is a 1950s classic midcentury home that was modernized and expanded in 2000 by the original architect. In the 2000 renovation, they installed lots of can lights throughout. I was thinking about using this down time to replace some of the yellowed baffles, but thought it was a good time to consider swapping for LED retrofits.

What i currently have is run of the mill 4.5" and 6" white baffle can lights circa 2000. They don't really offend me at all (minus the yellowing), but I keep reading online references about how dated this style of light looks. So then I look at the LED retrofit styles available online, and honestly they look pretty similar to what i already have. When you stand right underneath them, they look different. But from a cursory glance, they have identical baffles.

I obviously can't visit a local lighting store to get expert opinions, so would appreciate if people could post links to LED retrofits that are more up to date style wise. Or maybe the retrofits, by definition, have to look the same as the existing can lights? So you only get up-to-date LED styles if you're starting from scratch and aren't tied to pre-cut holes in the ceiling?

I guess my question is: if i were to retrofit my existing can lighting, what are my options for an up to date look?

Featured Answer

H202
Original Author

4 years ago

uh because of a little thing called coronavirus? A lot of us are taking the distancing, shelter in place thing very seriously. This is not an essential project, so i'm not going to risk either getting the disease nor spreading it to 50 other people if i don't have to, by an unnecessary trip to the lighting store. ymmv.

In any event, to raee_gw's question, i guess i have seem shallowing baffles like you mention, which seem more up to date. And i've seen square flush ones too (only in the 4" style). Just wondering what else i might be missing.

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Comments (8)

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
4 years ago
I am not sure what you have in mind as an "up to date" can light style. The only things I can think of are the disk or wafer retrofits (many can work in either a can or a junction box) which have no recess; there are also some regular retrofits that have a much shallow recess than the old ones. An example of the look which is available at lower price points and at all big box stores as well as lighting retailers.
Stax
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
" I obviously can't visit a local lighting store to get expert opinions, ..."

Why not?

That's what you need to do!
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DavidR
4 years ago
It's kind of nice to read someone saying that recessed cans look dated. You want to talk about dated, the basic idea dates back to the rectangular recessed lights of the 1950s. That was 70 years ago.

I keep hoping their time onstage will finally end, because they're not an efficient way to light a room. Good, efficient, even lighting requires both direct and indirect (reflected from the ceiling) lighting. Cans can't do that. That's why you need an obscene number of them, with the accompanying loss of conditioned air through a Swiss cheese ceiling. And especially in the days before LEDs, grossly excessive energy use.

Removing them leaves big holes in the ceiling. There are many surface mount fixtures large enough to cover those holes, allowing for minimal and non-critical patching. Pendants and other canopy-mounted fixtures will require more patching effort.

If you're lucky, there'll be enough electrical cable up there to reach a properly mounted junction box. If not, it means rewiring, which changes the size of the project quite a bit.
Stax
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
"uh because of a little thing called coronavirus? A lot of us are taking the distancing, shelter in place thing very seriously."

So you can't do the retrofit until the "pandemic" is over. lol

PS What if you run out of food and staples in two weeks?
H202
Original Author
4 years ago
I'm doing the retrofit. From my home. Buying online. I'm not going to a lighting store for advice since this is an astoundingly unessential project. Are you dense?
sealavender
4 years ago
This is the kind that we used in our kitchen.

LED retrofits
johnc777
4 years ago
You have to easy and inexpensive options. Replace the existing incandescent bulb with an LED or use on of the retrofit options mentioned above. Every big box store offers a variety and most are under $20.