Ratings
Quality
Excellent. Bright. Kichler Lighting is known for its quality products.
Light Output
Excellent
Cost
Higher than a traditional recessed fixture and trim, but it does also include the bulb.
Overall rating : 4.8 / 5
Summary: Kichler's LED Recessed Lighting Fixtures are a welcome change from the traditional "can" type recessed lighting fixture. These downlights are almost flush with the ceiling making them sleek and great looking. The first home I saw these installed in I had no idea that they were only 1 1/4" thick.
Pros
Cons
Traditional Recessed Lighting Fixtures Installation Problems
Energy Efficient Recessed Lighting
Traditional recessed lighting fixtures have been a contributor to heat loss and dollars wasted in homes. Early fixtures were non-insulation contact and stuck up into the attic above the ceiling. Code compliance sometimes required pulling the insulation away from the installation to at least 3 inches. Leaving all this ceiling area unprotected against heat loss, along with the fact that the recessed fixture was not airtight, allowing even more air loss from home.
Newer recessed lights were all insulation-contact-rated fixtures allowing insulation to cover them. However, not all the lights were airtight. There were also gaps between the installation and the drywall. Most people are not aware that Fiberglass insulation does little to stop air movement. As a result, the R-value of the insulation reduced from its rated value.
Newer recessed lighting trim came with insulation rings to stop the airflow out of the house. Airtight trim inserts also became available.
Drywall Problems
The typical size of recessed light fixtures is between 4 - 7 inches. The hole in the drywall needs to be cut just the right size to reduce any air loss, and this can be difficult to do without special tools. If the hole is too big, this can be difficult to patch.
Installing recessed lights after the new home building, also called a retrofit or old work, has the same drywall issues. Additionally, retrofit recessed light fixtures are designed to rest on top of the drywall since there is usually no easy way to nail them on to floor or ceiling joists. Depending on the fixtures and the drywall installation, this can sometimes cause the drywall to sag.
Poorly Designed Fixtures Do Not Always Stay in Place
Traditional recessed light fixtures come in two pieces: the housing itself which sticks up into the ceiling and the trim ring which attaches to the light installation from inside the room giving it the finished look. These decorative trim rings typically have a spring or Torsion V-Spring which allows the trim to stay in place.
Depending on the quality of the trim, the springs may or may not hold the trim tightly against the ceiling, this is not only unattractive but a source of heat loss. If you're using a trim insert, don't skimp on quality as the added weight can cause these to fall.
This Recessed Lighting Fixture Works Great for Both New and Old Home Installations
New Construction Installation
Due to the focus on energy-efficient homes in recent years, new home builders are trying to set themselves apart from other builders by building ENERGY STAR Certified homes. The simplest way to do this is to plug any holes made during the building process.
Since the newer LED recessed light fixture installs in a standard octagon lighting fixture box, insulation is blown directly over the lighting installation. Spray foam can plug any spaces between the electrical box and the drywall.
LED Retrofit Recessed Light Fixtures Installation
When dong retrofit installations the LED junction-box fixture is easier to install and less weight. There is not as much risk of the drywall sagging under the pressure of an "old-work" down-light fixture. An octagon electrical box is also much easier to install in existing drywall and more comfortable to connect the wires. Recessed cans generally require reaching up inside the housing to connect the wire nuts inside a metal box attached to the side of the fixture, which can be very difficult to do..
A Clean and Sleek Lighting Fixture with Plenty of Light
Clean Seamless Look
The trim and the bulb come as one unit, so there are no gaps.
The fixture mounts to an included metal mounting bracket, which mounts first to the electrical box. The light/trim combination then attaches to this mounting bracket using metal spring clips. The installation is much tighter and reliable. No sagging trim.
Energy Efficient LED and Dimmable
The LED bulb is part of the lighting fixture. No additional purchase is needed. This Kichler fixture being reviewed is also dimmable. The expected life span rating of their bulbs is at 40,000 hours. That's a long time.
Simple Installation
Installation is easy. The wires can be attached to the electrical wires in the junction box with wire nuts the same as any other light fixtures. There is no extra work required to reach inside the housing and connect wires inside a side-mounted electrical box which sometimes has sharp edges.
Works Great as an LED Outdoor Lighting Fixtures
This same LED fixture can be be installed outside. It's not watertight rated, but can be used on porch ceilings. They also work very well in bathrooms above showers and tubs.
Our New Home Build is Loaded with these LED Fixtures
We recently built a new home using these fixtures. Our selected builder was Energy Star certified and a good quality builder in our area. This exact fixture is the one that they installed.
I'm personally not a big fan of dark rooms or rooms which depend on floor or table lamps. So we installed these in most of the living areas along with the master bedroom. They're a little brighter than I expected, much to my wife's dislike so there will be dimmers installed very soon. I plan to install the Lutron Caseta Wireless dimmers, but that is a separate review.
Alternative Products
-
$75.35Learn More- Low-profile surface trim with the look of a traditional downlight
- LED life of 50,000 hours or 45 years (based on 3 hours per day)
- Flexible mounting with junction box bracket (included)
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
10/03/2024 03:58 pm GMT -
$37.99$35.99Learn More- SOPHISTICATED DESIGN: Clean, Modern, slim, low-profile LED disc lights for ceilings with beautiful lines and impressive light output. One of the thinnest on the market, with no exterior drivers or recessing necessary. Flush mount to the top. A contemporary bronze-colored base is covered with a frosted lens for even light distribution with exceptional color accuracy. 3000K LED lights offer a warm feel, unlike the harsh fluorescent white-light alternatives.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
10/03/2024 04:28 pm GMT
Hi,
This is great article with some good information. My builder is providing me with a 43870whled30 kichler lights which is yellow in color. I am someone who prefers white light. Do you know if I could replace this model with a white light? Also, can I still install dimmers to these led lights? Your response would be very helpful for me in deciding what to pick in my design options.