Glossary
Downlight (recessed LED spotlight)
An LED spotlight recessed into a false ceiling, usually plasterboard, that throws light downwards. They can be fixed or adjustable, round or square, and are chosen by lumens, beam angle, colour temperature and CRI.
What a downlight is
A downlight is a fitting recessed into the ceiling, so only the trim shows, that throws light downwards (in the US often called a recessed light or can light). It is mainly fitted in plasterboard false ceilings (pladur), very common in Spanish hallways, bathrooms, kitchens and new-build homes. Today virtually all are LED.
Types of downlight
- Fixed: the light falls vertically. For general lighting.
- Adjustable: can be tilted to highlight a picture, shelving or an area.
- Anti-glare: with the LED set deeper so it does not dazzle when you look up.
- Integrated or external driver: the LED driver is the power supply for the LED; if it is separate, it can be changed without replacing the whole spotlight.
How to choose
- Lumens: the light each spotlight gives.
- Beam angle: a narrow beam concentrates light and picks out areas; a wide one spreads it for general lighting.
- Colour (color) temperature: warm in living rooms and bedrooms, neutral in kitchen and bathroom.
- CRI (IRC in Spanish): 80 minimum, 90 in kitchen and bathroom.
- IP rating: in the bathroom, depending on the zone, the spotlight needs suitable water protection.
- Dimmable: spotlight and dimmer must be compatible.
How many to fit
It depends on each spotlight’s lumens, the beam angle, the ceiling height and how the room is used. It is better to calculate than to space them by eye: too few leave dark patches and too many cost more and dazzle. Installation costs roughly 25 to 60 euros per point with a basic recessed fitting. See downlights installation and new home wiring in Seville, Spain.
Related services
Downlights and recessed spotlights
LED lighting installation in Seville, Spain with downlights and recessed spotlights (recessed lights or pot lights in the US): we plan where each light goes, cut the false ceiling, run the lines and leave everything working, with dimming if you want it. Orders of 30 to 50 downlights, typical in a new flat, done in a single day.
New home wiring
We carry out the new home wiring in Seville, Spain from start to finish: fuse board, circuits, light points, sockets, earthing, certificate and legalisation, in newly built flats and villas. We work for private self-builders, builders and developers, with an electrification level designed around how the home will really be used.
LED upgrade
An LED lighting upgrade in your home or building in Seville, Spain cuts lighting consumption by up to 80 % compared with halogen. We replace halogen, fluorescent and incandescent lamps with LED, change any transformers and drivers that need it and leave every room with the right light.
Related glossary terms
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