Jerseydaze
Senior Member
Can someone tell me why 4" Low voltage lights are better then 110 volt recessed lights?
4" Recessed lights
- Thread starter Jerseydaze
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
They are only better depending on what you want to do. For instance a low voltage can may be better for pictures while an incandescent high voltage can is better for general light. There are high voltage halogen that come close to the output of the low voltage.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
One difference is lamp selection. MR-16 lamps for example come in many configurations for detailed lighting applications. With 120 volt standard incandescent fixtures your lamp selection is more limited.
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
If you're talking about 4" cans in general I don't see how 4" cans are better than 5" or 6" cans. A better question would be "Why are 4" cans (w/trims & bulbs) more expensive than 5" and 6" cans"? Less material - why shouldn't it be less expensive? Just my weird logic.
Anyway, having said that I've never been a fan of low voltage lighting. Yes, they do have a specific purpose but I think they're more of a headache than using std. 120v Edison base bulbs. I've found that MR-16 and MR-11 bulbs get extremely hot and eventually burn up the sockets. If you have an application where you need task lighting or where your customer is not looking to flood a room with light then they're OK. Also, depending on the application and generally speaking, 4" cans throw off less light than 5" or 6" cans do (depending on the bulbs used). Just my 2 cents worth. I'm sure I'll get hammered on this opinion:happyyes:
Anyway, having said that I've never been a fan of low voltage lighting. Yes, they do have a specific purpose but I think they're more of a headache than using std. 120v Edison base bulbs. I've found that MR-16 and MR-11 bulbs get extremely hot and eventually burn up the sockets. If you have an application where you need task lighting or where your customer is not looking to flood a room with light then they're OK. Also, depending on the application and generally speaking, 4" cans throw off less light than 5" or 6" cans do (depending on the bulbs used). Just my 2 cents worth. I'm sure I'll get hammered on this opinion:happyyes:
John120/240
Senior Member
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
If you're talking about 4" cans in general I don't see how 4" cans are better than 5" or 6" cans. A better question would be "Why are 4" cans (w/trims & bulbs) more expensive than 5" and 6" cans"? Less material - why shouldn't it be less expensive? Just my weird logic.
Less material in 4" cans, yes you are correct. Quanity of manufacture, popularity of the product
is the driving force. I've installed a whole lot more 6" cans than 4" ones. Take two prong
ungrounded recptacles, they go for $2.50 at big box vs 69 cents for three prong recptacles.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Aren't most LV recessed lights considered 3" cans?
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I don't think so. You can get LV 4" cans that use MR-16 bulbs. The 3" cans usually use MR-11 bulbs as far as I know.
- Status