<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: LordSnailz
Thanks BigJ and iamwiz -
I'm planning on checking out the ceiling tonight, I know we have the sprayed on insulation, so it'll be a pain to move around up there.
I'll know about the spacing once I'm up there, any suggestions on what's better/more popular, 4" or 6" cans?
I'm planning on putting 8-10 in the living room on two different switches, and another 6 in the kitchen on another switch. It should be okay, but I'll have to make sure the outlets I planned to use are not tied together. What's the typical wattage on one can, 40W?
Yup, I plan to grab a box of wire nuts from homedepot.
What do you mean by fishing wire?
Yup, I'm borrowing a hole saw from one of my co-workers.
Stupid question, but regarding the wire, anything that matches the gauge from the line I'm tapping from should be okay right?</end quote></div>
Is this between floors? If not, do you have access to the attic above the ceiling? If so, it makes things much easier.
As far as the cans go:
You have a lot more options with 6" cans as opposed to 4" cans. I sell many more 6" cans than I do 4".
With the cans, you have IC or Non-IC cans. The difference is IC cans can be used with insulation right up to the cans. Non-IC cans will have insulation at minimum 3" away, sometimes more if the fixture requires it.
The wattage will vary greatly depending on the cans/trims. Typically, IC cans are restricted to 75 watts. Non-IC cans typically up to 150w.
You'll have a few different options concerning the trims. What trim you pick will determine the wattage and size of the bulbs.
For 6":
Baffle and open trims typically house either (B)R30 or (B)R40 bulbs, or comparably PAR30 and PAR38 bulbs. You can use regular A19 and A21 bulbs, but they normally do not look as nice. Eyeball trims are another option, as are reflector trims.
For 4":
Typically R16 and R20 bulbs, or regular A19 bulbs. Typically the max wattage is going to be 50w. Like with the 6", couple of choices with Baffle, Reflector, and Eyeball trims.
As far as the switches, if you get a dimmer make sure you get one rated for the proper amount of wattage. Since you're only going to have 4-6 per switch, as long as you keep the bulbs under 100w you'll be fine. If not, you'll have to purchase 1000w dimmer switches.
On a 15a circuit, you're looking at a max of 1440w on the line in use at any one time. On a 20a circuit, you're looking at 1920w. Based on what you have hooked up to each circuit, you may have to tap into other lines or run a completely new circuit. If you do have to run a new circuit, run a 20a circuit with 12ga wire, which will allow you expandability in the future. Just make sure your not exceeding the maximum amperage supplied to your main panel.
As for fishing wire, it's a term for running wire through the walls, ceiling, etc. If the walls and ceiling are completely inaccessible, you can use what's called a fish tape to help run the wire in between walls. If the sheetrock is down, it's extremely simple.
As for the wire gauge:
Whatever is already there, you're typically safe to match up with. At the bare minimum, you'll be using 14ga Romex (NM cable) (it's a white cable these days). On the jacket itself, you'll see something like the following "14 AWG." That's the wire gauge. If it's currently 12ga (which should indicate for the most part its a 20a circuit) continue to run the 12ga.
Also, always consult a licensed electrician and the NEC, along with your local electrical and building codes before attempting any electrical work.
Facebook
Twitter