How to install a spotlight in a suspended ceiling?
Installation instructions
Having determined the choice in favor of spotlights, it is necessary even before the installation of the stretch ceiling is made, it is hard to decide in what places on the ceiling they will be located. A metal console will pass through these points, to which the fixtures will be mounted. Also, special holes will be made in them, along the rim of which protective plastic round plates will be attached to strengthen the ceiling in a particular place where the installation of spot lighting will be carried out. About, how to place lights on the ceiling, we told in a separate article.
Photo examples of spotlights:
An important point is what kind of spotlights it is planned to install. They can be divided into options:
- for mirror incandescent lamps with a base E14 or E27 (significantly differ, including the diameter of the lamp itself, this is an extremely important point);
- for halogen bulbs with a base type G or GU.
In depth, the installation of the first option exceeds the second one by about two times, and therefore you need to think about whether to make the stretch ceiling slightly lower from the main one in favor of mirror lamps, or to limit yourself to halogen ones. By the way, as an economical replacement, instead of halogen lamps, you can install LED analogs, and for types with a threaded base, they are also luminescent.
So that you understand how much space each ceiling will take each option, we present to you the attention of 3 different schemes for installing spotlights:
Different types and installation options. Compact halogen spotlights have fixing "antennae" on the spring. After installing the stretch ceiling and completing all the wiring, a socle resembling a tiny socket should sag at a respectful distance from the hole for a spotlight. The bulb is installed in this base, the antennae are pressed up to the stop, threaded into the hole and snap into place. If necessary remove the spotlight, it is necessary to pry it off the ceiling and, helping with the other hand, due to the very reliable and strong fastening, pull it out very carefully. Base lamps must be installed with screws specifically to the supporting beam.Although it also has a antennae and it is theoretically possible to install it similarly to a halogen one, there is a problem with replacing blown bulbs, because it will be difficult to unscrew them and then you will have to remove the entire structure for this purpose. If the lamp is mounted on screws, the bulbs change without all the above manipulations.
Regarding halogen bulbs, you need to be extremely careful. They are divided by operating voltage into:
- 220-volt - work from a standard network and do not require any additional electronic devices for successful operation. Recommended for living rooms, bedrooms and corridors.
- 12 volts are safer. The installation of such spotlights is carried out in the stretch ceiling of the bathroom, toilet and in the kitchen, where there is high humidity. Such lamps are connected only through a step-down transformer (power supply), otherwise they will burn out immediately after switching on.
A transformer must also be purchased with degree of protection IP65, or find a place for it in the junction box. It must be remembered that the more it is planned to install spotlights - the more power will go to the transformer. The size of the transformer will be equivalent to the power consumption, so hiding it is sometimes a difficult task. But to attach it over the stretch ceiling is not difficult. An example of transformer placement is shown in the photo below:
The spotlight should not contain a lamp that violates the requirements for maximum power - it is not recommended to exceed the bar of 50 watts for halogen lamps and 60 watts for incandescent lamps. The instruction or inscription on the case itself should contain the information “maximum power”. The problem is strong heating, in connection with which it is possible not only to melt the rounded rim of the mounting hole, but also the spotlight itself, if the manufacturer used not the best quality materials for the manufacture. In especially unsuccessful cases, you can spoil the entire stretch ceiling. There are two ways out of the situation:
- Installing more luminaires with lamps of lower power, the wiring diagram will be more complicated, because of which it will be necessary to break the luminaires into a double or triple switch.
- Use energy-saving analogs based on LEDs or fluorescent lamps. By the way, they are also divided into 12-volt and 220-volt options, so you need to be extremely careful.
Each spotlight, as well as their total number, needs to be calculated with a margin, since it will not be possible to seep under the stretch ceiling and in case of any malfunction it will have to be dismantled. Therefore, having performed a power calculation, as a result, it makes sense to purchase a cable step one step greater in cross-section than the number required. This will help to avoid force majeure. The best cable to choose is hard, the most popular of which is NYM or VVG. You can choose and PVA or Ball screw - this will simplify installation, but it makes sense to install such wires in the corrugated sleeve, especially with regard to rooms with high humidity.
Video overview of installation work
It will also be useful to view step-by-step installation instructions:
In conclusion, it must be said that installing spotlights in a suspended ceiling with your own hands is a rather trivial matter, and the spotlights themselves have an incredible variety of colors and designs. We hope our instruction with photo and video examples was useful and interesting for you!
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